Sunil Gautam

My name is Sunil Gautam and I have recently completed Masters of Business Administration from University of Pittsburgh, Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business. I have above six years of extensive work experience in Operations management, combined with MBA concentration in Operations and Marketing. I have successfully attained APICS CSCP designation alongwith Global Supply Chain Certification and Six Sigma Green Belt Certification from Katz Business School.

I did Mechanical Engineering from India in 2002 and since then, worked in different domains in manufacturing and service industry. I managed sales and business development, supervised project execution and logistics management for site operations. My strong skills include negotiations, supplier and customer relationship management, distribution and service operations.

I became member of APICS Pittsburgh Chapter in May 2009 and since then, found this society extremely beneficial for Operations Professionals. Its online resources provide knowledge of best practices and monthly PDMs have provided a platform to interact with peers from different industry. To learn more from this association and making an attempt to share my experiences with fellow members, I am writing blogs as a young professional. I believe these would invite a thoughtful discussion and a great way to connect with the experts in the field which can aid me in my career strategy as well.

My name is Lyndsy Haviland and I am a senior at Iowa State University. I have a double major in Operations and Logistics Supply Chain Management. I am currently President of the ISU APICS chapter. I enjoy the challenges and honor that come with this job. Also, I am an undergraduate assistant to the intro to SCM courses at Iowa State. I run daily help labs for this course to guide 600+ students.

This summer I will be studying to take the “Basics of Supply Chain Management” test of the CPIM. As well as studying for the CPIM I will be working at Land O’Lakes in Nashville, TN as a “Feed Manufacturing Intern.” This plant produces feed for horses, chickens, goats, etc. While working I will analyze setups, change overs, run times, and other variables for efficiency. With this information I will work to streamline processes and improve throughput in the plant.

I look forward to contributing to this blog. Areas of interest for me are the new ways companies are making the supply chain “green” as well as emerging technology in our industry and how these are affecting the entire supply chain.

My name in Jinwoo Je and I am currently working in the Incheon International Airport Corporation’s Logistics Group as an intern. Incheon Airport is the worlds 2nd largest cargo airport and is also the hub airport of Korean Air, the worlds largest international cargo airline. I am participating in the CRM project and Free Trade Zone marketing program development. I am also a Junior studying Supply Chain Management in Korea Aerospace University.

I was born in the United States and spent my childhood in the beautiful country. Upon entering elementary school me and my family moved to South Korea. During my childhood as a Korean-American/American-Korean I was often in a position which could be called the ‘border’ between different groups, and therefore was exposed to circumstances and opportunities that required me to connect different groups. Maybe that is why I thought I was destined to become someone who connects people, who connects the world. The dream I had in my early years was to become a Diplomat, but my interests in the business sector has grown throughout the years and that led me to Supply Chain Management.

I would say that I tend to have a pretty rich work experience compared to my fellow students. I’ve done my mandatory military service in the 19th ESC, 8th United States Army as a Korean soldier under the KATUSA* program. I also worked in the Department of Air Transportation in the Korea Transport Institute as a Research Assistant and the Ubiquitous Technology Adaptation Center in Korea Aerospace University as a Researcher. I have gained several Supply Chain related certifications which includes CPIM, CSCP, and 6 Sigma Green Belt.

All aspects within the boundaries of Supply Chain Management fascinates me, but there are a couple subjects that I find particularly interesting. I wish to discuss more on green logistics and the impact Supply Chain Management has on sustainable growth. I am also very interested ethical and cultural aspect of Supplier-Customer relationship models.

My name is Sundeep Mathur and I am currently working as a Supply Chain Manager for a Biotech Company in Greater Boston area. I received my MS in Engineering Management from Syracuse University in 2008 and a BE degree in Computer Engineering from India.

I am also pursuing a Lean/Six Sigma Black Belt certification from Syracuse University along with APICS CPIM certification. I am a member of APICS and ASQ and I feel membership to such organizations is invaluable. Not only does it expand one’s knowledge about the subject but it also provides an opportunity to connect with professionals from your field, both online and in-person. My blog is one of those ways to connect with professionals and students interested in supply chains.

Through my blog, I will try to open up healthy discussions related to the developments in the field of supply chain and operations management. After concerns over oil prices and recent economic breakdown, it is said that supply chain professionals hold the key to shape a company’s future. Thus, the topics I find most interesting are related to green supply chains and effects of today’s flat and dynamic economies on global supply chains. I will be happy to hear your comments on my articles and your point of view on the topic under consideration.

“Reduce-Reuse-Recycle”

I am currently employed as the Logistics Manager of a small internet based company. I got my start in logistics by recognizing a huge cost for what it was… wasteful. Much of my education in this industry has been on the job as I’ve tackled issues within my company with an eye for cost reduction. My largest success thus far has been transitioning our company from a supplier sourced transportation program to a in-sourced logistics program. Multiple sourcing the transportation through many carriers and forcing them to compete against each other has resulted in pricing levels far lower than a company of our size would normally receive. This has cut our S&H costs by over 70% and opened up a new revenue stream for my company.

I’ve recently joined APICS to continue my education in all things Operations as well as network with experienced professionals who have been doing this longer than I’ve been alive. My focus is always on the functional and we’ll be examining many ideas to find the merit they offer. Since my own experience is rather focused, my blog posts will be as well. If you have an interest in CRM, SRM, Logistics, Warehousing, O&SD, Small to Medium size Enterprise, Supply Chain, ERPs, the art of Negotiation or Lean techniques my hope is that you will find something worthwhile here.

Live Well!

My name is Jordan Paul, and I am an undergrad from the University Of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. I am a junior and currently pursuing an Operations and Materials Management major, which is why APICS has appealed to me so much. Initially, I joined to build my resume, but in doing so I have met some great business contacts and have learned many valuable lessons that are impossible to teach in a classroom setting.

