United Kingdom · Operations · Senior (5-8 years)

Senior Supply Chain Analyst

Here is the whole job, in plain words. What it is, what you decide, how you're judged, how people get here and where they go next. Then the part no course gives you: twelve AI tutors who learn your work.

Free to start: a plan built for this role, and a Future Fluency module to try first. No card.

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One email: what AI is changing in this job, and where to start free. With a link back here. Nothing else follows unless you confirm your address.

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  • Experience bandSenior (5-8 years)
  • Direct reportsNo direct reports
  • Reports toSupply Chain Manager
  • UK framework levelUsually a manager, or the deepest specialist in a team

Also advertised as Supply Chain Optimisation Specialist · Lead Inventory Planner · S&OP Process Owner · Supply Chain Project Analyst

Built on 43,079 real UK job descriptions we analysed · grounded in qualifications employers recognise

1From this job to a course

The qualifications matched to this job

ETCAL Level 5 Advance Diploma in Project Controls ETC Awards Limited · Level 5 · covers 2 of 10 standards
Pearson BTEC Level 5 Higher National Diploma in Computing for England Pearson Education Ltd · Level 5 · covers 2 of 10 standards
NCC Education Level 5 Extended Diploma in Computing with Data Science NCC Education Limited · Level 5 · covers 1 of 10 standards
Pearson BTEC Level 5 Higher National Diploma in Digital Technologies Pearson Education Ltd · Level 5 · covers 1 of 10 standards
NOCN Level 4 certificate for Data Analysts NOCN · Level 4 · covers 2 of 10 standards
OTHM Level 7 Diploma in Data Science OTHM Qualifications · Level 7 · covers 2 of 10 standards

Matched from the standards this job is measured against: a suggestion, not an official ruling.

The units you would start with

Supply Chain and Procurement ETCAL Level 5 Advance Diploma in Project Controls
Data Analytics Pearson BTEC Level 5 Higher National Diploma in Computing for England
Introduction to Data Science and Big Data NCC Education Level 5 Extended Diploma in Computing with Data Science
Data Analytics Primer NOCN Level 4 certificate for Data Analysts
Data Analysis and Visualisation OTHM Level 7 Diploma in Data Science

The future skills this job leans on

AI Fluency working with AI as a thinking partner
Data Fluency turning numbers into a decision
Systems Fluency seeing the whole picture
Your Plan Illustration

Built for Senior Supply Chain Analyst

5 units that map to this job, from the qualifications that cover it.

  1. Supply Chain and Procurement ETC Awards Limited · covers 2 of 10 standards Level 5
  2. Data Analytics Pearson Education Ltd · covers 2 of 10 standards Level 5
  3. Introduction to Data Science and Big Data NCC Education Limited · covers 1 of 10 standards Level 5
  4. Data Analytics Primer NOCN · covers 2 of 10 standards Level 4
  5. Data Analysis and Visualisation OTHM Qualifications · covers 2 of 10 standards Level 7
These are the real units behind this job, in the order they rank for it. Nothing here is marked done, because this plan has not been started by anyone yet. Yours would fill in as you go.

2AI and this work

Will AI change your work as a Senior Supply Chain Analyst?

Nobody can say exactly how. Here is what this job is being asked for next, and where to start.

The new skills this role is being asked for

  • Prompt Engineering & LLM Integration
  • Data Storytelling & Visualisation for Action
Why each one is rising

The future skills this job leans on

We'll only ever tell you what we can actually back up. No hype, no scare tactics.

What happens when you start

Next, a free account. We build your Senior Supply Chain Analyst plan as you set up, starting with a Future Fluency module on using AI in your job. No card.

Your first Future Fluency module is free. After that, your AI tutor is £70 a month.

3What this role really is

A senior supply chain analyst investigates data on stockouts and excess inventory, and finds ways to fix the causes.

4What you'd actually use

The tools this job runs on, and how well you'd need to know each one.

ERP Systems (SAP S/4HANA, Oracle NetSuite) Advanced

You'll be configuring master data, troubleshooting transaction errors, designing custom reports, and training junior users. You understand how different modules like MM and SD talk to each other.

