Supply Analyst jobs
At one end of the supply chain, demand analysts will be examining sales opportunities and underlying trends, trying to calculate the level of productivity a manufacturer will have to reach in order to satisfy customers. They will be feeding that information to the production management, who in turn will look to the procurement and staffing personnel to ensure the demand can be met.
The supply analyst will be called upon to help with this task, finding sources of raw materials and components, examining the marketplace for availability and costs, and ultimately helping to keep the machines running.
The supply analyst will need to be able to keep in touch with all relevant stock levels in order to determine when replenishment is required, but of course this will need to be done in anticipation of need, rather than in response to it. There will need to be an understanding of seasonality in the industry, too. Everyone knows that items such as chocolates have peaks around Christmas, Mother’s Day and Easter, whereas sun block will be in greater demand in summer. But as industries get more specialised, such knowledge can be a little more esoteric, which is where the study of past trends can come into play.
The skills required
The job of supply analysis is best suited to people with an organisational and logical bent. Much of the work will involve keeping abreast of the current situation in the store rooms, but the ultimate aim is to help keep them stocked at their optimum level. With certain products such as foodstuffs, a just in time approach will be needed, but with more permanent products, the best solution with regard to price, shipping costs and storage expenditure will be chosen.
While supply chain experience will be desirable, being in a spending position in a company will also be good experience. Depending on the position and the structure of the supply team, however, supply analysts can sometimes be taken straight from graduation.
Supply Analyst Jobs in St Albans
St Albans is a historic city separated from the north London conurbation by about 6 miles of countryside. The city has had a presence for thousands of years, but it was the construction if its cathedral in the Middle Ages that brought the town to prominence (although it wasn’t formally completed until the nineteenth century). St Albans is supposed to be named after the first British Christian martyr, who was executed by the Romans.
The modern city is what estate agents would describe as full of character. It takes in architecture of many periods, although much of it is twentieth century detached or semi-detached housing or Victorian terrace. The city is served by two railway lines that carry passengers right into the heart of London (one via Watford Junction), and the town is nestles in a U-shape formed by the M1, M25 and A1(M). This ease of travel and the general pleasantness of the city has made it a highly attractive with commuters, and house prices have been kept high because of the demand.
Although many of the inhabitants pack themselves onto trains and head for London every working day, St Albans, with its economically active population, has quite an advanced infrastructure to maintain, which is why it is not unusual for Supply Analyst positions to become available either in the city itself or in nearby Watford, Luton or Hemel Hempstead.
Popular locations
Cast UK’s supply chain opportunities
People approach Cast UK 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.
We are a growing force in logistics, procurement and supply chain recruitment, partly because these are the only sectors we deal with. Our founder members and consultants all have backgrounds in these jobs, so we know what employers and candidates are looking for in their staff and careers respectively.
Thanks to this focus, many employers come to us first to create a candidate shortlist because they know we’ll deliver the best people to them. 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 best position for you.
To find out more about how Cast UK can help you recruit a Supply Analyst for your business or find you a job as a Supply Analyst then contact one of our consultant team on 0333 121 3345.
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