Supply Chain Planning Manager Job Interview - Top Commonly Asked Questions & Answers

Summary

In this video, Jam ha addresses the challenges faced by supply professionals during job interviews, particularly for supply planning and demand planning roles. Jam ha, with decades of experience in supply chain management, offers insights into handling managerial and technical interview questions. The video covers leadership, collaboration, and technical skills, providing real-world examples of implementing new processes, driving cross-functional teams, mastering supply planning software, and collaborating with customers to improve forecasting and inventory management.

Takeaways

• 📊 A LinkedIn poll revealed that 85% of supply professionals find supply planning and demand planning interviews the most challenging.
• 🎥 The speaker, Jam ha, has created a two-part video series addressing these interviews, with the first part focusing on demand planning manager interviews.
• 📈 The second video covers supply planning manager interviews, emphasizing managerial and leadership aspects rather than just technical skills.
• 🌟 Jam ha's extensive experience in supply chain management across various regions provides credibility and practical insights.
• 📝 The STAR method is recommended for structuring answers to behavioral interview questions, with a video provided for further explanation.
• 🛠️ A real-world example is given where Jam ha led the development and implementation of a new supply planning process, improving inventory accuracy and sales.
• 🔄 The importance of cross-functional leadership is highlighted, with an example of how Jam ha improved communication and material flow across departments.
• 💻 Technical proficiency is crucial, and Jam ha shares an experience with implementing supply planning software, Blue Yonder, and training the team.
• 📚 Stock modeling knowledge is discussed, with Jam ha detailing how to implement and train a team on statistical stock modeling techniques.
• 🤝 Customer collaboration is key, and Jam ha provides an example of how to work with retailers to improve forecasting and reduce stockouts.
• 🔍 The video series aims to help supply chain professionals build skills for their job and career that aren't typically taught in college.

Q & A

What was the main reason for conducting the poll on LinkedIn?

The poll was conducted to understand which job interview Supply professionals find the most difficult, with the majority indicating that supply planning and demand planning interviews were the most challenging.

What is the focus of the first part of the video series?

The first part of the video series covers questions that come up in a demand planning manager job interview.

What are the key differences between a supply planning manager job interview and a supply planner job interview?

The supply planning manager job interview focuses more on managerial and leadership skills, while the supply planner job interview is more technical and operational.

What is the STAR format mentioned in the script?

The STAR format is a structured way to respond to behavioral interview questions by describing a Situation, Task, Action taken, and Result achieved.

How did the speaker approach the development and implementation of a new Supply planning process?

The speaker delegated ownership to a diverse team, provided mentorship, fostered collaboration, and presented the proposal to senior management to gain buy-in and ensure alignment with company objectives.

What was the outcome of implementing the new Supply planning process?

The new process led to a reduction in stockouts by 10%, minimized overstock by 5%, achieved a sales growth of about 6%, and improved inventory accuracy and customer satisfaction.

How did the speaker drive cross-functional leadership to ensure a smooth flow of materials?

The speaker spearheaded the creation of a cross-functional team, implemented regular meetings and communication platforms, and established processes for sharing forecasts and adjusting production plans.

What was the result of improving cross-functional collaboration?

The result was an 8% increase in on-time delivery of finished goods, streamlined communication, and a reduction in overstocking or material shortages.

What experience does the speaker have with using Supply planning software?

The speaker has experience with implementing and training a team on Advanced Supply planning software, such as Blue Yonder, to optimize inventory management and forecast accuracy.

How did the speaker ensure the team's effective use of the new Supply planning software?

The speaker prioritized training and development, provided ongoing mentorship, and fostered a collaborative environment for sharing best practices and troubleshooting.

What is the importance of stock modeling in supply planning?

Stock modeling is crucial for determining the right inventory targets, minimizing holding and ordering costs, and ensuring sufficient stock to meet demand during lead times.

How did the speaker implement and train the team on statistical stock modeling?

The speaker familiarized the team with various stock modeling techniques, conducted training sessions, included hands-on exercises, and established a culture of open communication for troubleshooting.

What was the impact of implementing a well-studied stock model?

The implementation led to a 15% reduction in out of stocks during peak seasons, reduced overall inventory holding costs, and improved the team's ability to manage inventory efficiently.

How does the speaker stay informed about changing customer needs and buying patterns?

The speaker collaborates with key retailers, establishes forecasting processes, and incorporates real-time sales data and consumer insights to inform the supply planning process.

What was the result of the collaborative forecasting process with retailers?

The collaborative approach led to a 10% reduction in stockouts at the retailer's stores, increased customer satisfaction, and a 5% increase in sales for the products.