Planning & Forecasting (Kinaxis RapidResponse, Anaplan) Advanced

You'll be building and maintaining complex planning models, running 'what-if' scenarios for S&OP, and interpreting model outputs to give clear business recommendations. You're not just running reports; you're making sense of them.

WMS/TMS (Manhattan Associates WMS, Blue Yonder TMS) Advanced

You'll be configuring system rules (like picking logic or routing guides), analysing system data to find inefficiencies, and leading testing for system updates. You're helping us get the most out of these systems.

Data Visualisation (Power BI, Tableau) Advanced

You'll be connecting to various data sources (ERP, WMS), building new interactive dashboards from scratch, and using them to tell a compelling story about our performance. You're turning raw numbers into clear, actionable insights.

Advanced Excel (Power Query, Solver, VBA) Expert

You're a wizard with Excel. You use Power Query for ETL tasks, build optimisation models with the Solver Add-in, and can write or edit VBA macros to automate those annoying, repetitive tasks. You know Excel's capabilities inside out, but also its limits.

5What you get to decide, and how that grows

Power in a job isn't your title. It's what you're allowed to decide. Here's how it grows as you move up.

The choiceComing in Where you are nowThe step above
Project Methodology & Tool Selection Proposes options to supervisor, supervisor makes final decision. Proposes options, gets manager's agreement, then executes. Decides on methodology and tools within project scope; informs manager.
Inventory Parameter Adjustments (e.g., Safety Stock) Calculates based on guidelines, supervisor approves changes. Calculates and recommends changes, manager approves. Analyses, recommends, and implements changes for assigned categories; informs manager of significant shifts.
Supplier Performance Feedback & Escalation Flags issues to supervisor, supervisor handles communication. Communicates directly with suppliers on routine issues; escalates major problems to manager. Leads performance review meetings with key suppliers; independently manages issue resolution and escalates only strategic risks to manager.
Budget for Project-Related Tools/Software No authority; requests from supervisor. Recommends spend up to £2K; manager approves. Recommends spend up to £10K; manager approves. Consults Director for anything higher.

6How you'll be judged

The scoreboard, and what is not on it. The hard targets, how often each is actually looked at, and the quiet signals that never reach a dashboard.

Forecast Accuracy Improvement
The percentage reduction in our forecasting error (e.g., MAPE or WAPE) for your assigned product categories or regions.
Target · Improve MAPE by 5 percentage points (e.g., from 25% to 20%) within 12 months.

If your category's MAPE was 25% in Q1, we'd expect it to be 20% or better by Q1 next year, meaning fewer stockouts and less excess inventory.

Inventory Turns for Assigned Categories
How many times we sell and replace our inventory within a year for the product lines you're looking after. Higher is usually better, as it means less cash tied up.
Target · Increase inventory turns by 10-15% for your assigned product groups annually.

If your category currently turns 6 times a year, we'd aim for 6.6 to 6.9 turns, showing you've optimised stock levels without hitting service.

Project Delivery On-Time & On-Budget
The success rate of the improvement projects you lead, judged by whether they hit their deadlines and stay within allocated resources.
Target · 90% of assigned projects delivered on time and within budget.

You lead a project to optimise a specific warehouse picking path. It was due in 10 weeks and cost £10K. You delivered in 9 weeks at £9.5K. That's a win.

Supplier Performance Improvement (Key Metrics)
The measurable improvement in specific supplier performance metrics (e.g., On-Time In-Full, lead time adherence) for suppliers you actively manage or influence.
Target · Improve OTIF by 3 percentage points for 2-3 key suppliers annually.

You work with Supplier A, whose OTIF is 92%. Your goal is to get them to 95% by year-end through better communication and process alignment.

