5 & ? Questions to Ask Your Demand Planners

Most companies provide a variety of tools to support their demand planners’ work. Planners have access to reports that reveal potential availability issues, forecasting systems that do the heavy lifting of providing baseline forecasts, and performance reports that track bias and forecast accuracy. These reports are, for the most part, sufficient for most planners to effectively do their jobs.

But few companies are aware of what their planners actually need to better do their jobs. So here are 5 & ? questions you can ask your planners to discover what they really want, and what could make a significant difference in their performance.

What is the single biggest obstacle you are currently facing in your daily work?

Many planners struggle with unusual, one-off requests for information or reports from sales, operations or leadership, or with attending meetings or calls that are only marginally related to their central focus on data and analysis. They may also struggle with using reporting tools – especially new ones – where they have not received sufficient training. They may also be providing ongoing reporting that should be automated. And in some cases, the very mundane tasks such as requesting PTO, keeping up with required corporate training or managing payroll updates frustrate them and distract them from their core responsibilities.

What new report would help you most – and is there one current report you no longer use?

Planners live in a sea of data and rely on reports to help them analyze the available data, make sense of it, and share it with others. Often, they create their own reports when the corporate reports do not meet their needs. So, understanding their real – and often changing - reporting needs is crucial. And on the other hand, removing or modifying existing reports that they no longer use – often because they have created better versions – can help them better focus on the core data that should drive their decisions. One of my frustrations in my career was when too many new reports were introduced without sufficient training, or without an explanation of the issues these were meant to address.

What is One Daily Task That Regularly Takes Up Too Much Time?

Every demand planning role is unique. Some roles require more reporting than others, some require more interactions with sales or finance, and some require more extensive analysis. And over time it is easy for a simple task or report to grow into a true time-suck. In addition, slow systems can cause a simple task to consume twice the time is should require. In addition, helping your planners set proper priorities and preventing them from becoming overwhelmed by one-off requests from other team members is key to allowing them to invest the time required for proper analytical work.

What Single Supply Chain Team Member Are You Struggling to Support?

Demand planners support numerous other team members with reports, analysis, and insights. All these team members face their own challenges in carrying out their daily tasks. And much as we might like to say that we are all “professionals,” personalities can play a key role how effectively these teams function. Some people manage stress well, others become impatient, and some are not good at explaining what they need from others on the team. In my own experience I learned that there were certain people in every company where I worked where I was better off going through another person to communicate with them. No matter what I tried, we could not work well together. Better to admit that this is necessary – and ask for help - than to continue to struggle to get the work done.

With Your Experience, Are There Other Positions in the Company That Interest You?

The demand planners I know are incredibly talented. They are good at their jobs. But they are often in departments with little or no growth potential. Over the last few decades most companies have flattened their hierarchies, so it is difficult to move up within one’s own department. So, their choice is often to stay where they are or move to another company to continue growing in their careers. So, asking planners where they might have an interest within their current company – and being willing to help them further investigate it – is a good method for keeping talent in the company. In addition, there are many areas within a company where a planner’s experience can provide valuable insights. They understand how many of the other corporate functions can support or hinder effective planning and execution.

?: Over the Last 6 Months, What Unique Projects Have You Been Unable to Work on Due to Your Other Responsibilities?

You might be surprised to learn that one of you planners has been working on a project that could help all your other planners. In my career I have often created reports or processes for myself that benefitted the entire planning team. Your planners often have insights into how to improve both reporting and processes that could save your company both time and money. But they are unlikely to tell you about these unless you ask them directly.