Summary
Work History
Education
Skills
Certification
Websites, Portfolios and Profiles
Languages
Generic
Merve ARIKAN

Merve ARIKAN

Supply Chain & Planning Professional | Allocation, Inventory & Production Planning | CoE Lead
İstanbul

Summary

Supply Chain and planning professional with over 10 years of experience across allocation, inventory management, production planning, and operational excellence within retail and FMCG environments.

Proven background in end-to-end planning processes, including demand and supply alignment, stock flow optimization, inventory target setting, and coordination with logistics, warehouse, procurement, and production teams.

Experienced in working within complex, multi-site and international operations, supporting business performance through data-driven planning, KPI management, and continuous process improvement initiatives.

Strong analytical mindset with the ability to translate operational and commercial data into actionable planning decisions that improve availability, efficiency, and profitability.

Leadership experience in planning and operations-focused roles, contributing to cross-functional collaboration, performance management, and scalable planning frameworks.

Open to Supply Chain, Planning, and Inventory Management leadership roles, particularly in dynamic, fast-growing organizations.

Work History

Supply Chain & Operations Excellence Executive (CoE Lead)

Koçtaş
İstanbul
03.2023 - 05.2024
  • Led the streamlining of core operational and supply chain processes across all stores, driving efficiency, compliance, and sustainable performance through cross-functional initiatives.
  • Owned risk and opportunity management, identifying operational risks and improvement areas, and leading end-to-end monitoring and optimization of store processes in alignment with quality standards.
  • Managed annual sales budgets, monthly premium budgets, and store-level P&L tracking, ensuring financial discipline and operational efficiency.
  • Established and led the Center of Excellence (CoE), defining standards, best practices, and knowledge-sharing frameworks to ensure consistency, scalability, and continuous improvement across agile teams.
  • Conducted store performance analysis with a focus on campaign execution, stock management, and operational effectiveness, translating insights into improvement actions.
  • Spearheaded digital transformation initiatives to enhance store operations, process visibility, and execution quality.
  • Oversaw operational excellence and compliance, ensuring all procedures were designed in line with legal requirements and consistently implemented across stores.
  • Led stock management process improvements, strengthening store-level execution and inventory discipline in collaboration with agile teams.
  • Enhanced cross-departmental collaboration by improving workflows and communication between Operations, Commercial Planning, and other key functions.
  • Supported market positioning initiatives by conducting competitive price analyses in partnership with Commercial Planning teams.
  • Designed and continuously improved employee incentive and premium systems, aligning performance metrics with company objectives to drive engagement and results.

Supply Chain Planning & Order Management Executive (GSK Account)

DHL Supply Chain
İstanbul
10.2021 - 07.2022
  • Managed end-to-end order management, import, and repack operations for the GSK account, ensuring continuity of supply and adherence to service level targets.
  • Acted as the primary escalation point for operational and supply-related issues, coordinating timely resolution with internal teams and customer stakeholders.
  • Coordinated production planning follow-up against defined targets, ensuring alignment between demand requirements, production schedules, and execution.
  • Led packing materials procurement, securing timely availability of raw and packaging materials required to support production plans.
  • Ensured uninterrupted material supply in line with production and service objectives, proactively managing risks that could impact delivery performance.
  • Worked closely with planning and quality teams to support service excellence and protect brand reputation.
  • Led and coordinated import and customs clearance activities for raw materials and finished goods, ensuring regulatory compliance and on-time availability.
  • Oversaw all order management processes, from order receipt through fulfillment, monitoring execution quality and addressing exceptions to maintain service levels.
  • Supported continuous improvement in planning and execution processes by strengthening coordination across supply chain, operations, and external partners.

Supply Chain Planning & Allocation Supervisor (P&G Account)

DHL Supply Chain
İstanbul
05.2019 - 12.2021
  • Led allocation planning operations for the P&G account, ensuring stable service levels, effective execution, and alignment with agreed planning and operational targets.
  • Acted as the primary escalation point for operational and planning-related issues, managing resolution in close collaboration with customer stakeholders and internal teams.
  • Owned customer relationship management, maintaining strong communication and alignment through regular operational, monthly, quarterly, and annual business review meetings.
  • Drove continuous improvement initiatives by facilitating joint brainstorming sessions with the customer, identifying operational gaps, and translating ideas into system and process enhancements.
  • Monitored operational performance through KPI tracking and analysis, ensuring sustainability of reporting standards and follow-up of improvement actions.
  • Led and supported system improvement and change management projects, overseeing implementation and adoption across teams.
  • Played a key role in new operation design and setup evaluations, supporting business development and onboarding of new scopes and tasks.
  • Contributed to the improvement of employee engagement and EOS results, working closely with HR to track and execute action plans.
  • Coordinated team motivation, career development, and day-to-day people management to ensure high performance and continuity.
  • Ensured operational readiness and consistency by maintaining clear processes, structured reporting, and disciplined execution standards.

Allocation Planning Specialist

DHL Supply Chain
İstanbul
01.2012 - 05.2019
  • Managed end-to-end allocation planning processes to ensure fair-share distribution aligned with monthly demand forecasts, minimizing out-of-stock risks while preventing excess inventory buildup across customers and channels.
  • Led supply allocation under short- and long-term constraints, including promotional campaigns, bundle packs, limited edition launches, and financially constrained scenarios driven by price changes or volume limitations.
  • Owned allocation and supply management across all product categories, balancing commercial priorities, inventory targets, and supply availability.
  • Analyzed stock flow and inventory data at SKU and account level, calculating customer stock positions and adjusting allocations based on days-of-coverage targets.
  • Defined, monitored, and optimized customer allocation quantities, enabling timely and data-driven adjustments in response to demand and supply fluctuations.
  • Prepared and managed stock flow and shipment plans, overseeing allocation execution through monthly closing cycles.
  • Acted as a central coordination point between demand planning, production plants, account management, marketing, strategic planning teams, and customer representatives.
  • Developed and maintained daily allocation and stock reports to support operational visibility and planning decisions.
  • Approved daily allocation requests based on priority rules and inventory status, ensuring optimal stock utilization.
  • Collaborated closely with production teams to align manufacturing volumes with daily and monthly demand requirements.
  • Participated in daily risk review calls with international supply planning teams, identifying high-risk items, analyzing root causes, and supporting mitigation actions.
  • Proactively escalated and resolved supply risks by coordinating with supply planning, production, customization, customs clearance, and logistics teams to protect service levels.

Education

Master of Business Administration - MBA

Istanbul Bilgi University
Istanbul
01.2025

Statistics -

Ondokuz Mayıs University
Samsun
01.2011

Skills

  • Supply Chain Management
  • Order and Inventory Management
  • Center of Excellence (CoE)
  • Cross-Functional Leadership
  • Demand and Supply Alignment
  • Allocation Planning

Certification

Koç Dialogues Development Program

Websites, Portfolios and Profiles

www.linkedin.com/in/merve-arikanmba-15018345

Languages

English
Advanced
C1

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Merve ARIKANSupply Chain & Planning Professional | Allocation, Inventory & Production Planning | CoE Lead