What does a materials planner do?
Usually working in a manufacturing setting, a materials planner's role is to manage the supply flow and inventory of materials. Their responsibilities revolve around liaising with vendors and other external agencies, processing purchase orders, monitoring the quality of supplies to ensure it is according to the standards, and coordinating with various teams to learn their needs. Furthermore, as a planner, it is essential to devise strategies to resolve any issues, all while adhering to the company's policies and standards.
Materials planner responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real materials planner resumes:
- Develop and implement purchasing and contract management, policies and procedures and manage ISO documents and improvements.
- Determine material and component requirements base on the MRP system and ensure availability to support production schedules.
- Monitor MRP forecasts, inventory, customer demand, production requirements, inventory transactions and reject material.
- Create and maintain MRP classification codes in addition to reviewing BOM accuracy to ensure correct component identification, ordering and release.
- Maintain and setup supplier pull systems (KANBAN).
- Key team member in planning, training, implementation, and support of a new ERP system.
- Generate the initial demand for purchasing of parts and raw material while providing WIP work orders directly to the production floor.
- Coordinate all WIP inventory efforts and reconcile post-inventory.
- Maintain ERP system parameters including material master data and performance criteria.
- Streamline inventory and reduce down time relate to out-of-stock parts by implementing Kanban processes and vendor-manage inventory.
- Create and maintain logistics support programs and identify and resolve problems in customer return system prior to implementation.
- Purchase and coordinate all logistics involve with returning those borrow components to their proper owners including necessary interdepartmental support.
- Analyze and escalate the requirements of the commodity (BOM), including preliminary specifications/documentation and date commodity is needed.
- Interface with RF electrical engineers on engineering change notice (ECN) issues and assign incorporation dates.
- Used AS400, PMC, and J.D.
Materials planner skills and personality traits
We calculated that 12% of Materials Planners are proficient in Supply Chain, MRP, and Purchase Orders. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Customer-service skills, and Detail oriented.
We break down the percentage of Materials Planners that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Supply Chain, 12%
Eliminated potential supply chain failures by identifying potential shortages, resolving problems and communicating directly with suppliers and the production floor.
- MRP, 8%
Analyzed customer Material Requirements Planning (MRP) information to determine manufacturing material needs and build appropriate product pipelines.
- Purchase Orders, 5%
Reviewed actions recommended by computer data and issued modifications to purchase orders and/or manufacturing work orders, based upon rescheduling needs.
- Logistics, 5%
Purchased and coordinated all logistics involved with returning those borrowed components to their proper owners including necessary interdepartmental support.
- Customer Service, 5%
Maintained optimal internal and external levels of customer service through participation in weekly Operations Planning meetings to determine production strategies.
- Material Planning, 5%
Utilized computer programs to interface production planning, material planning and inventory control to enhance production efficiency and lower inventory costs.
Common skills that a materials planner uses to do their job include "supply chain," "mrp," and "purchase orders." You can find details on the most important materials planner responsibilities below.
Communication skills. One of the key soft skills for a materials planner to have is communication skills. You can see how this relates to what materials planners do because "material recording clerks are frequently in contact with suppliers, vendors, or managers and need to convey their company’s needs effectively." Additionally, a materials planner resume shows how materials planners use communication skills: "maintained a continuous communication with all vendors and carriers to guarantee on time deliveries and avoid any supply chain disruptions. "
Customer-service skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling materials planner duties is customer-service skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "material recording clerks may interact with customers in order to respond to problems or complaints." According to a materials planner resume, here's how materials planners can utilize customer-service skills in their job responsibilities: "communicate the required delivery dates internal department, customers and vendors to successfully negotiate an on time delivery. "
Detail oriented. This is an important skill for materials planners to perform their duties. For an example of how materials planner responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "material and product inspecting clerks must pay attention to detail when checking items for defects, some of which are small and difficult to spot." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a materials planner: "confirm pricing, delivery date and product detail. ".
