Customer Supply Manager jobs
Maintaining a supply of stock is vital in retail and manufacturing. With retail, a lack of stock can result in empty shelves or inability to monopolise on promotions. In manufacturing, failure to supply vital components can bring a production line to a halt, with potentially disastrous results for supplier and manufacturer alike.
The customer supply manager’s job will be at the bare minimum to ensure that such events never happen. But it will also be about much more. It will be to ensure regular and timely delivery to meet the customer’s needs, communicate with the customer regularly to be updated on shifting needs which can either be predictable (e.g. seasonal demand or national festivals) or in reasonably short timeframes (e.g. something sparked by unseasonable weather or product recall replenishments). It will also to ensure that efficiency is built into the whole process.
Modern supply management can involve a good deal of automated ordering via direct-channel communication between sales departments, stock rooms and supplier. It is still essential to keep on top of the supply needs and manage forecasts and fine-tuning however, and since this might form only a part of the supply effort, there could be a good deal of juggling between this and the traditional means of identifying supply needs.
The skills required
With regular contact with customers an essential part of the job, the customer supply manager will need to possess first rate communication skills over any channel or face to face. Errors in ordering that are down to bad communication or overly complex instructions will not be tolerated in almost any supplier/customer relationship.
Since you might have a good deal of autonomy in the role, you’ll need to demonstrate an ability to make actionable decisions and see them through to fulfilment without constant reference to senior management. In high volume customer supply, such as in supermarkets, the supplied goods could be diverse and numerous, so you’ll need to be on top of all their stats from an early stage.
You’ll also need to be completely at ease using software solutions that are relevant to the type of supply you’ll be engaged with. A good all-round ability to pick up and master novel IT solutions will stand you in good stead, as many suppliers will have their own systems in operation.
Customer Supply Manager Jobs in Cambridgeshire
Also known as the County of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire is an English county that shares a border with Lincolnshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffollk. It's a great spot for those seeking Customer Supply Manager vacancies.
Historically an agricultural community, in the 11th century, the region's economy relied mainly on wheat production, malt, honey and fishing. During the 1300s, there was a strong wool trade and Cambridgeshire's cloth industry began to grow.
The most famous place in the county is Cambridge University. It was formed in 1209 and is one of the world's oldest universities. It regularly ranks among the best institutions in the country and the world and the institution's list of notable alumni and academics includes royalty, prime ministers, scientists, authors, actors and comedians.
These days, Cambridgeshire is a centre for the development of technology, thanks in part to the Cambridge Science Park, which was an initiative of Trinity College and offered a helping-hand to start-up companies. Indeed, the region has since become known as Silicon Fen - a play on California's Silicon Valley - and just some of the companies that were started here include ARM, CSR, AVEVA and Autonomy Corporation.
Other well-known companies based in Cambridgeshire include British Sugar, Gale's, home shopping channel Ideal World and Perkins Engines. What's more, Debenhams and Tesco both operate large distribution centres in Peterborough.
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Cast UK’s supply chain opportunities
Cast UK’s founder members and consultants all come from the logistics, procurement and supply chain sectors, so we know what employers and candidates are looking for in their staff and careers respectively. Cast UK is growing in this part of the UK recruitment industry, mainly because these are the only sectors we deal with, which means that many employers come to us first to create a candidate shortlist because they know we’re tightly focused on delivering the best people to them.
People approach us for many reasons, whether seeking more job fulfilment or simply relocating with the family, so it’s good to know that we always have the complete range of positions available nationwide.
Please see what’s available in your region and if you’ve seen something you’re interested in, do get in touch – whether it’s today or tomorrow, we might have the ideal position for you.
To find out more about how Cast UK can help you recruit a Customer Supply Manager for your business or find you a job as a Customer Supply Manager then contact one of our consultant team on 0333 121 3345.
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