Customer Desk Specialist

Garrett Advancing Motion•Plymouth, MI

16d

About The Position

Garrett Advancing Motion is a pioneer in automotive powertrain technologies with over 60 years of history, leading the world in technology solutions for passenger cars, commercial vehicles, and off-highway equipment. Garrett supplies technology to nearly all major automakers and the global aftermarket under the Garrett brand. The Regional Customer Desk Specialist will be responsible for providing excellent customer experience by managing customer demand/orders and efficiently preparing and executing shipment plans to best satisfy customer demand. They will collaborate with the Regional Demand Planning Manager, Statistical Analyst, Reporting, Product Life Cycle Planner, and Customer Management Team to align demand volumes, secure a robust short-term rolling forecast (current month + 3 months), improve forecast accuracy, and ensure adherence to weekly forecast submission deadlines. The specialist will also work with customers to clarify demand variations, normalize short-term volumes, and collaborate with the Garrett Supply Chain Organization on mitigation plans for demand variation impacts. Responsibilities include leading and coordinating cross-functionally for shipment planning, past due reduction, and managing the ASN - Invoicing - GR - Payment Receipt process from customers.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree on Business Administration, Engineering or related areas required
Minimum 5~8 years of relevant experience in demand planning or customer service, sales and supply chain
English proficiency level
Proficiency in customer service methods, methodology & tools with an understanding of their financial and operational impacts
Strong analytical & statistical skills
ERP tools viz o9, SAP skills required and other software related to demand planning preferred
Experienced with MS Office (Excel advanced, PowerPoint, PowerBi etc.)
Presentation and communication skills
Customer focus – understand and follow customer specific requirements
Analyze and challenge forecast data, investigate variations
Spot risks of forecast deviations and communicate internally, share information, collaborate and validate findings
Self-learning, seek for continuous improvement
Well organized to manage multiple competing priorities in parallel
Work accurate and follow the weekly MOS
Team player

Nice To Haves

Previous experience in the automotive industry preferred (OEM, Tier-I)
Spanish, Portuguese proficiency added advantage
Six Sigma Green Belt Certification / equivalent certification

Responsibilities

Customer Demand Management: Responsible for customer demand integration/update in SAP (EDI, e-mail orders/forecast, POs, including INTERCO demand); Apply work instructions and troubleshooting guide to integrate EDI/demand following Customer data refresh cadence. Timely solve EDI integration errors by addressing root cause; Follow standard demand planning process, check weekly demand vs sold capacity, demand variation vs tolerance agreed with the Customer and escalate deviations (work with Customer Management Team to properly communicate to the Customer and reject EDI/demand as necessary); Analyze demand, ask questions, investigate, challenge demand forecast variation (check and confirm with the Customer and Sales Manager); Responsible for demand arbitration & shipment planning on weekly basis, validates weekly Customer Desk Forecast with the Regional Demand Planning Manager
Provides daily logistics interface between plant and customers; Ensures compliance with daily and weekly delivery plan for its own portfolio of clients; Follow-up on delayed deliveries to customers and optimize special shipments to customers; Follow-up on logistic complaints, implement improvement actions and secure closure for logistics claims (provide 8D reports and 5Whys in customer portals).
Monitor and report delivery performance (OTTR – On Time To Request) in client-specific portals and internal tools and define and implement actions to improve performance for assigned portfolio of Customers; PD management (daily/weekly verification and follow-up on recovery plan); Manage customer relationship, handle communication and follow Customer specific requirements and MOS; Interacts with regional logistics processes - (SIOP, operations strategy)
Provides support for production transfers and the introduction of new products in manufacturing (PIPO) and take the necessary actions to avoid E&O (excess and obsolete) in line with PIPO process.
Optimizes the FGI (finished goods inventory) level and makes sure it is in line with the goal established in the SIOP process
Ensure operating in o9, SAP, MHS and other tools according to the existing procedures
Participates in all meetings for which its function is necessary (daily meetings level 2,3 or 4, as the case may be, weekly / monthly meetings, etc.)
Performs other duties from the superior hierarchical levels as assigned
Functional KPIs: Weekly check MAPE and BIAS at PN level; Customer OTTR and Past Due with customers for OEM, OES, IAM market; Delivery performance analysis (Customer Portal Analysis and Customer OTTR Analysis)
Measures the level of customer satisfaction (CDI, NPS) and defines the action plan for its improvement;
One Team: Discuss and align assumptions with Customer Management at required & meaningful level.
Continuous Improvements: Follow defined standards and guidelines. Propose and implement improvements. Check and address with improvement top offenders
Internal Alignment and Collaboration: Collaborate with Supply Chain functions, Sales Team and Plant warehouse/logistic teams to align on demand forecast & shipment plan
Ensure adherence to Global processes (Demand planning, PIPO, NPI process, etc.) to meet assigned functional KPIs (Customer OTTR, Past Due, Inventory, E&O, Premium Freight)
Operate and perform daily activities following standard processes, GEM requirements and according to IATF 16949:2016 and ISO 9001:2015
Actively participates in weekly demand planning, SIOP meetings with ensuring successful completion of assigned deliverables
Support statistical analysis reporting on demand forecast and related KPIs
Follow-up and adjust arbitrated demand in case change of references (dash change; phase in/phase out) to avoid excess and obsolete.
Performs other duties from the superior hierarchical levels as assigned
Observes work rules and internal HS&E guidelines