Math skills. materials planner responsibilities often require "math skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "material recording clerks may need to calculate shipping costs or take measurements." This resume example shows what materials planners do with math skills on a typical day: "demand planning/forecasting (quantitative, qualitative, intrinsic, extrinsic) administer/analyze/forecast vendor managed inventory (vmi) programs cycle analysis. "
The three companies that hire the most materials planners are:
- Honeywell22 materials planners jobs
- Leidos11 materials planners jobs
- Tesla8 materials planners jobs
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Compare different materials planners
Materials planner vs. Inventory control coordinator
An inventory control coordinator is responsible for monitoring the adequacy of office inventory to ensure that the company has enough supplies to support the employees' needs for business operations. Inventory control coordinators manage supply chain systems, conduct inventory checks regularly, write inventory reports, create purchase requests, and file inventory documents on the database. They must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in analyzing the chain processes, and strictly adhere to the company's internal guidelines and regulations.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a materials planner are more likely to require skills like "supply chain," "material planning," "continuous improvement," and "inventory control." On the other hand, a job as an inventory control coordinator requires skills like "data entry," "inventory control procedures," "pallets," and "management system." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Inventory control coordinators really shine in the transportation industry with an average salary of $38,327. Comparatively, materials planners tend to make the most money in the automotive industry with an average salary of $69,067.inventory control coordinators tend to reach similar levels of education than materials planners. In fact, inventory control coordinators are 3.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Materials planner vs. Expeditor
The role of expeditors is to ensure the timely and efficient preparation and delivery of food. To accomplish this task, they also perform other duties, including managing inventory levels, managing supply requisition, and coordinating with subcontractors. They are also responsible for streamlining interdepartmental communication, monitoring job progress, and collaborating with project managers to collect relevant information about job status. This role requires specific skills and qualifications, including a high school diploma or an associate degree in food service, business management, and hospitality management, relevant work experience, and certifications in CCP, CPSM, or CPPB.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real materials planner resumes. While materials planner responsibilities can utilize skills like "supply chain," "material planning," "continuous improvement," and "erp," expeditors use skills like "cleanliness," "house training," "team work," and "good communication."
Expeditors earn a lower average salary than materials planners. But expeditors earn the highest pay in the construction industry, with an average salary of $46,040. Additionally, materials planners earn the highest salaries in the automotive with average pay of $69,067 annually.In general, expeditors achieve similar levels of education than materials planners. They're 4.9% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Materials planner vs. Inventory coordinator
An inventory coordinator specializes in overseeing the supply flow of materials in a warehouse or similar setting. It is their responsibility to manage and handle the inventory, ensuring that the quantity and quality of materials align with company standards. Moreover, they are also responsible for assessing staff's performance, coordinating with different employees to ensure the accuracy of services, gathering and organizing data, maintaining records of transactions, and responding to any inquiries or concerns. As an inventory coordinator, it is essential to devise strategies for optimal performance, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a materials planner is likely to be skilled in "supply chain," "material planning," "continuous improvement," and "lean manufacturing," while a typical inventory coordinator is skilled in "cleanliness," "sales floor," "patients," and "data entry."
Inventory coordinators earn the highest salary when working in the energy industry, where they receive an average salary of $40,639. Comparatively, materials planners have the highest earning potential in the automotive industry, with an average salary of $69,067.When it comes to education, inventory coordinators tend to earn similar degree levels compared to materials planners. In fact, they're 3.9% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Materials planner vs. Production controller
A production controller is in charge of overseeing manufacturing operations, ensuring the workflow adheres to the quality standards, budgets, and deadlines. It is their duty to develop production and inventory control techniques, coordinate with managers to establish objectives and guidelines, review production plans and job orders, and supervise the supply chain operations. They also monitor every procedure, implement solutions in problem areas, and produce progress reports as needed. Furthermore, as a production controller, it is essential to maintain an active communication line with the production team while implementing the company's protocols and policies.
Types of materials planner
Updated January 8, 2025