I grew up in a very small farming community (pop <1400) in Wisconsin. Having worked on many farms growing up, made me realize the importance of infrastructure and quality of effort exerted over quantity. I learned the “in-and-outs” of the farming system, which eventually lead to my overall happy demeanor. Through these grew my desire to be a management major, and eventually operations.

Blogging for APICS is a great honor and through it, I will be looking to enhance and expand the views of what an Operations Management Team is all about. I hope to interview some local business professionals as well as a top ten greatest assets to operations majors and why. If you have any questions about my blog or suggestions for future blog ideas, please leave your feedback on them, and I will be more than happy to consider them!

My name is Prarthana Shyam and I am currently working as the National Supply Chain Analyst at Nufarm Australia.

I hold a bachelors degree in Industrial Engineering from India and completed a double Masters Degree in Engineering Management and Integrated Logistics Management from The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in 2006.

I strongly believe in ongoing education and continuing industry participation. The world is evolving at a rapid pace and so are the demands placed on our industry to continuously deliver cost-effective and timely service. Obtaining the APICS CPIM has enhanced my supply chain knowledge and skills while fast tracking my career development. As an APICS member, I have also had several opportunities to attend networking events and be mentored by senior industry professionals.

I am the vice-chair for Accelerate, a young supply chain professionals group. We organise networking and professional development events for graduates and young professionals.

I am delighted to be contributing to the APICS International Young Supply Chain professional blog from Australia. I am passionate about continuous improvement opportunities within operations and supply chain and would like to discuss emerging trends and technology to deliver sustainable, cost effective and efficient solutions.

PAST AUTHORS

Patrick F. Cullinane

My name is Patrick F. Cullinane. I am going into my senior year of college at Clarkson University in their Global Supply Chain Management program. I skipped my senior year of high school to come to Clarkson as a Clarkson School Program student. Here I was able to start College a year earlier than expected. I was still able to get my high school diploma by transferring in my college classes for high school credit.

Starting out as a Mechanical engineer in college I found out some good information about myself, that I do not like being in that degree program. After switching programs to supply chain I felt a lot more at home. If you are doing what you like it is not work, and that is how I feel in my program.

I am currently a member of APICS and have created a Clarkson University Chapter. I am also a member of the Council for Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP). I am currently Six Sigma certified, and working on getting an RFID certification from CSCMP and also looking to get my CPIM certification from APICS.

I have done an internship at Velcro USA Inc. where I was able to learn a lot about the workplace. I was able to work with other employees and customers and suppliers. I received my six sigma certification while working at Velcro USA Inc.

I look forward to a career in logistics.

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” Although I still don’t have a “grown up” answer to that question, I am enjoying the journey to figure it out. My name is Rebecca Evangelista and I am a new professional in the Supply Chain Management field. I graduated from Syracuse University in 2008 with dual degrees in SCM and Marketing. One week after graduation, I began working for a large utility in the northeast. I work in a materials management capacity within the Supply Chain Management group.

After moving to Rochester, NY to begin my career, I joined the local APICS chapter and began the process of obtaining my CPIM certification. Just this past August, I joined the board of directors of my local chapter as the Vice President of Education. I am excited to bring a fresh perspective to the organization at this level. I am also excited to be a part of this blog! I plan on blogging about my experience serving on the BOD, current topics in the operations management world, and ordinary musings in the life of a new professional.

I hope this blog will become a platform to share ideas as well as initiate an ongoing conversation among operations management professionals.

Project Management Assistant
Axis Sourcing
Concord, CA

My current company is Axis Sourcing in Concord, CA. It is a smaller company compare to my previous job, there’s no departments in this company, it’s whoever can do the job will do it. My position is basically sourcing, they will tell me what our customers want to buy and I will go find a manufacturer in China that will produce the product at our desired price.

This job is exactly what I studied in school and what I want to do. First, I will do research on the product and the company, put together a power point. My boss will go have the meeting with the customer. If they are interested, I will go find factories, tell them all the specs, get a quote and request sample. This process will last over a month, if possible, I will go to China to visit the factories and get a feel for it.

I love my job, they give me a lot of responsibility and I like being in charge and being the contact for a project. Compare to my last job, I have a higher job satisfaction here. I feel challenged and I look forward to working everyday. Sometimes, I’m so engaged in my job, I don’t even have time to check my private email account. I like how my boss keeps telling me “Think OUTSIDE the box”, and they will make the box shape with their arms!

I was born in Taiwan, lived there till I finished second grade and moved to Hong Kong because my dad decided to start his business there. I pretty much grew up in Hong Kong, I lived there for 10 years and moved to LA for the last two years of high school. I lived with my grandma and my aunt in LA where I finished high school and went to Chico State for college. During my college time, I went study abroad in Japan for a summer after my freshman year and also to Taiwan for my junior year. That was a great year going back to where I was from. I really got to learn about the city, culture and language, also met some local Taiwanese students.

One Thursday in March, 2008, my classmate asked if I wanted to go to the APICS Southwest District Student Case Competition in April. I said “Yes!” He told me the deadline to register was that Sunday and we’ll have to fill out all these paper work in order for the school to sponsor us. Next thing you know, we were in Buena Park, CA teamed with this graduate student from California State, East Bay at the competition. We were given a case to study and come up with a solution consist of a 5 minutes power point presentation and a 3 page paper in 24 hours. It was a great experience for me to work in such tight schedule and under such stress, especially with these people I don’t know too well. Luckily, we came in second and UNLV took first place at that competition. The top two teams of each three regions got to go to Kansas City, MO that same year in September for the National Student Case Study Competition at the APICS International Conference. We did a little bit better that time.