Stakeholder Engagement & Influence
Your ability to get different teams (Sales, Finance, Production) on board with your recommendations and drive consensus on complex supply chain issues.
  • You'll be regularly invited to cross-functional meetings, people will ask for your opinion before making big decisions, and you'll see your recommendations actually being implemented without a huge fight. You'll also get positive feedback from your peers and managers about your collaborative approach.
Mentorship & Knowledge Sharing
How effectively you guide and develop junior team members, sharing your expertise and helping them grow.
  • Junior analysts will come to you for advice before going to the manager. They'll show measurable improvement in their skills after working with you. You'll also proactively share best practices, create useful templates, or run informal training sessions for the team.
Problem Solving & Root Cause Analysis
Your knack for not just identifying problems, but really digging into them to find the underlying cause and proposing sustainable solutions.
  • When a problem comes up, you're the one asking 'why' five times, not just putting a plaster on it. Your solutions will address the core issue, leading to fewer recurring problems. You'll present clear, logical analyses that explain not just what happened, but why, and what we should do about it.

7Would you like it

Both sides. What people enjoy, and what grinds them down.

What people enjoy
Solving Complex Puzzles

You'll spend your days untangling knotty problems like why a particular product keeps going out of stock despite our forecasts, or how to reduce freight costs without impacting delivery times. It's like being a detective, but for logistics.

You take on the challenge of reducing the 'bullwhip effect' for a key product line, digging into historical data, talking to sales, and proposing changes to order minimums and lead times.

Driving Tangible Impact

You'll see your recommendations directly translate into better operational performance – lower costs, fewer stockouts, happier customers. Your work isn't theoretical; it's about making real, measurable improvements.

After implementing your new inventory optimisation model, you see a 15% reduction in obsolete stock within six months, freeing up £200K in working capital.

Continuous Improvement & Learning

You'll be constantly looking for ways to make things better, whether it's optimising a process, learning a new analytical technique, or finding a more efficient way to use our systems. There's always something new to learn and apply.

You take the initiative to learn Power Query in Excel to automate a weekly data consolidation task that used to take you two hours, saving significant time for yourself and the team.

What frustrates people
  • The 'Hockey Stick' Forecast: Constantly battling unrealistic, end-of-quarter sales forecasts that create massive operational whiplash and excess inventory when they don't materialise.
  • Master Data Garbage: Spending 30% of your time cleaning up incorrect item dimensions, vendor lead times, or pricing in the ERP system before you can even begin your actual analysis.
  • Being the Scapegoat: Getting blamed for stockouts that were caused by a supplier's quality failure or a sudden, un-forecasted promotional campaign from Marketing.
  • The Tyranny of the Urgent: Your strategic project to optimise the network is constantly derailed by 'urgent' requests to track down a single missing pallet for a key customer.
  • Explaining Lead Times: The endless battle of explaining to internal stakeholders that, no, we cannot get a custom part from China in three days.
  • Spreadsheet Hell: Trying to manage a global supply chain using a dozen interconnected, fragile Excel workbooks that crash if you look at them wrong.
What this role does not give you
  • A completely predictable 9-to-5 routine with no unexpected interruptions.
  • The luxury of working on only one project at a time, from start to finish.
  • A guarantee that every single analysis or model you build will be implemented exactly as you designed it.
  • A quiet, isolated environment where you don't have to interact with many different people or personalities.

8Who you work with

This role is absolutely critical for keeping our operational engine humming. You'll directly influence our inventory health, ensuring we have enough stock without holding too much, which frees up cash for other parts of the business. You'll also play a big part in improving our customer delivery performance and making our supply chain more efficient, ultimately contributing to our profitability and reputation. Basically, you're helping us deliver on our promises to customers and keep our costs in check.

Inside the business
  • Supply Chain Manager (your direct boss)
  • Operations Leadership Team (for project updates and recommendations)
  • Demand Planning Team (for forecast inputs and validation)
  • Warehouse & Logistics Teams (for execution and feedback)
  • Finance Business Partners (for cost analysis and budget alignment)
  • Product Management (for new product introductions and lifecycle management)
Outside the business
  • Key Suppliers (for performance reviews and issue resolution)
  • 3PL (Third-Party Logistics) Providers (for transport and warehousing performance)
  • Technology Vendors (occasionally, for system enhancements or troubleshooting)

9What you need before you start

Not a wish list. The things you would be expected to already have.