Outlines

00:00

📈 Leadership in Supply Planning

The speaker, Jam, introduces a video series focusing on supply planning and demand planning interviews. In this segment, Jam discusses the challenges faced by supply planning managers during interviews and emphasizes the managerial perspective required for these roles. Jam shares their experience in supply chain management across various regions and their mission to help professionals develop practical skills. The video covers leadership questions, starting with a scenario where Jam had to develop and implement a new supply planning process. Using the STAR method, Jam explains how they empowered their team, fostered collaboration, and addressed concerns to ensure a smooth transition to the new process, resulting in significant improvements in stock management and sales growth.

05:02

🔗 Cross-Functional Collaboration

In this paragraph, Jam details their experience as a supply planning manager at Skyfly, an aerospace manufacturer, where they recognized the need for better collaboration across departments to optimize material and finished goods flow. Jam led the formation of a cross-functional team, established regular meetings, and implemented a communication platform to improve information sharing. They worked closely with manufacturing, procurement, and sales and marketing teams to align production schedules and material procurement with forecasts. Jam also addressed conflict resolution and continuous improvement, leading to an 8% increase in on-time delivery and a streamlined communication process that minimized overstock and shortages.

10:03

💡 Technical Expertise in Supply Planning

Jam shares their experience implementing advanced supply planning software at Super Electronics, an electronics manufacturer. They emphasize the importance of training and empowering their team to use the new system effectively. Jam's team achieved a 10% increase in forecast accuracy and an 8% reduction in holding costs after implementing the new software. The team also developed advanced skills in using supply chain planning software, becoming valuable assets to the department. Jam also discusses their experience with stock modeling at Awesome Foods, where they trained their team on statistical stock modeling to optimize inventory targets and reduce overstock and understock situations, leading to a 15% reduction in out-of-stocks during peak seasons.

📊 Customer-Centric Supply Planning

In the final paragraph, Jam discusses the importance of staying informed about changing customer needs and buying patterns to inform supply planning processes. Drawing from their experience at Rapid Goods, Jam describes how they established a collaborative forecasting process with key retailers to improve inventory accuracy and minimize stockouts. They initiated regular forecasting meetings, exchanged data, and developed demand forecasts collaboratively, leading to a 10% reduction in stockouts and a 5% increase in sales. Jam highlights the importance of the collaborative planning, forecasting, and replenishment (CPFR) process in fostering strong relationships with retailers and ensuring accurate demand forecasting.

Keywords

💡Supply Planning

Supply planning is a strategic process that involves forecasting demand and ensuring that the supply chain can meet that demand. It is crucial for businesses to optimize inventory levels, reduce costs, and improve customer satisfaction. In the video, the speaker discusses the challenges faced during supply planning interviews and shares insights on how to effectively manage this process, particularly focusing on the managerial aspect as opposed to the technical planning role.

💡Demand Planning

Demand planning is the process of forecasting, analyzing, and shaping the demand for products or services. It is essential for aligning supply with customer demand and is a key component of supply chain management. The video script mentions a separate video covering demand planning manager interviews, indicating its importance as a distinct yet related field to supply planning.

💡STAR Method

The STAR method is a structured approach to responding to behavioral interview questions. It stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result. The video script references the STAR method as a way to answer interview questions effectively, particularly when discussing how to implement a new supply planning process.

💡Cross-Functional Team

A cross-functional team consists of members from different departments within an organization who collaborate to accomplish a task or solve a problem. The video emphasizes the importance of cross-functional collaboration in supply planning, such as working with manufacturing, procurement, and sales and marketing teams to optimize the flow of materials and finished goods.

💡Supply Chain Management (SCM)

Supply Chain Management is an integrative approach to managing the flow of materials, information, and finances from the point of origin to the point of consumption. The video's context involves SCM professionals and their need for real-life skills beyond academic teachings, highlighting the practical challenges faced in the field.

💡Collaboration

Collaboration in the context of the video refers to the act of working together towards a common goal, especially in a professional environment. It is highlighted as a key aspect of leadership in supply planning, where the speaker shares an example of fostering a collaborative environment to develop a new supply planning process.

💡Leadership

Leadership is the act of leading a group of people or an organization. In the video, leadership is discussed in the context of supply planning managers who need to guide their teams, gain buy-in for new processes, and ensure a smooth transition to improved supply chain practices.

💡Software Implementation

Software implementation refers to the process of adopting and deploying new software within an organization. The video script includes an example of implementing a new supply planning software called Blue Yonder, which required training and development of the team to ensure effective use and alignment with business objectives.

