Walgreens Boots Alliance - Deerfield, IL
posted 3 months ago
The Demand Planner at Walgreens is responsible for the development of demand plans for assigned categories, ensuring accurate forecasts for replenishment, promotional sales, and one-time buys. This role requires a deep understanding of demand dynamics for specific categories and items, as well as the ability to recognize trends and patterns to adjust forecasts using statistical modeling techniques and qualitative data. The Demand Planner is also accountable for purchasing within their assigned categories and collaborates closely with supply planners to track Purchase Order execution and the distribution of inventory from distribution centers (DCs) to stores. The position plays a critical role in supporting the company's long-term strategy and inventory reduction efforts while maintaining high customer service level metrics. In this role, the Demand Planner develops initial forecast modeling based on historical data and evaluates the impact of promotional strategies on forecasts. They must understand the dynamics of their assigned categories, including seasonality, competitive activity, and sales objectives. The Demand Planner creates merchant-facing forecasts and collaborates with merchandising through the Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) process. They also provide input into the S&OP supply planning process and work with vendors and Category Managers to determine clones for new item forecasts. The Demand Planner is accountable for maintaining in-stock levels, inventory value, and Days of Supply (DOS) for their categories. They aggregate and incorporate incremental sales impacts from promotional events into macro forecasts and review merchandising plans with category managers to agree on forecast numbers. Daily meetings with supply planners are essential to discuss key inventory issues and focus areas. The role requires identifying and resolving out-of-stock issues and working with vendors to ensure a world-class customer experience. Overall, the Demand Planner is a vital part of the supply chain team, ensuring that inventory levels are optimized to meet customer demand while minimizing costs.