Inventory Specialist

Job Description    

• Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) has an exciting opportunity in our Integrated Business Services Department. We are looking for a talented individual with relevant skills and experience for an Inventory Management and Process Specialist role, specifically in the MRO Spares environment. The successful candidate will report directly to the Process Optimisation Tower Lead Forecast-To-Deploy (FTD) / Inventory Management (IM).
• The applicant/s may reside in any of the CCBA footprint of countries: South Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ghana, Mozambique, Botswana, Malawi, Namibia & Zambia.
• The purpose of the role of Inventory and Process Specialist is to achieve an optimal balance between availability of spares and related goods against minimal working capital and operational costs, by means of accurate stock planning, optimisation of processes and continuous improvement of materials flow and performance reporting. The role requires a high level of analytics, commercial acumen and analysis, attention to detail and proactive communication on various levels. This role will support the institutions necessary controls aligned to governance requirements by implementing documented processes.
• CCBA is the largest African Coca-Cola bottler, accounting for 40% of all Coca-Cola volumes on the continent. CCBA is a Non-Alcoholic Ready to Drink (NARTD) market leader with an extensive footprint in Africa, employing over 17 000 employees and serving a combined population of over 300 million people across the continent. CCBA’s vision is to “refresh Africa every day and make the continent a better place for all”, growing successfully as a business and creating a better shared future for our people, customers, consumers, communities, planet and shareholders. We conduct ourselves with the utmost integrity for shared value and the greater good. We are a world class, customer-orientated, socially, and environmentally conscious fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) company that is driven by engaged, motivated and inspired employees.

Key Duties & Responsibilities    

• Review quality of master data on a periodic basis
• Implement phase in and phase out strategies for parts / stock
• Report to management on master data quality
• Execute process to classify spares and define assortment strategies
• Periodically evaluate/update the classification and the assortment strategies with Asset Management, Production and Procurement
• Report on updates to management
• Execute processes to conduct pro-active forecasting and demand planning
• Take an active role in the annual shut or long-term material planning and act as liaison between Supply Chain and Asset Management
• Execute policies to include criticality in spares decisions
• Simulate balance between service level, working capital and operational costs, to ensure stock availability targets are met
• Share analysis and recommendations with Supply Chain Management and Asset Management
• Manage appropriate and differentiated service levels for the various stock categories
• Develop and execute processes to review and update demand forecast and stocking parameters
• Take an advisory role to inventory analysts in case they intend to deviate from preset re-order quantities
• Measure inventory analysts’ compliance to preset re-order quantities, report to management and pro-actively advise on interventions
• Minimise slow-moving & obsolete stocks
• Set up Key Performance Indicators for Inventory Management; implement KPI changes in KPI dashboard,
• Operate the KPI dashboard and identify root causes in those areas/activities that cause stock outs, poor stock turns and/or operational costs
• Report to management on KPI’s root causes and actions initiated
• Deploy actions in the supply chain to solve the root causes and monitor progress on these actions
• Report to management on the progress and obstacles
• Implement and manage working together principles and introduce cross-departmental improvement philosophy (Asset Management, Production, Supply Chain & Procurement)
• Measure total supply chain performance using a Supply chain dashboard and communicate measurements & findings with process owners
• Conduct analyses on request by other supply chain process owners and management
• Keep up with supply chain literature & best practices and advise Management on Supply Chain innovations,
• Review work of Stores teams, coach and mentor them on inventory control
• Spares Stock Count Compliance Validation
• Adherence to Stores Standards validation and escalation to management
• FFT PO analysis and investigation and escalation of non-compliance to Procurement Policy and RACM STP requirements
• Review and address Bad Actors
• Review available provisions and ensure write-off processes are followed as per policy
• Provide commentary on Working Capital
• Overseeing the implementation of revised company processes and workflows
• Monitoring the efficacy and compliance to updated workflows

Skills, Experience & Education    
Qualifications:

• Degree in Bachelor of Commerce, Industrial Engineering / related fields or equivalent

Experience:

• Minimum Six Sigma Greenbelt
• Knowledge and experience on Inventory Management strategies, models and related IT tools
• Technical knowledge of spare parts is a requirement
• Maintenance planning experience an advantage
• Knowledge and experience of supply chain analytics, supported by means of e.g. Excel and Access or any similar programs
• Knowledge and experience on ERP systems
• Knowledge of SA / Microsoft Dynamics as an added advantage
• Knowledge of Microsoft Visio a must

General  

•  The advert has minimum requirements listed.
• Management reserves the right to use additional or relevant information as criteria for short-listing.