Here at QBP it is a very open environment and they foster a lot of growth. So in that regard, I get to take on projects that I’m really interested in.
I like the nerdy stuff like running numbers and doing analytics and
making spreadsheets and models that ultimately lead to action management can take.
So, we can say this is the information that we have if we do this investment of this amount
the probability is high that it will improve the business in this way.
It is fun to see the results and see things turn out like you expected.
My name is Obaid Ghani and I am a Supply Chain Analyst at Quality Bicycle Products.
Our process starts at really forecasting what our customers will buy and so if we take that forecast and then we pipeline our order with
vendors in Taiwan, Europe, other parts of Asia, U.S. and say this is what we need and when do we need it,
our system will make that recommendation.
My hours are flexible as long as I get the work done. It is results based company,
sometimes I come in at 7:00; sometimes I come in at 9:00 depending on the day.
The typical busier day of the week for me is Monday where I come in and look at everything that changed from the previous week
and plug those into different databases and use that to say this is where we were, this is where we are, this is where we should be.
Then I have things that will run exceptions on it and say these are the exceptions you should look at.
We have buyers and we have planners, they have slightly different job roles. I primarily work with those guys and management team.
We are always continuing to optimize our inventory investment, both in a dollar, space and transportation, on all those fronts.
As I started here in the warehouse, I was just working in the picking, packing and labeling area
just packing boxes and shipping out to our customers.
There was a lot of opportunity for participation in process improvement projects and a
big project in packing that I was a part of and we were able to save like $100 and some thousand dollars a year.
So, obviously it is technical that you have to be proficient in that is step one.
But after that it is really important to have good people skills, interpersonal skills because you are constantly communicating with people
and collaborating with people and trying to get them to change their behavior in the way that they are doing their job.
You have to approach it in a way that they can receive it and understand what you’re saying.
I wanted to move to an analyst role because that is where I really wanted to be.
I was interested in combining business and the healthcare industry. So, I have a custom degree in biology and finance.
After that finance incorporates lots of things like statistics and general analysis and that was a good lead in to supply chain analyst.
Most analyst positions regardless if it is financial, supply chain or a business analysis you should be able to get your hands on data.
I use a lot of Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel and SQL (Sequel) server.
As the company gets bigger, we are using Microsoft Sequel Server or their Oracle data or Olap database as they call them.
It usually has some kind of sequel language where you are writing a query to extract the data that you want
and from there you can take that data and put in Access or Excel and do your analysis on that.
My job particularly and to how it helps the environment is really about optimization.
So, we are trying to reduce waste, reduce costs for transportation,
storage and also to help our dealers, the independent bicycle dealers, do business as well.
If we do our part in supply chain planning our inventory and having the right product for the right time
then the shop doesn’t have to worry about carrying a lot more or ordering directly from Taiwan.
In Taiwan, we have a contact third party consolidator that will ensure even though we order from 20 different vendors,
that person will consolidate all their product into one container so instead of shipping a bunch of half containers or
half empty containers, we got one complete container that is being shipped in.
We are conscious about our impact on the environment so we take a lot of initiatives like our building is gold LEED certified.
We have a company goal that everybody volunteers at least once and we throw lots of events throughout the cycling community as well.
A lot of companies are starting to add this position so even though QBP is a pretty progressive company,
I was the first person that was hired in as a supply chain analyst that is true for outside of QBP as well.
Now, more and more colleges are offering majors in Logistics and Supply Chain Planning
which wasn’t as common when I was going to school.
More and more companies are starting to post for these positions to
ultimately optimize their operations and save costs and also help out the environment.
Get good at the technical pieces like software applications like statistics, and Excel and Access.
Math is kind of important and you’re next step is to really make the recommendation
that is where interpersonal skills come in so really be good at communicating complex terminology.
So, it is a growing field, it is becoming a necessity because everybody is trying to reduce waste,
reduce their impact and what is good for the environment
also impacts the bottom line so these positions are only going to be growing in the coming years.