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Service planner vs inventory planner

The differences between service planners and inventory planners can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a service planner and an inventory planner. Additionally, an inventory planner has an average salary of $65,504, which is higher than the $56,421 average annual salary of a service planner.

The top three skills for a service planner include customer complaints, data entry and customer service. The most important skills for an inventory planner are supply chain, purchase orders, and logistics.

Service planner vs inventory planner overview

Service PlannerInventory Planner
Yearly salary$56,421$65,504
Hourly rate$27.13$31.49
Growth rate-3%-3%
Number of jobs15,43537,034
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 61%Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Average age4545
Years of experience22

What does a service planner do?

The duties of a service planner depend on their place or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities include performing market research and analysis, gathering and analyzing customer data and feedback, liaising with external parties such as vendors and suppliers, establishing guidelines and timelines, and developing strategies to optimize operations. They must also monitor the progress of operations from planning to execution, resolving problems should any arise. Moreover, a service planner usually works in a team setting, which requires an active communication line for a smooth and efficient workflow.

What does an inventory planner do?

An inventory planner is an individual who is responsible for creating effective inventory plans and strategies to maximize profitability for an organization. Inventory planners are required to produce documents that detail the quantity specifications of the organization's product or equipment. They must maintain their files updated about the inventory by recording them into the organization's databases to avoid possible discrepancies. Inventory planners must also predict future inventory needs and producing plans for buying based on forecasts and sales data.

Service planner vs inventory planner salary

Service planners and inventory planners have different pay scales, as shown below.

Service PlannerInventory Planner
Average salary$56,421$65,504
Salary rangeBetween $40,000 And $78,000Between $45,000 And $93,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Bruno, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaCalifornia
Best paying companyLinkedInEntegris
Best paying industryEnergyTechnology

Differences between service planner and inventory planner education

There are a few differences between a service planner and an inventory planner in terms of educational background:

Service PlannerInventory Planner
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 61%Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeWestern Carolina UniversityWestern Carolina University

Service planner vs inventory planner demographics

Here are the differences between service planners' and inventory planners' demographics:

Service PlannerInventory Planner
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 44.5% Female, 55.5%Male, 53.0% Female, 47.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 7.0% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.3% Asian, 7.1% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between service planner and inventory planner duties and responsibilities

Service planner example responsibilities.

  • Create budgets, select sites, negotiate contracts, manage logistics, oversee food and beverage, and coordinate vendors
  • Generate MRP on a monthly basis; run weekly selective MRP to include any addition requirements receive.
  • Review inventory and plan releases for assign accounts using customer's spreadsheets, EDI or MRP releases.
  • Generate shop order paperwork including Kanban pull card system and manual shop orders base upon customer demand.
  • Use of a RF scanner and floor jack.
  • Assist pickers with picking and RF scanner issues.
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Inventory planner example responsibilities.

  • Develop process to manage import orders to manage time and inventory more effectively JDA E3 certify.
  • Participate in SIOP meeting and coordinate with all function teams and regional/global team to achieve corporate KPI.
  • Develop and implement purchasing and contract management, policies and procedures and manage ISO documents and improvements.
  • Review stock levels, imbalances and data integrity in JDA to ensure the supply plan is generating accurate information.
  • Handle complex monthly reconciliations and daily/weekly journal entries to ensure AR balance accuracy.
  • Facilitate communication channels between the sales groups and corporate logistics to drive improve demand forecast.
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Service planner vs inventory planner skills

Common service planner skills
  • Customer Complaints, 10%
  • Data Entry, 9%
  • Customer Service, 9%
  • Delivery Dates, 8%
  • Purchase Orders, 4%
  • MRP, 4%
Common inventory planner skills
  • Supply Chain, 12%
  • Purchase Orders, 9%
  • Logistics, 8%
  • Manage Inventory, 8%
  • Inventory Planning, 7%
  • Historical Data, 4%

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