Forecaster jobs
It’s one thing to keep on top of all the activities a business has carried out – there’s a paper trail to create very precise reports - but it’s quite another to gauge events in the future. However, knowing as much as possible about the future financial direction of a company is just as important, and if it’s done well, it can allow spending and investment decisions to be made with confidence. It can even allow a company to steal a march on the competition.
The forecaster in a supply chain operation will be in charge of gathering as much data as possible to create accurate predictions of the direction of the company’s activities. This will be through a combination of internal factors, such as sales targets, staffing and investments and external factors such as government policy, infrastructural projects and general economic outlook.
The data will then be used to create forecasts which can be employed by the planning team to guide the company’s future direction. Of course, no plan survives first contact with the enemy, and forecasts may need to be constantly refined as more and more information becomes available. However the forecaster’s reputation will be determined by the accuracy and precision of his or her work.
The skills required
Analysis will be at the heart of the forecaster’s daily work. Knowing which data are relevant and applying them to the calculations in line with the event being forecasted will be key to his or her success. Some forecasters will have a team of data analysts, each with their own sectors, to help with the task, while others will be required to source the data themselves. Ongoing monitoring will be an important part of the job, too. All forecasting is really the abstraction of past and present data to seek out trends and patterns, so when these change, so will the forecasts. It is important that mechanisms are set in place to alert the forecaster to key events which will affect the predictions.
Most of the work will be done at the desk using various IT solutions from web browsers, databases and spreadsheets to gather data to forecasting software or spreadsheets to perform the projection calculations. Good IT skills will therefore be required.
Finally, as the predictions are worthless if they are not presented properly, interpersonal and communication skills will be the final element of the forecaster’s makeup.
Forecaster Jobs in Stevenage
Located about 28 miles (45 km) directly north of the centre of London, Stevenage was one of the new towns that were planned after the Second World War to provide new lives for those whose homes and livelihoods had been shattered in the Blitz. As with other towns such as Milton Keynes, Hemel Hempstead and Crawley, it was built on an existing village, although the infrastructure had to be upgraded. Stevenage boasted a pedestrianised town centre, the first purpose-built one in the UK, although ironically it was cars that would go on to put Stevenage on the map …
The town is well connected, with the A1(M) skirting its west side and the East Coast Mainline having a stop in the town. Luton airport is just to its west and Stansted is 16 miles (27 km) to the east. There’s a good deal of light industry in Stevenage, mainly concentrated in two industrial estates in its north-east and south-west corners, and these employ a good deal of its population.
The town has produced a number of top-ranking sportspeople in its recent history. Aston Villa, Manchester United and England winger Ashley Young was born there, and golfer Ian Poulter was born just outside the town in the neighbouring town of Hitchen. But in pole position is Lewis Hamilton, the local boy who started his career racing remote controlled cars before rising through the ranks and becoming Formula One world champion in 2008 for McLaren.
As with most of the purpose-built new towns, whose infrastructure was designed in the motoring age, Stevenage has attracted a healthy cross section of industries. With all the raw materials and finished products to move around, and a local population of around 90,000 to serve, Forecaster positions are not unusual in the town.
Popular locations
Cast UK’s supply chain opportunities
Applicants approach Cast UK for many reasons, whether seeking more job fulfilment or simply relocating for personal reasons, 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.
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.
To find out more about how Cast UK can help you recruit a Forecaster for your business or find you a job as a Forecaster then contact one of our consultant team on 0333 121 3345.
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