What is “The Power of the Pilot” session at APICS2018?

There is always room for improvement within the supply chain. With new processes, tools, and technologies emerging daily, it can be a struggle to determine how best to allocate limited company resources. Even once we convince senior leaders that change is needed, it is often difficult to quantify ROI, test the integration of people/process/tools in a live setting, and gain leverage with middle management in order to ensure successful implementation and adoption.  A proof of concept (POC) or pilot strategy is often overlooked as a wonderful means of evaluating not just the feasibility of a new tool or process, but also for demonstrating effectiveness and helping to foster consensus for change. In this session, we will explore how Berry Global leveraged pilots to build momentum, driving a transformation of their supply chain planning processes.

An analysis of Berry’s supply chain revealed the need for an Advanced Planning System (APS) to better predict and control results. With almost $8B in annual revenue and 130 plants globally, this is not an easy or inexpensive undertaking.  The company was reluctant to invest millions of dollars in new tools with fuzzy returns.  The Integrated Planning team proposed a pilot strategy, limiting capital expenses, allowing for testing and alignment of business processes, and providing a mechanism to demonstrate value to senior leaders.

Over the course of 9 months, they deployed 6 carefully selected pilots, each providing additional learnings fed back into the Integrated Planning Implementation Playbook, which housed a project plan, change management documents, go-live checklists, and various implements designed to reduce risk and accelerate results.

One year after the initial pilot, Berry went live on its first, full scale, APS deployment at its largest global facility with great success.  Bolstered by demonstrated results, senior leadership was not only on board with a global deployment, but challenged the team to deliver additional sites ASAP.  Subject matter experts created through the pilot implementations, along with thoroughly vetted change management communications and training documents, lowered risk, accelerated adoption, and supported successful implementation of an additional 24 sites in less than 6 months.

In the session, I’m going to hit on what I think are the 5 keys to successfully leveraging a pilot to build momentum for change:

1. Establish Pilot Goals & Objectives
2. Select Pilots Carefully
3. Leverage Change and Project Management Methodology
4. Execute Rolling Wave Planning
5. Celebrate Success – Never overlook the need to give folks a well deserved pat on the back!

Hope to see you all bright and early on Sunday (9/30) at 8:15 AM.

Best wishes,
Christine (Reed) Barnhart

SDCE Top Women in Supply Chain - So thankful!

It’s always great when your hard work is rewarded.  Ironically, for me, I received verbal notification that I was being recognized as a Top Woman in the Supply Chain by Supply and Demand Chain Executive on the same day that my role as the Supply Chain Global Process Owner at Berry Global was ending. (Check out the wonderful article on all the winners here: https://www.sdcexec.com/professional-development/article/21015342/top-women-in-the-supply-chain)  

After three years of often grueling work on Berry’s Supply Chain Transformation, which was supported by a broad portfolio of programs and projects that touched everything from planning and sourcing to customer service and IT, the ground work to support a digital transformation was in place, but the appetite for change was sated. In fact, most stakeholders were beyond full and ready to push back from the buffet.  For me, being recognized by my supply chain peers for my work at Berry was a cherry on top of what was truly a wonderfully challenging and enriching career milestone.

As part of the award, I am further privileged to be speaking at Richmond Events’ Logistics & Supply Chain Forum in Marana, AZ on 4-6-November.  If you haven’t registered yet, I think you should.  November is a great time to visit Arizona and you can attend my session, “You need a tribe, not a mentor, to be successful in supply chain.”

In this session, we will explore why supply chain requires more than a mentor, how to create a tribe, and how to leverage your tribe to advance your career. Regardless of where you are in your career, you need support, feedback, guidance, direction, and understanding. Creating a tribe allows you to meld and develop your IQ and EQ both for your success and others.

Since leaving Berry, I have absolutely leveraged my tribe to challenge my perspective, provide coaching on prospects for my future, and to help me navigate the wonderful adventure of finding my next career opportunity. My tribe has not let me rest on my laurels this summer and has provided rich advice and mature counsel. 

I will always relish my time at Berry and be grateful to the folks that believed in me and gave me free reign to explore, innovate, and lead.   With that said, I’m beyond excited to keep feasting on supply chain innovation and am hopeful that I can help others in their own maturity and transformation journeys.

You can check out the forum using the link below:

https://www.richmondevents.com/Forums/Details/LGH18

Many thanks to Richmond Events and Supply and Demand Chain Executive on recognizing the great work that women do in supply chain.  I’m very appreciative and humbled to be included with such an amazing group of professionals.

Hope to see you in Arizona!

