Edwin Budianto

Background

About Edwin Budianto

I love puzzles! They are like problems waiting to be solved! I love all kinds of puzzles; jigsaw puzzles, Lego, riddles and even furniture-building. My love for puzzles would follow through my education at the University of Manitoba, where I majored in Actuarial Mathematics program, from which I got to solve more puzzles, albeit more mathematical in nature. My education helped me discover my true passion for forecasting and demand planning. Nowadays I solve puzzles professionally in the form of forecasting. I create seasonal forecasts to ensure they align with sales demand and budgeting plans. My curiosities have always motivated me to dig more. I always find myself asking questions. Is the data credible? Can I see a pattern? Have we reached our fullest potential? With puzzles, sometimes we need tools to help solve them. This is where my Excel skills and mathematical knowledge come into play. I regularly use Pivot Tables to analyze sales data several different ways, identifying sales trends and drawing conclusions to help come up with better solutions. I also review for anomalies that might improve future forecasts. With bigger puzzles, a group effort is needed. Working closely with other aspects of a business including Category Management, Supply Chain and Marketing has helped me understand a business from several viewpoints. Knowledge of financial KPI’s, ratio analysis and even fixture capacities help provide more context into forecasting. When I’m done puzzling for the day, I love trying out new recipes, watching some Friends re-runs, listening to cheesy 90’s music and going for long walks outdoors when it’s warm enough. I also play soccer and badminton whenever I can find people to play with.