💡Stock Modeling

Stock modeling involves using statistical techniques to determine optimal inventory levels. The video provides an example of implementing a stock model at Awesome Foods to address overstock and understock issues, demonstrating the practical application of stock modeling in supply planning.

💡Collaborative Planning, Forecasting, and Replenishment (CPFR)

CPFR is a business process in which manufacturers and retailers work together to forecast demand and replenish inventory. The video script mentions CPFR in the context of establishing a collaborative forecasting process with key retailers to improve inventory accuracy and minimize stockouts.

💡Change Management

Change management is the process of guiding individuals and organizations through transitions and transformations. In the video, the speaker discusses implementing new supply planning processes and the importance of managing change effectively to ensure team buy-in and a smooth transition.

Highlights

Poll on LinkedIn reveals 85% of supply professionals find supply planning and demand planning job interviews most difficult.

Introduction to a two-part video series on supply planning manager job interviews.

First part of the series covered demand planning manager job interview questions.

Focus on managerial perspective for supply planning manager interviews, not supply planner.

Leadership questions will be covered in the video, such as developing and implementing new supply planning processes.

Example answer using STAR format from retail world for developing a new supply planning process.

Importance of gaining team buy-in and ensuring a smooth transition when implementing new processes.

Cross-functional leadership and collaboration to ensure smooth flow of materials and finished goods.

Establishing a collaborative cross-functional team to improve communication and sharing between departments.

Technical and analytical questions about using supply planning software like APO or JDA.

Example of implementing Blue Yonder software in an electronics manufacturing company.

Training and development of team members to use new software effectively.

Stock modeling techniques and their implementation in supply planning.

Reducing out of stocks and inventory holding costs through optimal order quantities and safety stock levels.

Collaborative forecasting process with key retailers to improve inventory accuracy and minimize stockouts.

Establishing strong working relationships with retailers for better demand forecasting.

The importance of staying informed about changing customer needs and buying patterns.

Using customer information to inform the supply planning process and drive sales.

