MRP Planner at RCL Foods

Job Description

At RCL FOODS, we see and do things differently. We think bigger, work smarter, and collectively work as a team to achieve our ambition: MORE food to MORE people, MORE often! Our Talent Team is looking for someone who is brilliant at the basics to fill the role of Material Requirements Planner to join our RCL FOODS Grocery Division.

The role will be based in Randfontein and report to the Procurement Manager. RCL FOODS is looking for an individual who is proactive with high attention to detail.

RCL FOODS entrusts the responsible person to meet the forward production plan and sales forecast for 9 manufacturing plants. The goal is to ensure adequate stockholding to meet these plans.

Minimum Requirements

• Degree in Supply Chain and/or Logistics or Industrial Engineering.
• 5 - 8 years planning & buying experience, preferably within an FMCG environment, but will also consider candidates with strong operations processing experience and/or who have worked closely with the supply planning team in other roles.
• Knowledge of ERP systems such as SAP or Syspro, Flowcentric, Barton skills are prerequisites.
• Advanced computer skills such as MS Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).
• Strong interpersonal relationship management.
• Must have production planning skills with strong knowledge of supply chain.
• Must have MRP planning processes and key master data.

Duties & Responsibilities

Material Requirements Planning:

• Manage the MRP plan to ensure that the production plan can be met timely by having sufficient quantities on-site in advance to meet the processing schedule.
• Expedite and/or postpone purchase orders where shortages or oversupply becomes evident.
• Re-plan requirements weekly and adjust as ad hoc changes are made to the processing schedule.
• Ensure that stockholding levels are maintained appropriately to meet working capital targets.
• Use appropriate tools to determine safety stock levels.
• Provide suppliers with a 12-week forward view of anticipated requirements to secure time on the supplier's production facility and enable them to procure their input materials.
• Supply the sourcing team with anticipated annual volumes for contract negotiations.
• Work with the sourcing team and site teams to ensure inbound service meets the required standards, including on-time, in-full, and correct quality requirements.
• Ensure appropriate safety stock levels are maintained by all suppliers (both on-site and at supplier premises).
• Liaise closely with site planning teams to ensure their requirements are met.

Material Stock Management:

• Manage planned stock levels both on-site and at suppliers, in line with agreed target levels/days cover requirements.
• Work closely with the sourcing team to manage supplier relationships.
• Identify possible stock inaccuracies internally and at suppliers, and work with site teams (stores and MRP coordinator) and suppliers to correct and maintain stock accuracy levels.
• Ensure obsolete and quality-compromised stocks are written off promptly in conjunction with stores.
• Communicate overstocks or shortages to the business and make recommendations to resolve situations.

Innovation / Discontinuation Project Coordination:

• Work closely with Supply Planning, Marketing, and R&D teams to ensure requirements for new product launches are met to achieve launch deadlines.
• Challenge the business when MOQ requirements with suppliers exceed production requirements. Negotiate with suppliers or through the sourcing team. If not possible, incorporate potential write-off costs due to shelf life expiry into product costs.
• Calculate estimated bleed-outs at the beginning of a project and provide timeous provisions for write-offs to the project team.
• Work closely with supply planners and site teams to ensure innovation is successfully delivered within timelines.
• Actively manage stock being discontinued, including working with production planners and distribution to exit a SKU. Minimize or avoid write-offs if possible.
• Manage master data for MRP to ensure smooth transition from old to new materials.
• Advise the Master Data and MACS teams on when to switch the system to the new BOM based on stock holding of old materials.

Supplier and Stock Holding Management:

• Provide suppliers with a 6-month forecast of requirements based on end-item requirements as per the forward production plan.
• Establish and maintain lead times and safety stock requirements for individual packaging needs.
• Monitor stock at supplier numbers closely in relation to call-offs to ensure accuracy.
• Establish stock holding/safety stock for new suppliers based on lead time requirements.
• Identify opportunities to reduce stock holding either on-site or at suppliers through improved order management and reliable demand/supply.

Sales and Operations Planning:

• Provide input into the Supply Planning Meetings and Supply Chain Review on risks for shortages, excess stocks, and potential write-offs.
• Make recommendations on how to avoid these changes and/or prevent costs.

Imports Planning and Coordination (Further Processing):

• Determine import requirements for packaging to ensure appropriate stock cover based on forecasted requirements.
• Use the agreed imports purchasing process to procure stock based on forecasted needs.
• Create workflows and purchase orders to get authorization for agreed volumes.

Outbound Supply Chain Project Coordination:

• Be involved in projects that drive cost savings or system improvements (e.g., Syspro and other system tools).

Information and Data Management:

• Ensure plants and packaging warehouse staff accurately and regularly capture data into the information system to enable reliable data and reporting for trend analysis and decision-making.
• Ensure all planning master data is 100% accurate in planning tools.