Christine

Transforming an End-to-End Supply Chain Q&A Part 1

I was privileged to speak to American Productivity & Quality Center (APQC) on 11-July at a webinar concerning Berry Global’s Supply Chain Transformation. The presentation was a command performance from APICS 2017, which discussed the overall strategy and methodology to support a large, multi-year portfolio of supply chain improvement initiatives. I thought the question and answer session for the discussion was impactful and was ecstatic when APQC gave me permission to share. So, without further ado, below is part 1 from the “Transforming an End to End Supply Chain” webinar. In this portion, I answer questions around the following:

1) Who lead or drove the transformation from the beginning?

• You must have a champion
• You must have the “right” champion who has credibility with other executives, deep understanding of the business and broad experience across the supply chain.

2) How many people were in the COE leading the transformation initiatives?

• Numbers are the key driver – You must have the “right” people.
• Need to balance line of business users with technology SMEs to ensure you positively impact people, process and tools.
• COE leaders work with the business units to form fully functional and impactful teams.

3) How did we sustain momentum and drive change management?

• Gain alignment and support from executives early and often
• Don’t lose sight of the need to communicate to executives after you start implementation
• You can always improve in this area.

4) Who was responsible for training across all of the functions impacted?

• It depends.
• Must start with an assessment of your stakeholders / customers and ensure you meet their needs.
• Leveraging a pilot, aka Proof of Concept, approach helps reduce risk, gain valuable design feed AND create subject matter experts.
• Pilot SMEs allow the deployment of a train the trainer model which is required in large, complex organizations.

You can access the clip and listen to my full answer using the following link:

To learn more about APQC and their work, please visit https://www.apqc.org/

Stumbled into Supply Chain and fell in love....

You may have noticed that I have not blogged in almost a month. It is not that I have nothing to say. But, between directing summer interns, putting together a proposal for a new business process management initiative, exploring a block chain proof of concept, conducting weekly training sessions on both supply chain basics and project management, and spending time with my boys while they are home for the summer, I’ve been a little occupied. With all of that said, I was nominated recently for a Women in Supply Chain Award and asked to provide some information about my career, where I see supply chain in the future and my advice to a SC newbie.  I thought I would share, raw and unfiltered my response to this inquisition below:

 

1. Why you decided on supply chain as a career? Interestingly, I do not know that I ever really “decided” on a career in supply chain. I went to engineering school and started at Whirlpool in 1996 in maintenance before progressing into process, supplier quality and then product development engineering. I had never heard the term “supply chain” until I left Whirlpool to go to Mead Johnson Nutrition in 2008, as a capacity analyst. I was then privileged to receive formal supply chain training as part of my APICS CPIM certification. I fell in love.  Supply Chain allowed me to leverage my engineering brain in a business context to improve performance.

 

2. What you feel your role is as told by your peers? Again, this is an interesting question. My role is new for Berry so I think there would probably be a lot of head scratching from most of my peers. With that said, my management group would tell you that I am providing strategic vision, insight and management to advance Berry Supply Chain maturity and achieve superior results.  Berry has grown through acquisition, which is both a blessing and a curse.  With over 130 plants globally, we have numerous tools, business processes and organizational designs. As the Global Process Owner for Supply Chain, I am leading efforts to streamline, standardize and simplify our processes, identify tool gaps/improvements, and recognize talent needs.

  

3. Where you see the industry going over the next 5-`10 years? I see a confluence of technology, analytics, and business process best practices. I think that successful supply chain professionals will have to stretch themselves more; not just accepting the digital revolution, but leading it.  The line between supply chain and IMS is becoming more and more blurred.  Additionally, change is coming faster and faster. I do not think artificial intelligence replaces supply chain professionals, but it will allow us to focus more in the areas emphasizing not just IQ, but EQ.  Soft skills development will become as critical as technical acumen/competence.

 

4. What you hope to accomplish both professionally and/or personally? I am very motivated to make a difference, to drive continuous improvement, and “fix things.” Unlike most, I thrive on the learning curve and am happiest when I feel like I can craft new roles, process or strategies.  Professionally, I want to continue to grow my career toward supply chain strategy and global collaboration.

  

5. What you would tell a newcomer about the industry? I would probably tell a newcomer to “Strap in. It’s going to a bumpy ride.”  All joking aside, I think supply chain is key for a successful, sustainable business.  Companies that embrace maturing and modernizing their supply chains will gain a competitive advantage and will outperform their peers. 

I just love talking about supply chain and how it can drive competitive advantage.

You can control your supply chain or your supply chain can control you. Now, you might be asking yourself, “Christine, what the heck is a supply chain anyway? Isn’t it just logistics and/or transportation?”  NO!  “Isn’t it something relative to manufacturing companies?” Yes, but not exclusively.  “Maybe, it is for big companies, but mine is just a small, home grown business?”  You still have a supply chain.  Any company that provides a product or service has a supply chain.  In my humble opinion, most can benefit from some iteration of Sales and Operations Planning.  

