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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Warehouse Operations Analyst

💰 $55,000 - $90,000

Supply ChainOperationsAnalytics

🎯 Role Definition

The Warehouse Operations Analyst is responsible for analyzing operational performance, identifying process improvements, and translating data into actionable recommendations that reduce cost, improve throughput, and increase on-time fulfillment. This role partners with warehouse leadership, continuous improvement teams, IT/WMS owners, and commercial stakeholders to design scalable processes, maintain accurate inventory, optimize labor and space utilization, and deliver regular and ad-hoc analytics to support strategic decisions.

Primary outcomes include reliable inventory accuracy, measurable improvements in pick/pack/ship cycle times, optimized labor plans, and data-driven routing and slotting strategies that align with service level agreements and cost targets.

Keywords: warehouse operations analyst, inventory management, WMS, KPI reporting, slotting, cycle count, labor planning, supply chain analytics, Lean, Six Sigma.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Inventory Analyst / Materials Analyst
  • Warehouse Supervisor or Lead with analytical aptitude
  • Supply Chain or Logistics Coordinator with reporting responsibilities

Advancement To:

  • Senior Warehouse Operations Analyst
  • Manager of Warehouse Analytics / Operations Excellence
  • Supply Chain Planning Manager or Director of Distribution Operations

Lateral Moves:

  • Supply Chain Analyst (planning/forecasting)
  • Continuous Improvement Engineer (Lean/Six Sigma focus)
  • WMS Business Analyst / Systems Analyst

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Develop, maintain, and deliver daily/weekly/monthly operational dashboards and KPI scorecards (e.g., throughput, orders per hour, lines per hour, perfect order rate, inventory accuracy, dock-to-stock time) using BI tools such as Power BI, Tableau, or Looker to guide leadership decisions.
  • Design and own regular performance analysis for receiving, putaway, picking, packing, and shipping processes; quantify root causes for deviations and recommend corrective actions with estimated savings and timelines.
  • Lead inventory accuracy programs including cycle count strategy design, reconciliation process, variance investigation, and corrective action tracking to achieve target inventory accuracy metrics.
  • Optimize slotting and storage strategies through SKU velocity analysis, cube utilization, co-location logic, and seasonality modeling to reduce travel time and increase pick density.
  • Build and maintain labor planning models and headcount forecasts tied to demand profiles, service level agreements, and productivity standards; recommend overtime, temporary labor, and scheduling strategies to meet service targets cost-effectively.
  • Conduct throughput and capacity modeling to inform facility layout changes, equipment investments (e.g., conveyors, sortation), and labor requirements; produce business cases with ROI and sensitivity analysis.
  • Execute root cause analysis (5 Whys, fishbone, Pareto) for recurring operational issues and work cross-functionally to implement corrective and preventive actions; document outcomes and embed lessons learned into SOPs.
  • Partner with WMS and IT teams to translate operational requirements into system configuration changes, write user stories, test WMS enhancements, and validate that system changes deliver expected operational benefits.
  • Maintain accurate master data and inventory classification (ABC, XYZ) to support slotting, replenishment, and forecasting; ensure data hygiene with regular audits and reconciliation workflows.
  • Coordinate and analyze cycle count, physical inventory, and shrinkage investigations; interface with finance and audits for adjustments and control improvements.
  • Create and run ad-hoc analyses on fulfillment patterns, SKU rationalization, returns flows, and ABC segmentation to inform procurement, merchandising, and operations decisions.
  • Support continuous improvement projects using Lean, Six Sigma, or Kaizen methodologies; lead pilot tests, measure impact, and scale successful process changes across sites.
  • Monitor and report on carrier performance, dock appointment efficiency, and inbound/outbound dwell times; recommend process or carrier changes to improve throughput and reduce detention fees.
  • Develop and maintain SLA and contract KPIs for third-party logistics (3PL) partners; audit 3PL performance and recommend service, pricing, or scope adjustments.
  • Facilitate weekly operational reviews with stakeholders, present actionable insights, and drive accountability for corrective actions and continuous improvement initiatives.
  • Model and forecast demand variability impacts on warehouse operations (seasonal peaks, promotions, new product introductions) and prepare mitigation plans (capacity augmentation, temporary facilities, slotting pre-staging).
  • Conduct cost-to-serve and activity-based costing for distribution activities to identify high-cost SKUs, shipping lanes, or processes and recommend optimization strategies.
  • Implement and monitor quality control checks (e.g., packing QC, outbound audits) and develop training or process changes to reduce returns and shipping errors.
  • Support safety and compliance programs by analyzing incident reports, identifying trends, and recommending process, equipment, or training changes to reduce risk.
  • Develop SOPs, training materials, and quick-reference guides for new processes and WMS workflows; facilitate training sessions for operations and seasonal hires.
  • Drive continuous measurement of lead times and order cycle times to identify bottlenecks and speed improvements across the order lifecycle, from order release to final shipment.
  • Prepare cross-functional presentations and business cases for capital expenditures, automation opportunities, and process reengineering that demonstrate value and implementation timeline.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis for commercial teams, financing, and supply chain planning functions.
  • Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap by recommending key data sources, data quality checks, and metrics definitions to standardize reporting across sites.
  • Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into IT/WMS engineering requirements and acceptance criteria.
  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies with IT or digital transformation teams to prioritize analytics and automation workstreams.
  • Assist in vendor selection and pilot evaluations for WMS modules, labor management systems, or warehouse automation, including KPI-driven pilot design and evaluation.
  • Provide analytical support during peak season ramp-ups, including scenario modeling for staffing, slotting, and fulfillment priorities.
  • Support supply chain risk assessments by modeling the effect of supplier disruptions, inbound delays, and capacity shortfalls on warehouse performance.
  • Maintain documentation of analytics methodologies, metric definitions, and calculation logic to ensure reproducibility and auditability of reports.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Warehouse Management Systems (WMS): configuration understanding, transaction flows, transaction-level data interpretation, and support for change management (e.g., Manhattan, Blue Yonder, SAP EWM, Oracle WMS).
  • SQL: ability to write efficient queries, joins, aggregations, and data extracts from relational databases for custom analyses and data joins.
  • Data Visualization & BI: strong experience creating operational dashboards and reports in Power BI, Tableau, Looker, or similar tools; familiarity with scheduled reporting and storyboarding.
  • Advanced Excel: pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, INDEX/MATCH, advanced formulas, macros, and scenario modeling for rapid ad-hoc analysis.
  • Inventory Management & Reconciliation: cycle count strategies, variance analysis, inventory valuation impacts, shrink prevention techniques.
  • Analytics & Statistical Methods: basic forecasting, time series analysis, regression, segmentation, and A/B or pilot test evaluation techniques.
  • Labor Modeling & Productivity Measurement: building time standards, staffing models, and incentive/scorecard calculations to align labor to demand.
  • Process Improvement Methodologies: Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen — ability to lead DMAIC projects and quantify improvements.
  • Slotting Optimization & Space Utilization: ability to analyze SKU velocity, cube, and pick path optimization to recommend slotting changes.
  • ERP & Supply Chain Systems Integration: understanding of order-to-fulfillment flows, EDI transactions, ASN processes, and integration touchpoints.
  • Programming/Automation (preferred): Python or R for data manipulation and automation of repetitive analytics tasks; familiarity with scripting to automate exports and validations.
  • MS Power Platform or similar (preferred): Power Automate, Power Query for automating data pipelines and alerts.

