The Vice President of Demand Planning at Ashley Furniture Industries is a pivotal leadership role reporting directly to the Senior Vice President of Supply Chain, Sourcing, and IT. This role is tasked with overseeing the entire forecasting process for the organization, ensuring alignment with business objectives and market demands. The VP of Demand Planning will be responsible for consolidating and harmonizing forecasts across various channels, including new product introductions, existing product lines, and customer and sales channel inputs. Their leadership will guide the organization in creating a unified, accurate demand plan that supports operational excellence and strategic decision-making.
In this role, the VP will play a critical part in driving innovation in forecasting by developing robust methodologies for new product forecasts and evaluating the lifecycle of existing products to inform decisions on discontinuation or reinvention. This position requires close collaboration with sales channels, customers, and cross-functional teams to gather insights, refine forecasts, and ensure proactive responses to market trends. The VP will also spearhead efforts to build a scalable and adaptable demand planning process that aligns with Ashley Furniture's global operations and customer-centric strategy.
The VP of Demand Planning will lead a high-performing team of demand planners, spanning the United States and Vietnam, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and accountability. By leveraging cutting-edge forecasting tools, analytics, and best practices, this role will contribute to optimizing inventory levels, reducing waste, and enhancing service levels across the organization. As a key member of the leadership team, the VP will play a strategic role in shaping the future of Ashley Furniture's supply chain, ensuring the organization is poised for sustainable growth and market leadership.
The Vice President of Demand Planning at Ashley Furniture Industries operates within a highly complex environment that requires balancing diverse and often competing priorities across global markets, product lifecycles, and customer demands. This role involves synthesizing inputs from various sales channels, customers, and cross-functional teams into a cohesive and actionable forecast, all while navigating the challenges of fluctuating market conditions and evolving consumer preferences. Additionally, managing a geographically dispersed team across the United States and Vietnam adds another layer of complexity, requiring strong cross-cultural leadership and seamless coordination to ensure consistency and accuracy. The VP must also integrate advanced analytics and forecasting technologies to drive precision, while strategically influencing decisions around product launches and discontinuations, making this position a critical linchpin in Ashley Furniture's supply chain success.
Primary Job Functions
Develop and Oversee Forecasting Strategy: Establish and manage a comprehensive demand planning strategy to align with organizational goals and market demands.
New Product Forecasting: Lead the creation of demand forecasts for new product launches, ensuring alignment with market trends and business objectives.
Current Product Forecasting: Drive the ongoing evaluation and adjustment of demand forecasts for existing product lines to optimize inventory and service levels.
Customer and Sales Channel Collaboration: Engage with sales channels and key customers to gather inputs and align forecasts with business expectations.
Forecast Aggregation: Aggregate demand forecasts across various channels and teams into a unified, actionable plan.
Product Lifecycle Management: Evaluate and provide recommendations on product discontinuation or adjustments based on forecasted demand and market analysis.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with supply chain, sourcing, manufacturing, and IT teams to ensure alignment of demand plans with operational capabilities.
Analytics and Technology Integration: Leverage advanced forecasting tools, data analytics, and technologies to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of demand planning processes.
Global Team Leadership: Oversee and mentor a team of demand planners located in the United States and Vietnam, fostering collaboration and consistency.
Market Trend Analysis: Monitor and analyze market trends, customer behavior, and industry dynamics to inform and adjust forecasts.
Inventory Optimization: Collaborate with supply chain teams to balance inventory levels, reduce waste, and improve service levels.
Scenario Planning: Develop and implement contingency plans to address demand fluctuations and market uncertainties.
Performance Metrics and Reporting: Establish and track key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the accuracy and effectiveness of demand planning processes.
Stakeholder Communication: Provide regular updates and insights to senior leadership on forecast accuracy, risks, and opportunities.
Process Improvement: Continuously identify and implement best practices to streamline and enhance demand planning operations.
Budget Management: Oversee budget planning and allocation for the demand planning function, ensuring optimal resource utilization.
Cultural Integration: Promote cross-cultural collaboration and alignment between U.S. and Vietnam-based teams.
Strategic Decision Support: Act as a key advisor to senior leadership on demand-related decisions, supporting long-term business growth and operational excellence.
Secondary Job Functions
Training and Development: Design and implement training programs to enhance the skills and capabilities of the demand planning team.
Collaboration with Marketing: Partner with marketing teams to integrate promotional plans and campaigns into demand forecasts.
Vendor and Supplier Engagement: Work with sourcing and supplier teams to ensure demand forecasts are aligned with supplier capacities and lead times.
Risk Management: Identify potential risks in demand forecasting and develop mitigation strategies to minimize impact on operations.
Data Governance: Ensure data integrity and consistency across all forecasting tools and systems.
Industry Benchmarking: Monitor and compare Ashley Furniture's demand planning practices against industry benchmarks to maintain a competitive edge.
Technology Evaluation: Evaluate and recommend new technologies or software to improve demand planning efficiency and accuracy.
Cost Management: Identify opportunities for cost savings through improved forecasting accuracy and inventory management.
Sustainability Integration: Support corporate sustainability goals by aligning demand planning with waste reduction and efficient resource utilization.
Support for Corporate Initiatives: Participate in broader company projects and initiatives, contributing demand planning insights to cross-functional strategies.
Education
Bachelor's Degree (Required): A degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Operations Management, Data Analytics, Industrial Engineering, or a related field.
Master's Degree (Preferred): An MBA or a Master's degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations Research, Data Science, or a related discipline is strongly preferred.
Experience
Extensive Leadership Experience: Minimum of 10-15 years of progressive experience in demand planning, forecasting, or supply chain management, with at least 5 years in a leadership role managing cross-functional or global teams.
Expertise in Forecasting and Analytics: Proven track record in developing and implementing demand forecasting methodologies, utilizing advanced analytics, and driving data-driven decision-making.
Global Operations Experience: Experience leading or working with geographically dispersed teams, ideally in both the United States and international locations, with an understanding of cross-cultural dynamics.
Product Lifecycle Management: Demonstrated success in managing demand planning for both new product introductions and the discontinuation of underperforming products.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Strong background in collaborating with sales, marketing, manufacturing, and IT teams to align forecasts with business objectives.
Technology Proficiency: Hands-on experience with demand planning software (e.g., SAP IBP, Oracle Demantra, or Kinaxis), data analytics platforms, and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems.
Industry Knowledge: Experience within manufacturing, retail, or consumer goods industries, with a focus on large-scale, complex supply chain environments.
Problem Solving and Risk Management: Expertise in scenario planning, risk mitigation, and handling demand fluctuations in a dynamic market.
Performance Management: Proven ability to establish, track, and improve key performance indicators (KPIs) for demand planning functions.
Change Management: Experience driving process improvements and managing change in demand planning processes, aligning teams and systems to adapt to organizational growth and market dynamics.