Transcripts

so recently I did a poll on LinkedIn

asking Supply professionals about which

job interview do you find the most

difficult and a whopping 85% did say

that it's a supply planning and demand

planning job interviews which they find

the most difficult so therefore I

decided to make a two-part video series

where in the first part I have already

covered the questions that come in a

demand planning manager job interview

which you can watch by clicking over

here and in this video we will talk

about my personal favorite the supply

planning manager job interview questions

because this is Supply planning manager

job and not a supply planner job

interview the questions and answers are

focused more on the managerial

perspective if you are interested in a

supply planner job interview you can

also watch that video by clicking over

here my name is Jam ha and I've been

working in Supply Chain management

positions across South Asia Middle East

and North America for the last two

decades and my mission is to help supply

chain professionals like you build real

life skills for your job and career that

they don't teach you in college and if

you're interested in advancing your

supply chain career further or you are

planning to appear in a supply chain job

interview anytime soon you can book a

coaching session with me by clicking on

the link on my LinkedIn

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

profile so as I mentioned earlier the

questions in a supply planning manager

job interview as opposed to a supply

planner job interview are more geared

towards the managerial and Leadership

side of things therefore in this video I

will cover with with your questions in

the leadership bucket in the

collaboration bucket and we will also

cover the questions on the technical

side that you can expect so let's start

with the leadership questions so the

first question we will cover in the

leadership bucket is tell us about a

time and you had to develop and

Implement a new Supply planning process

how did you gain the Buy in from your

team and ensure a smooth transition so

let's look at the answer to this

question in the Star Format from the

retail world and if you don't know what

the star model is about I have also made

a video on that which you can watch by

clicking over here as the supply chain

manager of alpha apparel that sold

apparel and garments I identified

inefficiencies in our existing Supply

planning process particularly its

Reliance on solely historical data this

often resulted in stockouts during Peak

seasons and excess inventory during slow

periods impacting sales and

profitability my goal was to lead my

team of planners in developing and

implementing a new data driven approach

to supply planning a first empowered my

team I delegated ownership of the

project to a team of planners with

diverse expertise in forecasting and

inventory management provided ongoing

mentorship and guidance to ensure they

were equipped with the necessary skills

and resources I fostered a collaborative

environment where team members could

share ideas and best practices organized

brainstorming sessions to develop a

comprehensive new process that

incorporated demand forecasting that is

utilizing Advanced Techniques

considering historical data Trends and

external factors Safety stock

optimization establishing Dynamic Safety

stock levels based on lead times and

demand variability and I also integrated

sales and marketing teams into the

planning process for alignment with

promotions in order to gain the Buy in I

presented the proposed processes to

Senior Management highlighting the

potential benefits in inventory accuracy

and improved customer satisfaction I

address concerns and ensured the process

aligned with the companywide objectives

I also championed the project within the

the department communicating its value

and fostering team member enthusiasm

through my team's hard work and

collaborative efforts we successfully

implemented the new Supply planning

process across all product categories

and it resulted in some significant

improvements such as the reduction of

stock outs by 10% and minimized

Overstock by 5% we achieved a sales

growth of about 6% and consistently met

consumer demand and most importantly my

team members horned their forecasting

skills and gained valuable experience in

implementing change management

initiatives so this is a very good

example where you are sharing the

details of how you came up with a vision

of implementing a new planning process

how you got your team galvanized around

it how you got the senior manager buying

and you are also sharing details of how

you implemented it and sharing also how

the results got improved as you

implemented the new process so now let's

look at the next question in the

leadership

bucket how do you drive cross functional

leadership with other departments such

as manufa facturing procurement and

sales and marketing to ensure a smooth

flow of materials and finished goods as

a supply planning manager at skyfly a

leading Aerospace manufacturer I

recognize the need for enhanced

collaboration across departments to

optimize the flow of materials and

finished goods communication silos

between Supply planning manufacturing

procurement and sales and marketing were

were hindering our ability to meet tight

production schedules and customer

delivery expectations my objective was

to establish a collaborative cross

functional team to improve communication

and improve sharing between departments

involved in the Aerospace manufacturing

process in terms of actions first of all

I spearheaded the creation of a cross

functional team with representatives

from Supply planning manufacturing

procurement and sales and marketing we

held an initial meeting to Define common

goals so we clearly outlined the shared

objective of ensuring a smooth flow of

materials and finished goods we

implemented regular meetings a central

Communication platform and designated

point of contact s within each

department in terms of promoting

transparency and productive engagement I

instituted a practice of sharing

forecasts with relevant departments

allowing them to anticipate future needs

and adjust production plans

accordingly with manufacturing we

established a process for manufacturing

to promptly communicate potential

production delays or capacity

constraints to facilitate adjustments in

the procurement schedule the procurement

team received updated sales forecast and

production plans allowing them to

proactively secure materials and manage

supplier lead times sales and marketing

shared insights on customer order

modifications and potential contract

changes allowing for adjustments in the

production scheduling and materials

procurement I also worked on conflict

resolution and continuous Improvement by

establishing a framework for open

communication and conflict resolution

within the team regularly reviewed

performance metrics and solicited

feedback to identify areas for further

Improvement in information sharing and

collaboration as a result we achieved an

8% increase on ontime delivery of

finished goods to meet customer

deadlines I was able to streamline

communication with minimize instances of

overstocking or material shortages the

cross functional team fostered a culture

of collaboration and open communication

leading to an improved problem solving

and proactive planning process now let's

move to the next bucket which is the

technical and analytical questions that

can come what experience do you have

with using Supply planning software are

you familiar with specific programs like

APO or jda for Supply Chain

management so here is an example from

the electronics Industry as the supply

planning manager at Super Electronics a

leading Electronics manufacturer I

recognize the need to improve our supply

chain efficiency through the

implementation of a new software system

my goal was to leverage Advanced Supply

planning software to optimize Inventory

