WMS Wave Planning Manager

About the role

We are seeking a highly organized and detail-oriented WMS Wave Planning Manager to join our dynamic warehouse team. In this role, you will oversee a team of two wave planners who utilize our Warehouse Management System (WMS) to efficiently group orders into “waves” for picking and fulfillment. Your expertise will help optimize warehouse operations by considering factors such as delivery dates, priorities, and available labor, ensuring smooth and timely order processing. You will also oversee one analyst who will provide data-driven insights to identify areas for improvement. This role plays a crucial part in efficient operations and maintaining outstanding customer satisfaction.

Responsibilities

• Workload Planning Strategy
  • Review the existing status of Operations workload planning and develop streamlined processes and workflows using Manhattan SCALE 2023 or other relevant planning applications.
  • Use ECOM forecast, BM promo, and campaign schedules to plan prioritization strategies for workload execution (year, month, week, shift, hour), considering customers' shipping windows and carriers' pickup times.
  • Segment orders for current-date fulfillment using predefined priorities for B2B and B2C customers.
  • Segment and plan future fulfillment, including orders requiring Value-Added Services (VAS), providing clear directions on execution timelines.
• Personnel and Department Management
  • Define daily, weekly, and monthly expectations for team coordinators.
  • Partner with Production, Shipping, and Receiving Managers to develop cross-training programs.
  • Ensure the priorities schedule is updated and communicated internally.
  • Meet weekly (or as needed) with the Operations Outbound Planning Manager and Analyst Operations Slotting to discuss workload, estimate headcount needs, and formulate plans.
  • Assess team performance metrics, develop productivity standards, and establish accountability.
  • Document all processes in SOP format and maintain them; coach the department through weekly meetings and in-the-moment feedback.
• Safety, Security, and Housekeeping
  • Adhere to safety policies and procedures.
  • Understand building security procedures and assist in opening/closing duties as needed.
  • Ensure the department meets NADC cleanliness and organization standards.
• Systematic Configurations
  • Partner with IT Applications and Supply Chain Engineering to ensure the WMS is configured correctly for successful workload planning.
  • Configure and review performance of system-driven planning filters.
  • Report incorrect item configurations that prevent proper order waving and releasing.
• Planning Preparation and Execution
  • Provide headcount estimations for Processing and Shipping managers based on forecasted B2C and B2B workload.
  • Assess Distribution Center fulfillment capacity and communicate risks when workload exceeds capacity.
  • Provide clear guidelines to coordinators for executing daily processing strategies.
  • Communicate capacity constraints to internal or external stakeholders in the event of order fulfillment risks.
• KPI and Reporting
  • Track daily planned activity.
  • Develop KPIs and reports to measure the effectiveness of the planning release flow.
  • Ensure department documentation (hard copies and electronic) is correctly filed for easy retrieval.
• New Brands Onboarding
  • Create onboarding plans for new brands joining the operation.
  • Understand business requirements and propose action plans to meet them.
  • Ensure clear communication of onboarding details to all management levels.
• Effective Communication
  • Maintain open lines of communication with internal and external partners.
  • Schedule and lead meetings, send recaps, and follow up on action items.
  • Respond to emails and communications in a timely manner.
  • Regularly touch base with the team and customers regarding routing guides, carrier pricing, or negotiations.
  • Communicate concerns, stay informed, and keep the team informed.
  • Adapt tone, stay on topic, and actively listen to others.
  • Be available to respond to job-related texts or calls outside of scheduled hours.
• Efficiency Improvement
  • Encourage a proactive approach to planning challenges.
  • View problems as opportunities to improve processes.
  • Propose new processes and ideas to enhance customer experience and reduce chargebacks.
  • Seek feedback from stakeholders to enhance department processes.
• Customer Service Mindset
  • Actively listen to stakeholders to understand their unique needs and challenges.
  • Anticipate stakeholder requirements and exceed expectations.
  • Take ownership of stakeholder issues, ensuring follow-through and accountability.
  • Foster a culture of learning from mistakes to improve service.
  • Understand that service mentality applies to everyone in the organization, not just the end customer.
  • Provide support to the DC Operation when necessary.
• Perform any other responsibilities as assigned by management.

Key Performance Indicators

• Workload Execution Timeliness: Meeting shipping windows and carriers' pickup times.
• Workload Capacity Utilization: Monitoring fulfillment capacity to identify bottlenecks.
• Documentation Adherence Rate: Ensuring consistency and efficiency through documented processes.
• Processing and Shipping Headcount Efficiency: Evaluating the accuracy of headcount estimations.

Requirements

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree preferred.
• Experience: 5+ years in Order Planning Fulfillment using a WMS, preferably Manhattan SCALE.
• Skills:
  • Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Suite.
  • Fluent in English.
  • Active Listening: Giving full attention to others, understanding points being made, and asking appropriate questions.
  • Speaking: Conveying information effectively.
  • Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others.
  • Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to evaluate solutions and approaches.
  • Management of Personnel Resources: Motivating, developing, and directing people.
  • Reading Comprehension: Understanding written work-related documents.
  • Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.
  • Able to work independently and follow detailed directions.
  • Adhere to all safety procedures.
  • Strong communication, organizational, time management, and mathematical skills.
  • Able to use internal email systems to communicate across multiple levels.
  • Dependable and reliable.
  • Identify information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences, and detecting changes.
  • Think critically and suggest improvements.

Schedule

• Flexibility to work extended hours, weekends, or night shifts based on business needs.
• Weekend or holiday hours may be added at management's discretion.
• May be required to start early or close late with 24 hours' notice based on workload.

Work Environment

• Fast-paced environment with time pressure.
• Warehouse setting with seasonal temperature variations.
• Extensive sitting in front of a computer for long periods.
• Specific vision abilities required: close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.