Demand Analyst - West Suffolk

Demand Analyst jobs

In supply chain, the customer’s demand issues are the supplier’s demand issues, and it doesn’t make much difference what stage of the chain you’re at. If the customer needs something, it’s your job to supply it, and if that means making it, buying it or digging it out of the ground, your supplier/customer relationship depends on it.

The demand analyst will be charged with ensuring there are no shortfalls in supply to the customers, and this is achieved through a blend of forecasting, handling direct requests from customers and analysing past data. In large companies, the demand analyst will be part of a team, dealing with specific products or categories of product, so your specialist area might be quite focused.

It is in customers’ own interest to ensure their orders are accurate, well forecasted and communicated in a clear and timely manner, but as a supplier you’ll be dealing with a number of customers and it only takes one of them to spring surprises on you to throw a spanner in the works. By building up profiles of the customers’ needs and turning them into orders for your own warehouses, you’ll ensure a flawless supply goes to each customer while keeping just enough redundancy for fluctuations in demand and not over-ordering or placing onerous demands on your own suppliers.

The skills required

Demand analysis is a task that will require an above average aptitude at mathematics as you’ll be performing calculations practically all of the time. Although software will be of invaluable assistance in the complex calculations, an instinct for maths will make sure you’re getting off on the right foot.

You’ll need to be able to get the results of your forecasted demands over to your own team in order to ensure demand is met, so verbal, written and graphical communication skills will be vital. There may also be extensive contact with customers, particularly when trying to glean information to feed into your demand calculations, so again these skills will come to the fore.

Finally, you might be overseeing, or part of, a team of analysts, in which case interpersonal skills will need to be well developed.

Demand Analyst Jobs in West Suffolk

Established in 1889, West Suffolk was an English administrative county until it was combined with East Suffolk in 1974 as part of the Local Government Act 1972.

Although it's no longer an official county, the various settlements in what was once West Suffolk still offer plenty of options for job seekers looking for Demand Analyst positions. Indeed, just some of the towns and villages include Bury St Edmunds - the former county town of West Suffolk - Sudbury, Newmarket, Haverhill and Mildenhall.

Historically, West Suffolk was known for producing cloth and during the Middle Ages, there was a thriving cloth trade in the region.

Brewing and malting have long been important industries for the region, while sugar beet processing has also given a boost to the local economy.

Greene King - the UK's largest British-owned brewery - was established in West Suffolk in 1799, while smaller names include the Old Cannon Brewery and Bartrums Brewery.

British Sugar was established in 1936 and it has been processing sugar beet for the Silver Spoon brand at a factory in Bury St Edmunds since 1925.

Other notable businesses include chocolate company Hadleigh Maid, biotech firm Genzyme and International Flavors and Fragrances.

Popular locations

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. 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.

People approach us 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.

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 Demand Analyst for your business or find you a job as a Demand Analyst then contact one of our consultant team on 0333 121 3345.

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