Soft Skills

  • Analytical thinking and data-driven decision making — able to convert complex datasets into clear recommendations with expected impact.
  • Strong verbal and written communication — able to present technical findings to non-technical stakeholders and create concise executive summaries.
  • Stakeholder management — works effectively with operations, IT, finance, and commercial teams to align priorities and deliverables.
  • Problem-solving and creativity — comfortable designing experiments, pilots, and workarounds in fast-moving operational environments.
  • Attention to detail and process orientation — ensures accuracy in reporting and inventory records; documents SOPs and change controls.
  • Project management and organization — able to manage multiple concurrent improvement initiatives and deliverables with deadlines.
  • Adaptability and resilience — comfortable operating in high-variability periods (peaks, promotions) and tight timelines.
  • Coaching and training aptitude — can translate analysis into actionable on-floor behaviors and train associates on new processes.
  • Influence without authority — builds consensus and drives change through data, diplomacy, and clear business cases.
  • Continuous improvement mindset — constantly seeks operational efficiencies, cost reduction opportunities, and scalable solutions.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, Business Analytics, or a related field.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor's degree plus relevant certifications (APICS / ASCM CPIM or CSCP, Six Sigma Green/Black Belt, Certified Supply Chain Professional).
  • Advanced degree (MS in Supply Chain, Industrial Engineering, or Business Analytics) is a plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Supply Chain / Logistics
  • Industrial Engineering
  • Business Analytics / Data Science
  • Operations Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 2–5 years of hands-on experience in warehouse operations, inventory control, or supply chain analytics.

Preferred:

  • 3–7+ years of experience supporting multi-site distribution or fulfillment operations, with demonstrable WMS exposure, process improvement leadership, and measurable operational results.
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