Parts Business Analyst
full-time
Position Overview
A leading organisation within the heavy-equipment industry is seeking an analytical and commercially minded Parts Business Analyst to support the performance of its national Parts operation.
The successful candidate will analyse sales, margins, inventory, procurement, planning and forecasting data. They will develop detailed reports and dashboards, identify operational challenges and provide practical recommendations to improve overall business performance.
This is not a traditional IT Business Analyst position. The role requires someone who understands the commercial and operational dynamics of a spare-parts environment and can convert complex data into meaningful business insights.
Key Responsibilities
Conduct detailed analysis of sales, procurement, planning and inventory performance.
Develop advanced reports and dashboards for senior management.
Analyse parts sales against budgets, forecasts and historical trends.
Conduct sales-margin and profitability analysis.
Identify margin leakage, pricing discrepancies and underperforming areas.
Analyse inventory levels, stock movement and parts availability.
Identify slow-moving, obsolete, excess and potentially short-stocked parts.
Analyse procurement activity, supplier lead times and replenishment requirements.
Prepare and maintain sales and inventory forecasts.
Monitor forecasting accuracy and investigate material variances.
Manage and maintain parts price files.
Ensure the accuracy and integrity of pricing, sales and inventory information.
Identify and assist in resolving ERP system and data-related problems.
Support improvements to reporting, systems and Parts business processes.
Assist with training employees in the use of Baan and Microsoft Excel.
Present analytical findings and recommendations to management and operational stakeholders.
Minimum Requirements
Matric or an equivalent NQF 4 qualification.
A relevant Diploma or NQF 6 qualification will be highly advantageous.
Approximately 4 - 5 years' relevant experience in parts, inventory, procurement, sales planning, commercial analysis or a related environment.
Experience within a spare-parts, aftermarket, mining, heavy-equipment, automotive, industrial machinery or technical-product environment.
Advanced working knowledge of Baan ERP.
Advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
Experience developing detailed reports and management dashboards.
Practical experience analysing:
Parts sales
Sales margins
Inventory
Procurement
Sales forecasts
Inventory forecasts
Pricing
Strong IT knowledge, including exposure to reporting cubes and databases.
Strong written and verbal business communication skills.
Experience supporting or training system users.
Willingness and ability to work in Springs.
Advantageous Experience
Previous experience within an OEM or national parts-distribution environment.
Experience supporting a national or multi-branch Parts operation.
Parts price-file management experience.
Exposure to Power BI, Power Query, SQL or similar reporting tools.
Experience analysing stock turns, parts availability, backorders, slow-moving stock and obsolete inventory.
Required Competencies
Excellent analytical and problem-solving ability.
Strong commercial and business understanding.
Exceptional attention to detail.
Methodical and process-driven approach.
Logical and practical thinking.
Strong reporting and data-interpretation skills.
Ability to translate data into practical business recommendations.
Ability to work accurately under pressure.
Confident and assertive communication.
Strong stakeholder-engagement skills.
Ability to work independently and take ownership.
Dedicated, dependable and highly motivated.
Strong emotional intelligence and teamwork.
Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate will combine advanced Baan and Excel capability with a strong understanding of spare-parts sales, inventory, procurement, forecasting and pricing.
The individual must be able to look beyond the figures, identify the factors influencing business performance and recommend practical improvements.