The Supplier Rationalization Project In the beginning of the third month of my co-op internship at corporate Kroger Co., I was called for a meeting with my supervisor, in which he announced that I will take the lead role in implementation of the Supplier Rationalization project’s first and biggest phase. He said, “Kroger believes in encouraging upcoming talent and believes in the power of hard work.” His words had hit me with such great excitement and anticipation that I was thrilled beyond measure. I left the conference room thinking “Wow, I am going to lead my first project which would save the U.S’s biggest supermarket chain (Kroger), millions and millions of dollars.....” When I started my co-op in the Indirect Sourcing department at Kroger, I was assigned to a project called Supplier Rationalization Project. I had researched and created the foundation of Phase 1 of the project for the first two months of my co-op. Once the project base was created, I was given the responsibility of leading the implementation phase of the project. The most significant part about this experience was learning how to lead a project that required interaction with and expertise of different senior co-workers who were employees of Kroger for about twenty to thirty years. Overseeing implementation of the project required showcasing and honing my leadership skills and communication skills extensively. I had to create a team of experts and analyse various aspects such as durability, chances of success, calculations and credibility of the project with them. My role was to closely monitor the project, be the go-to-person for business units if they have questions and award business once I've analysed pricing and quality control. This experience met my expectations to a great extent. I had anticipated that it required high commitment, perseverance and patience and I was looking forward to a professionally-enriched experience which I rightfully experienced. Keeping in mind that I was just nineteen years of age and had two months of work experience at Kroger when I played the role of an ‘implementer’, being a leader amongst my co-workers was a challenging, yet an insightful experience. I believe that this experience has helped me hone my communication and inter-personal skills to a greater extent than I had imagined. Thanks to the various group meetings and the daily communication in my experience as an implementer, I got the opportunity to present my project in front of executive officers from different departments. It was a great experience since I spoke about the progress and deliverables of my project in a high-level meeting and was finally able to combat the public-speaking fear I had possessed. Also, I have learned to relate my classroom lessons with real world applications. The department of Indirect Sourcing focuses on procurement of goods-not-for-resale such as deli-bakery kitchen items, shelving and lighting in Kroger stores. Initially when I learned about the functions of my department, I visited one of the stores with my supervisor to see the items we source for the stores. I was astounded by how even small things like price tags and shelving strips require great effort and planning to be sourced from manufacturers to stores. I realized that paying attention to detail is of utmost importance. In a business system, every item or service is crucial for proper functioning- be it a price-tag holder or infrastructure, be it a back-end janitor’s role or the CEO’s. I never walk into Kroger stores the same way again. I have learned how the things we take for granted are actually possible as a result of input of someone else’s deed in some form or the other. I have learned to appreciate the apparent and unknown things in life. I have learned to have ‘the eye’ for observing behaviours, procedures and experiences to know how businesses function. Understanding this, helped me lead the implementation process better. When I started this experience, I had no idea that I was about to learn how to become an organized strategist for dealing with business and school alike, identify my leadership style and become an effective communicator. These qualities are instrumental in being a successful person in school, business, family and the society and I am excited to use them as key features of myself- Tarushi Ravindra. |