management forecast accuracy and overall

improved supply chain FMS however it was

crucial to ensure that my team of two

Supply planners was equipped and

empowered to utilize the new system

effectively the software chosen by our

Global Leadership team was Blue Yonder

and I was tasked to implement that in

our business

unit I prioritized training and

development of my team members equipping

them with the necessary skills to use

the new software effectively this

included enrolling them into

comprehensive training courses

conducting internal knowledge sharing

sessions and providing ongoing

mentorship and support I delegated

specific task related to software

configuration and data analysis to

empower my team members and encourage

ownership of the new system this was a

big part of them owning the system and

becoming a part of the solution I

fostered a collaborative environment

where my team could share best practices

and troubleshoot challenges while using

the software we established regular

meetings to discuss software utilization

analyze reports and identify areas for

continuous Improvement once the planning

arm of blue yonder was implemented fully

our business unit we achieved a 10%

increase in forecast accuracy leading to

better resource allocation and reduced

production disruptions our team utilized

the software to optimize stock levels

and inventory allocation achieving an 8%

reduction in holding costs by fostering

a learning environment my team members

developed Advanced skills in using

supply chain planning software becoming

valuable assets to the department so you

can see that although this question is

very very technical it's hovering around

blue under as a planning system but the

answer while touches on the technical

details is also focused on how you are

managing your team of planners how did

you enroll them in the implementation of

the new system so that they could own it

they could be trained on it so you are

basically demonstrating to the recruiter

that you have been a part of a very

significant change in the organization

and you have led effectively by making

sure that your team was fully on board

what do you know about stock modeling

give us an example when you had to

implement a stock model and train your

team on it as the supply planning

manager at awesome Foods a leading

consumer goods manufacturer I actively

had the opportunity of implementing and

training my team on statistical stock

modeling as they were using a very basic

approach towards defining inventory

targets which was basically about

keeping one month of inventory for all

SKS regardless of their individual

performance they were doing this for

about 500 SKS in the portfolio and we

were facing Overstock and under

understock situation across the

portfolio despite having 30 days of

inventory at the aggregate level my task

was to apply stock modeling techniques

determine the right inventory Target for

each skew and also train my team on the

model I first familiarized myself with

various stock modeling techniques

including the economic order quantity or

the eoq model to determine the optimal

order quantities and minimize total

inventory holding and ordering costs the

lead time inventory model to account for

the time between placing an order and

and receiving the goods and ensuring

sufficient stock to meet demand during

the lead time and the Safety stock

modeling to calculate the additional

inventory buffer needed to mitigate

unforeseen demand fluctuations and

Supply

disruptions I collaborated with my team

of Supply planners to analyze our

specific needs and product

characteristics based on the analysis we

selected a combination of the EQ and the

lead time inventory models as the most

suitable approach to our consumer goods

environment we then parameterized the

model with the relevant data points like

historical sales data lead times from

suppliers product holding costs ordering

cost and so on I prioritize clear

communication by conducting training

sessions for my team explaining the

chosen stock models their underlying

principles and their application in our

software we included Hands-On exercises

to ensure my team felt comfortable using

the model for practical inventory

planning I established a culture of open

communication where team members could

ask questions and troubleshoot

challenges with the model application

as a result of implementing this very

well studied stock model as compared to

keeping 30 dust of inventory overall we

were able to achieve a 15% reduction in

out of stocks during Peak Seasons we

reduced the overall inventory holding

cost through optimal order quantities

and Safety stock levels and my team

developed a strong understanding of the

stock modeling principles and became

more confident in their ability to

manage inventory efficiently now we look

at the last question which is in the

bucket of customer collaboration how do

you stay informed about changing

customer needs and buying patterns how

do you use this information to inform

your supply planning process in my

previous role as a supply planner at

rapid Goods a manufacturer supplying a

major retailer we Face challenges in

accurately predicting demand for our

products inconsistent inventory levels

often resulted in stock outs at the

retailer negatively impacting their

customer satisfaction and our sales my

task was to establish a collaborative

forecasting process with our key

retailers to improve inventory accuracy

and minimize

stockouts I initiated contact with the

relevant supply chain team at the major

retailer through open communication I

established a strong working

relationship with their forecasting and

planning Personnel we implemented

quarterly forecasting meetings these

meetings served as a platform to

exchange historical sales data upcoming

promotional plans and anticipated

seasonal trends for our products we also

collaboratively developed demand

forecast by combining our expertise in

manufacturing and the retailers insights

into consumer

Behavior the process allowed for

flexibility to adjust forecasts based on

realtime sales data or unforeseen events

by incorporating the retailers Insight

are demand forecast became more accurate

leading to a 10% reduction in stockouts

at their stores consistent product

availability at the retailer stores

boosted customer satisfaction and

resulted in a 5% increase in sales for

our products the collaborative approach

fostered a stronger working relationship

with the retailer building trust and

open communication channels so in this

question you can see that although the

interview is for a supply planning

manager position but they are asking you

a specific question around cpfr planning

or collaborative planning forecasting

interment with a retailer because even

as a supply planning manager sometimes

you might become the face of the company

to the customer and then you have to go

beyond the classical Supply planning

role definitions and work

collaboratively with the customers make

sure that you and the customer are

talking the same language and as a

result of this collaboration you can

actually drive some very good results

like in this example because cpfr is a

very well-known industry practice now

where sometimes the planning teams of a

manufacturer might be sitting in the

offices of a big retailer like Walmart

doing that collaboration making sure

that we are getting the best insights on

the customer and consumer side and then

being the representative of the supply

side your team has the best information

where we can they can where they can

come up with the best plan which can not

only deliver the consumer demand but

also keep your inventories in check and

at the right levels so I hope you found

this video helpful I've also made videos

on topics like the top 10 LinkedIn tips

for supply chain professionals or do

certifications really matter in supply

chain and you can watch those videos by

clicking over here keep watching