Behind the Scenes of Supply Planning: Insights from Michal Partyka at MDLZ

Monday, April 21, 2025

What does a typical working day for a Supply Planner look like at Mondelēz International?

Presumably, like all other functions, I begin with a coffee. The daily tasks depend very much on the week we are in; as you know, we work in accordance with the Integrated Business Planning (IBP) and Sales & Operation Execution (SOE) calendars. Some days are filled with production planning, material requirement verification, and communication with external material suppliers, which are scheduled for individual weekdays.

A significant element is project meetings, in which the Team proactively shares project outlooks with their stakeholders, who are the Project Change Managers (PCM), Business Development (BD), and Customer Service and Logistics (CS&L). Furthermore, a key element is providing proper and driving conclusions comments in the boundary violation report, which are shared with our key internal customers, the country Demand Fulfilment Analysts (DFAs).

What kind of challenges are you facing daily?

Supply Planning is a very dynamic and volatile world. We have numerous internal and external customers; therefore, we can have multiple changing elements. We tend to treat challenges as opportunities, seeking solutions to overcome them with limited business impacts for our organization. We can face demand volatility, resulting in the necessity to adjust earlier committed production plans. We may face a delay in materials from an external Supplier. We can also have internal technical difficulties at a manufacturing unit, leading to under-delivery of our plans.

All these elements require assessments by our Team and action plans related to potential recoveries.

From your perspective, what has changed in the supply chain over the last few years?

Throughout my years in supply planning at MDLZ, our primary focus has always been to bring transparency to our stakeholders across the countries. We have developed multiple solutions that add value, such as the maximum deliverables for structurally constrained lines. With such solutions in place, we can share information proactively before AC preparations.

Another significant change is the separation of short-term and mid/long-term horizons. We now have different channels through which we connect and discuss opportunities and risks with CS&L. Most importantly, we developed the communication streams, which allow space for proper discussions and alignments with our key stakeholders.

What do you think 2025 is going to look like?

2025 is already a truly exciting year! We are focused on building a new strategy based on what we have learned from previous years on how to prepare ourselves for any market disruptions best, and we have proper connection channels with our business units, who provide us with regular updates.

The adjustments and changes needed to implement require our Teams' additional focus within the project agenda. We follow the ‘zero-waste’ mindset to limit any material residuals. Coming close to the end of Q1, I can surely say that we are ready for the opportunities ahead of us.

What advice would you give to candidates who want to join the Supply Planning Team?

The dynamics of our environment require agility and a focus on continuous improvements. Do not be afraid; it is truly rewarding work. You see your impacts end-to-end, focusing on delivering the right products at the right time and cost to our Customers and Consumers.

Even though the tasks may seem like a lot in some cases, the atmosphere we cherish in the Hub is real teamwork, support shared from one to another, and making sure we can laugh along the way. Join us & see for yourselves!