Materials Planner jobs
Getting products out of the factory and the money in the bank is the ultimate aim of any production enterprise, be it a factory, studio or building site. But at the other end of the process, the materials need to come into play at just the right time. Failure to optimise this side of the business can at best result in inefficiencies and reduced profits, at worst failure to deliver on orders, lost customers and even collapse. No pressure then, materials planners.
The job of the materials planner will be to secure a steady flow of materials into the production process to ensure productivity can continue in line with demand. However securing material supply can be a balancing act because storage has a cost too. This is never truer than in the “just in time” model of production, where materials don’t have time to gather dust – they arrive on site just as they are ready to be used. It means there’s little room for error and it requires military planning, but the savings can be huge. Another reason over-ordering is bad is because it affects cash flow. Money spent on latent materials isn’t available for other purposes and that might necessitate borrowing.
So with the employer’s process in mind, the materials planner will need to liaise with suppliers and organise the optimum means of delivery of materials to meet productivity demands. This can fluctuate seasonally or daily, and the planner will need to have the projections and the orders to hand to make procurement decisions, perhaps daily. While JIT is not always appropriate or possible, as the ultimate model for efficiency of at least one point in the supply chain, any step taken towards it is generally a profitable one.
The skills required
The most important skill of the materials planner will be an analytical mindset. He or he might have to juggle a number of needs to end up at an optimum outcome, and that can mean making decisions that in isolation could look inefficient, but which will add efficiency to the whole system. Mathematics aptitude will be enormously helpful, as will familiarity with planning IT solutions.
There could be some negotiation as part of the job, but at the least the materials planner will regularly need to be in touch with suppliers to place orders. Good communications skills will be required for this part of the job. The planner will be in constant touch with analysts, buyers and sales teams, so the need to be communicative will be at the heart of the position.
Materials Planner Jobs in Aylesbury
The county town of Buckinghamshire is Buckingham, right? Wrong. It's actually Aylesbury, a town about as close to the centre of the county as it's possible to be. It is roughly in the centre of a circle formed by London 33 miles (53 km) to the south east, Stevenage, Bedford, Northampton, Banbury, Oxford and Slough, going anticlockwise.
The town was traditionally a market town, where the surrounding farms and traders from more distant towns would congregate to sell their wares. Aylesbury still has a market four times a week, but this is by no means its main business. The town did have a strong milling industry until the mid-1800s, and it was the home to some food-related industry until quite recently, but nowadays its main employers are retailers and small businesses, as well as entertainment and the concentration of local government that accompanies any county town. Although Aylesbury was never a formal New Town, it did get redeveloped after the war, with displaced Londoners moving in and the old town being largely demolished to make way for new business properties.
Aylesbury is right in amongst the commuter belt for London, and houses a reasonably economically active population of around 70,000. The north west of the town is dominated by a large industrial estate with light and medium industry, retail and car showrooms. The town's diverse and largely affluent population, modern infrastructure and a decent amount of industry mean that Materials Planner jobs are often being created in Aylesbury, so please get in touch if you are in the area and seeking such work.
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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. We are a growing force in the UK recruitment industry, mainly because these are the only sectors we deal with. Many employers often come to us first to create a candidate shortlist because they know we’re tightly focused on delivering the best people to them.
Applicants approach Cast UK for many reasons. They might be seeking more job fulfilment, they could have been made redundant or they might simply be relocating for family 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.
To find out more about how Cast UK can help you recruit a Materials Planner for your business or find you a job as a Materials Planner then contact one of our consultant team on 0333 121 3345.
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