  • A solid 5+ years of hands-on experience in a supply chain analysis or planning role, where you've actually owned processes and driven improvements.
  • Demonstrable experience leading small projects from start to finish, showing you can take an idea and make it happen.
  • Proven ability to work independently, tackling complex problems without constant hand-holding, but knowing when to ask for help.
  • Experience mentoring or guiding junior team members, even if it was informal.
  • A strong track record of using data to solve real business problems and influence decisions.
  • Expert-level proficiency in Advanced Excel (Power Query, Solver, VBA) – we'll probably test you on this, frankly.
  • Advanced proficiency in at least one major ERP system (SAP or Oracle) and one planning tool (Kinaxis or Anaplan).

10What to practise next

Where the job is going, and what to do about it starting this week.

Advanced Optimisation Modelling

As supply chains become more complex and data-rich, simply using heuristics or basic formulas won't cut it. We'll need to build more sophisticated mathematical optimisation models (e.g., linear programming, mixed-integer programming) to solve problems like network design, vehicle routing, and production scheduling efficiently.

Linear and Mixed-Integer Programming · Constraint satisfaction problems · Solver algorithms (e.g., Simplex, Branch and Bound) · Sensitivity analysis · Python libraries for optimisation (e.g., PuLP, GurobiPy)

  • This week: Revisit the Excel Solver add-in and try to solve a more complex problem than you usually would.
  • This month: Take an introductory course on Operations Research or Mathematical Optimisation (e.g., on Coursera).
  • Month 2: Start experimenting with a Python library like PuLP to build a simple inventory or routing optimisation model.
  • Month 3: Identify a small, real-world problem in our operations that could be solved with optimisation and try to model it.

Quick win: Look for any repetitive, rule-based decision-making you currently do – could it be framed as an optimisation problem? Even if you can't solve it fully yet, just framing it is a start.

11Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up
  • Regularly attend industry webinars and conferences (e.g., CSCMP, Gartner Supply Chain Symposium) to stay on top of trends.
  • Join professional networks like the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) to connect with peers and learn best practices.
  • Take advanced courses in data analytics, optimisation, or specific ERP modules to deepen your technical expertise.
  • Actively seek out opportunities to mentor junior colleagues and present your work to broader audiences within the company.
  • Read leading supply chain publications and thought leadership pieces to challenge your thinking and explore new ideas.

12The rising capability

The rising capability

Zavmo analysis

What's rising in its place

This is where the work is heading, and the higher pay with it. Get fluent here and the shift stops being a threat and starts being your edge.

Prompt Engineering & LLM Integration

Honestly, competitors are already using tools like ChatGPT and Claude to draft reports in 10 minutes that used to take us two hours. Analysts who figure out how to effectively use these Large Language Models (LLMs) will outproduce their peers by a huge margin. It's not future tech; it's happening now.

  • Context windows and token limits
  • Temperature settings for different tasks
  • RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) architectures
  • Output validation and hallucination detection
  • Prompt chaining for complex analysis

Data Storytelling & Visualisation for Action

Simply presenting a dashboard isn't enough anymore. Leaders are swamped with data. We need analysts who can not only build beautiful visualisations but also craft a compelling narrative around the data – telling us what it means, why it matters, and what we should do about it. This is about driving action, not just showing numbers.

  • Narrative structure in data presentations
  • Audience-centric communication
  • Actionable insights vs. observations
  • Choosing the right chart type for the message
  • Cognitive load reduction in dashboards

13What you’ll use

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

  • Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP)
  • Inventory Optimisation & Control
  • Lean / Six Sigma Principles
  • Demand Forecasting Techniques
  • Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Analysis
  • Supply Chain Network Design Concepts

14The pathway

The pathway

How you actually get there, here

How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.

  1. 1

    Supply Chain Analyst (L2) to Senior Supply Chain Analyst (L3)

    2-3 years as an L2 Analyst

    Skills to master

    • Moving from owning a process to leading projects, demonstrating strong root cause analysis, developing influencing skills across departments, and starting to mentor junior colleagues.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Consistently delivers on complex analytical tasks independently.
    • Proactively identifies and proposes solutions to operational inefficiencies.
    • Receives positive feedback on cross-functional collaboration.
    • Has successfully led 1-2 small-to-medium improvement initiatives.
    • Junior colleagues regularly seek their advice and guidance.
  2. 2

