Purpose Statement
The Solution Architects primary focus is to ensure the continuity, reliability, extendibility, and scalability of the Rapid Response (RR) technology critical to our supply chain planning and operations. The job requires working closely with our functional GSC Planning COE workstream leads, functional super users, and stakeholders to define and implement improvements to the supply chain planning solutions spanning: Demand planning (including statistical/consensus forecasting) supply planning, capacity planning (constraints), PP&S, MRP, DRP, MEIO, and SI&OP. This person will also work closely with IT Partners supporting platforms that are critical to data ingestion and stability of the solution (Middleware, SAP, MES, reporting and analytics, etc).
Key Responsibilities
- Decide & plan right architecture for RapidResponse solutions, the architectural design, development, and deployment
- Prepare alternate architecture options to achieve company needs, with benefit/drawback analysis
- Keep up-to-date with possible new architectures that will increase performance and/or capacity
- Provide Technical thought leadership to help the workstreams and stakeholders reach our strategic initiatives.
- Support functional workstreams in refining requirements to complete gap assessments versus existing solutions, inform and consult on creative design approaches and plans while maintaining best practices.
- Provide best practice and solution guidance and mentorship to workstream and technical teams
- Support workstream leads with business process design and end user training leveraging Solution capabilities
- Perform Data readiness assessment, understand and guide data cleansing & transformation rules and process, and ensure the successful implementation and remediation (for new ERPs, new acquisitions, sites, etc) of Rapid Response ensuring that the solution is producing the expected results;
- Lead and consult to ensure that the configuration of Rapid Response interfaces, data models, analytics and customizations, supports the business process requirements.
- Define the process, provide guidance and perform Data Harmonization across different ERP Source systems integrated with Rapid Response
- Lead testing strategy with functional workstream leads and crossfunctional team for strategic projects. Support technical and UAT testing aligned with testing strategy.
- Provide escalated technical support for system administration and support team and partner to identify long term solutions, reducing system/integration instability.
- Perform damage control and diagnoses , Identify/troubleshoot possible or existing inefficiencies and/or problems with current architecture
- Working with workstream leads to develop functional roadmap accounting for new solution capabilities and sustaining projects (i.e. system upgrades)
- Work closely with Integration teams to ensure successful data migration from different ERP Source systems to Kinaxis and vice versa
- Build content and processes to maintain quality documentation and deliver new GSC Planning COE RR Support team members and refresher communications and trainings to our GSC Planning COE Team
- Support out system administration, analysts and technical support team in resolving user system and process issues. Lead the team through scoping and prioritizing technical solutions that will help us ensure scalability for the future.
- Foster a community of supply chain planning COE that shares best practices and drives innovative ideas for further improving our planning processes.
- Establish and support a work environment of continuous improvement that supports BSCs Quality Policy, Quality System and appropriate regulations for the areas supported.
Qualifications
Required:
- Bachelors degree in Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Business, IS or related fields.
- Masters degree in IS, statistics, mathematics, economics or related field
- Minimum of ten years of in Supply Chain planning and strong knowledge of concurrent planning systems, integrations and Rapid Response
- Experience with leading configuration and data modeling
- Experience with SAP MRP and advanced supply chain planning software
- Strong facilitation / communication skills with the ability to successfully interact at all levels of the organization
- Has strong communication skills and business acumen that enables translation of highly technical solutions to business process and impact. 5+ years of people management experience
- Highly adaptable, flexible and willing to accept new ideas, processes, and procedures
- Strong project management and leadership skills
- Strong analytical problem solving skills
- Ability to lead and create a blueprint for the RR solution across all process levels
- Facilitate working sessions with stakeholders
- Strong functional knowledge of Demand planning (including statistical/consensus forecasting) supply planning, capacity planning (constraints), PP&S, MRP, DRP, MEIO, and SI&OP
- Strong technical knowledge on the standard business processes, control settings and data model for the above applications in Kinaxis
- Experience with configurations and data modeling
- Detail oriented and organized. Performs to a high level of accuracy in all tasks
- The job requires 10% travel to visit BSC manufacturing sites.
