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 Widnes
At the north-eastern edge of Cheshire lies Widnes, a town of around 60,000 population built on heavy industry, particularly chemicals, where ICI had a huge presence for decades before fragmenting in the 1990s. The chemical industry chose Widnes partly for the plentiful supply of water, just like Runcorn, to which it is joined by a railway and road bridge over the Mersey.
The centre of Liverpool is 11 miles (17 km) to the west, with Liverpool John Lennon Airport just 4 miles (7km) form the centre of Widnes. Although not actually in Widnes, the Jaguar Land rover car production plant is just outside the town in Halewood, and it has been a large employer of people from Widnes. For decades the plant was owned by Ford, and the locals still cal the main boulevard that passes it “The Ford Road”. Under the new management, the factory is doing extremely well, helped by a local enthusiastic workforce.
Widnes has two musical claims to fame, one certain, one apocryphal. First was the Stone Roses’ Spike Island gig, the pinnacle of the Madchester scene in 1990. The second claim is that Paul Simon wrote “Homeward Bound” at Widnes Station, although Simon isn’t 100% sure himself!
Widnes has retained many of its industrial plants, although they are no longer owned by the giant ICI, and have been taken over by a multitude of companies. The well-connected town is handy for Liverpool, Warrington, St Helens and Runcorn, and has the M62 at its northern point. All this makes it a good place to locate any logistics operations, and indeed, Supply Analyst jobs or similar positions have been through our system in Widnes.
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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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