    Experienced Analyst from another Industry (L3)

    Direct entry with 5-8 years relevant experience

    Skills to master

    • Quickly adapting to our specific industry nuances, understanding our internal systems and data structures, building relationships with key internal stakeholders, and demonstrating rapid impact on initial projects.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Successfully navigates a new, complex business environment.
    • Translates prior industry experience into actionable insights for our context.
    • Builds credibility quickly with peers and managers.
    • Delivers strong results on initial projects within 3-6 months.
    • Actively seeks out knowledge and integrates into the team culture.
  3. 3

    Consultant (Supply Chain Focus) to Senior Supply Chain Analyst (L3)

    Direct entry with 4-7 years consulting experience

    Skills to master

    • Shifting from project-based external advice to internal, hands-on implementation and ownership, developing deep operational expertise, and integrating into a permanent team structure.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Demonstrates a strong desire for hands-on operational impact.
    • Adapts quickly from a consulting mindset to an internal ownership role.
    • Proves ability to implement solutions, not just recommend them.
    • Builds strong, collaborative relationships with internal teams.
    • Comfortable with the day-to-day realities and complexities of an in-house role.

15Where this role leads

The long view: This work can lead to a director of supply chain role, or into wider operations leadership.

The ten Future Fluencies

Zavmo analysis

The credential is what you can do today. These are what keep you valuable.

A qualification proves you can do the job as it's defined today. These ten are what decide whether you're still the obvious person for it in five years. They're the capabilities employers are now writing into senior roles faster than people are learning them. Zavmo weaves them through whatever you study, so you come out with both: the credential and the fluency.

The highlighted ones are the Fluencies your role leans on hardest, from how Senior Supply Chain Analyst is actually changing.

How you would learn this

One to one, on the work you already do

A tutor sets the task against your own job and marks the reasoning, at your pace. There is no cohort to fall behind.

A lesson from Supply Chain and Procurement, worked against Senior Supply Chain Analyst.

Supply Chain and Procurement Level 5

Applied to your work in Senior Supply Chain Analyst

This unit aims to provide learners with an understanding of various approaches to Supply Chain Management (SCM) and the integrated nature of supply chain processes. Learners will be able to analyse the role of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in sourcing and distribution, critically evaluate supply chain behaviours and efficiencies, and analyse Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems in management.

How the thinking builds
  1. 1 Remember
  2. 2 Understand
  3. 3 Apply
  4. 4 Analyse
  5. 5 Evaluate
  6. 6 Create
An illustration of a Zavmo lesson, built from this role’s own route. The unit, its objective and every criterion above are the awarding body’s own words, not an example.

It is £70 a month, billed monthly. Your free first module is Future Fluency, and you can cancel any time.

See Your Progress Grow Illustration
Senior Supply Chain Analyst
  • Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP)
  • Inventory Optimisation & Control
  • Lean / Six Sigma Principles
  • Demand Forecasting Techniques
  • Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Analysis
  • Supply Chain Network Design Concepts
This is your Mind Palace on learn.zavmo.ai. Every skill above comes from this role's own record, not an example borrowed from another job. A node lights up when you evidence it, and what you build stays yours between jobs. That is the part a course cannot do.

16The detail, folded away

Everything else the record holds

The career branches in full, how AI is already showing up in the day-to-day, and the questions people ask about this job. Here when you want them, out of the way while you decide.

Where it leads next, rung by rung

Where it leads

The career path, and where it branches

Senior Supply Chain Analyst is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

  1. Supply Chain Lead / Principal Planner (L4)

    3-5 years in the Senior Analyst role

    This is a significant jump, moving from leading workstreams to owning complex, cross-functional programmes or even managing a small team. You'll be defining strategy rather than just executing it.

    • Supply Chain Network Design (leading projects, not just contributing)
    • Advanced S&OP cycle ownership (running the entire process)
    • Vendor management for strategic partners
    • Risk management and mitigation for the entire supply chain
    • Project/programme management for larger, more complex initiatives
  2. Supply Chain Management Manager (L5)

    4-6 years in the Senior Analyst role (often via a Lead role first)

    This is a move into formal people leadership, where you'll be managing a team of analysts and coordinators. Your focus shifts from individual contribution to building and developing a high-performing team and owning a functional area's KPIs.

