Material Planning Analyst

at  Caterpillar

WHAT YOU HAVE – SKILLS AND EXPERIENCES

In this role, you will have the opportunity to contribute your unique skills and experiences. Below are some of the most critical skills.
Decision Making and Critical Thinking: Knowledge of the decision-making process and associated tools and techniques; ability to accurately analyze situations and reach productive decisions based on informed judgment.
Problem Solving: Knowledge of approaches, tools, techniques for recognizing, anticipating, and resolving organizational, operational or process problems; ability to apply knowledge of problem solving appropriately to diverse situations.
Relationship Management: Knowledge of relationship management techniques; ability to establish and maintain healthy working relationships with clients, vendors, and peers.
Internal Resource Coordination: Knowledge of the techniques, tools and applications associated with coordination of internal resources; ability to synchronize and integrate activities, responsibilities, and command and control structures to ensure that internal resources are used most efficiently in pursuit of business objectives.
Distribution Requirements Planning (DRP): Knowledge of the process, issues and considerations for systematically managing distribution of inventory for multiple plants or warehouses; ability to apply related knowledge and experience in real practice.
Manufacturing Requirements Planning (MRP): Knowledge of the processes, practices and systems used in manufacturing requirements planning (MRP); ability to optimize planning for manufacturing cycles and ensure capacity and materials availability.
Materials Handling and Management: Knowledge of material handling and management in plants; ability to perform, monitor and improve processes related to storage, transportation and handling of raw and hazardous materials.
Transportation - MFG: Knowledge of transportation; ability to transport materials and goods to and from suppliers, distribution centers, manufacturing facilities and customers.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Supporting Resource Industries US manufacturing in Decatur, this position collaborates with suppliers to ensure execution to planned orders and schedules and resolves issues with suppliers to ensure material availability for facility production. The incumbent works with the facility production schedulers and operations personnel to support facility production and point of use material availability. Ensures alignment of facility inventory accuracy and inventory systems planning parameters with the plan for every part to maintain planning integrity.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

• Incumbent ensures the timely delivery of materials to the facility, collaborating with suppliers to coordinate deliveries, shipping schedules and work schedules to meet facility production plans. Using supplier collaboration technologies, collaborates with suppliers and operations to plan delivery of material for production.
• Actively collaborates with suppliers to perform root cause corrective actions to resolve quality and supplier performance issues. This work may require planning for alternate manufacturing methods and requires the ability to communicate effectively across multiple functions both in- and outside of the company.
• This position analyzes established parts schedules and production requirements, converting requirements into appropriate piece parts, requisitioning the materials, regulating inventory levels, and issuing work orders.
• Works closely with facility supply chain planning resources to proactively address material requirements changes resulting from new product introduction and engineering / product change control. Analyzes engineering releases for changes and/or new releases and coordinates effective release dates to provide an efficient depletion of related existing stock items.
• Incumbent performs work to improve point of use material availability and may provide leadership and guidance to teams applying root cause analysis and corrective actions to improve material availability and point of use availability.
• Provides Material Planning expertise to facility functions in support of improving demand variability, forecast credibility and usability for production planning, and actively supports facility Sales and Operations Planning.