    • Organisational design for your team
    • Talent acquisition and retention strategies
    • Performance management frameworks
    • Cross-functional leadership and collaboration at a management level
    • Strategic planning for a specific supply chain function (e.g., Logistics, Demand Planning)
Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

Let's be real, a big chunk of your day is probably spent on repetitive tasks or sifting through mountains of data. Imagine if you could get that time back, freeing you up to focus on the truly interesting, impactful stuff. Well, with the right AI tools, you absolutely can. We're talking about making your day-to-day work smoother, faster, and frankly, a lot less tedious.

Our Operations team is actively exploring and integrating AI and automation into our daily workflows. As a Senior Supply Chain Analyst, you won't just be using these tools; you'll be helping us figure out the best ways to apply them to our specific challenges. We want you to be at the forefront of this, using AI to supercharge your productivity and our overall supply chain performance. Think of it as having a really smart assistant who handles the grunt work.

Automated Transaction Processing

Use AI-powered bots (RPA) to automate the creation of standard purchase orders from requisitions and perform three-way matching of POs, goods receipts, and invoices. The bot flags only the exceptions, meaning you only deal with the tricky stuff, saving you loads of time on routine admin.

Enhanced Demand Sensing

Leverage AI models to analyse external data sets – things like weather patterns, social media chatter, or even competitor pricing – alongside our historical sales data. This helps us generate a much more accurate, near-term demand forecast that anticipates market shifts faster than traditional methods. You'll spend less time manually tweaking forecasts and more time acting on them.

Proactive Supplier Risk Monitoring

Imagine an AI tool that continuously scans global news, financial reports, and shipping lane data for anything that could disrupt our key suppliers – factory fires, financial troubles, port congestion. It gives you early-warning alerts, often before the supplier even knows, giving us crucial lead time to activate contingency plans. No more nasty surprises.

Intelligent Communication Drafting

Use generative AI to draft routine communications, like requests for quotes (RFQs) to suppliers, status updates to internal teams on delayed shipments, or even summaries of your monthly performance reports for executive review. It's like having a personal copywriter for your daily emails, freeing up your mental energy for more complex tasks.

Common questions

Common questions

How do you become a Senior Supply Chain Analyst?

Common routes in include Supply Chain Analyst to Senior Supply Chain Analyst (2-3 years as an L2 Analyst), Experienced Analyst from another Industry (Direct entry with 5-8 years relevant experience) and Consultant (Supply Chain Focus) to Senior Supply Chain Analyst (Direct entry with 4-7 years consulting experience). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can a Senior Supply Chain Analyst progress to?

This role can lead on to Supply Chain Lead / Principal Planner (3-5 years in the Senior Analyst role) and Supply Chain Management Manager (4-6 years in the Senior Analyst role (often via a Lead role first)), depending on the skills you build.

What new skills matter most for a Senior Supply Chain Analyst?

Increasingly, Prompt Engineering & LLM Integration and Data Storytelling & Visualisation for Action. These are the skills our record of this role lists as growing.

Free tools

Want a read on where you stand?

Three free tools, no account needed. Each one ends with a role, a level and a way in.

17Where to go from here

Other roles at Level 5

Same depth of qualification, different job. Useful if the work appeals but this particular role does not.

More jobs in operations

Stay in the field you know and move sideways rather than up.

If you leave this industry

Skills in data analysis, process improvement, planning and stakeholder management apply beyond one sector. They transfer into consulting, product management for supply chain software, or operational roles in industries such as technology, healthcare or financial services.

This role profile is © 2026 Growth Engineering Technologies Ltd. Built from UK occupational standards and regulated qualification data, and written for Zavmo.

You're not behind. You're right on time. The shift is only just beginning. Your role won't look the same in two years. Be the one who leads the change, not the one it happens to. Start my Senior Supply Chain Analyst plan, free What happens next: a free account, then we build your plan as you set up. No card. Build your plan, see your roadmap and meet the twelve tutors matched to you. All free. When you're ready to start learning, it's £70 a month, billed monthly. Cancel any time and billing stops.