Sales and Operations Planning, affectionately referred to as S&OP, is the monthly business management process that translates, aligns, and focuses strategic objectives into tactical, executable activities.  S&OP ensures that we understand customer demand and that we can balance that demand with our available capacity.  So, whether you are operating a global, mega-entity like Amazon or Apple, or a small restaurant or retail store, S&OP can provide value.

My apiration in sharing Berry Global’s S&OP journey at the 2018 IBF/APICS Best of the Best Conference later this week is to inspire others to leverage this fundamental but powerful tool to drive performance.  I am planning to cover the following:

• How S&OP is a key enabler of the Integrated Planning process
• Insights into how standardized and repeatable supply planning processes are a key part of the rigor and methodology to support the executive review
• How to increase supply chain maturity and add integrated, policy governed organizational layers that support streamlined and standardized business process and tools

I am hopeful many of you will join me in discovering how S&OP supported by best in class people, process and tools, can move the needle and provide competitive advantage. We have to take control of our supply chain and S&OP provides the framework.

Join me on Friday, 15-June at 9:45 AM CDT at the IBF/APICS Best of the Best S&OP Conference in Chicago for “Leveraging S&OP to Build an End-to-End Supply Chain.” https://ibf.org/events/chicago2018/#schedule

For those that cannot attend the conference, I will post a follow up along with the presentation materials.

Christine (Reed) Barnhart 

Doctor. Lawyer. Engineer. Supply Chainer? Supply Chain Manager? We wonder why folks are confused.

As some point, most supply chain professionals struggle to accurately communicate what they do. If Jane Smith introduces herself as a doctor, I have a clear vision of what that means; she completed a bachelors, went to medical school, sat for her boards, and earned a professional license to practice medicine.  Furthermore, she might have a specialty such as pediatrics or oncology, and I know that means she completed some advanced instruction and certification around children or cancer respectively. The same analogy holds true for lawyers, engineers, teachers, nurses, financial advisors, and accountants; there is a minimal education requirement accredited by some widely accepted organization and then the opportunity through advanced education and experience to specialize.

First, what is the over-arching occupational title for supply chain?  Until we, as a profession, can come to agreement on this, I think there will be ambiguity and confusion.  If one more person assumes that I am in logistics and/or transportation because my title is Supply Chain Global Process Owner, I may have a high speed come apart.  I would liken this to the assumption that every doctor is a pediatrician, all lawyers understand the intricacies of tax law, or every engineer can design an automobile. 

Carving specialties out of Supply Chain is perhaps more straightforward, but only after you agree on what functions and/or processes it includes.  When asked, I find it easiest to leverage the APICS SCOR (supply chain operations reference model) framework to describe the major components (functions and/or activities) of supply chain: plan, source, make, deliver, return and enable.  Beyond this basic definition, I often describe supply chain as the realm where the digital meets the physical - yes, stolen from Brian David Johnson, futurist! By this I mean supply chain is both 1) the tools and knowledge that we utilize to model, describe, optimize, control, predict, etc…complex and unique organisms, i.e. our business, AND 2) physical production and distribution of the “things” that people will then buy. 

You will notice that I did not use the term products. ALL businesses have a supply chain!  It does not matter what they produce.  You can provide a physical item or a service. At the end of the day, you are creating something that a customer is choosing to purchase. That means you need to plan what you are creating.  You must source materials, ideas, or expertise.  You have to package it, or make it, into something that is tangible and can be provided to your customer.  Then, you must deliver to them, be it virtual or physical.  Moreover, you should probably provide a path for them to return it if there is an issue. All of this requires some type of enablement or support, which is generally technology focused: email, spreadsheets, ERPs, etc…

If we can all agree that every business has a supply chain and we can align around the basic definition of what that supply chain is accountable for and to, then perhaps, we can start to build consensus around title and the accompanying educational and experience requirements. Today, it feels a bit like the wild, wild west, making it a challenge to win the hearts and minds of CEOs, CFOs, CIOs, etc… Who are we? What do we do? How do we support the business? I would argue that a large swath of the public could describe these key attributes for doctors, lawyers, engineers, teachers, nurses, etc… but that most would struggle if asked the same questions about supply chain professionals.  In fact, a quick search online revealed the following:

Webster’s lack of entry on Supply Chain is insightful.  Dictionary.com takes a stab at a definition, but still does not define a Chief Supply Chain Officer or Chief Procurement Officer.  At the least, this highlights a lack of consensus and consistency in using the term supply chain, supply chain professional and supply chain management. 

I am going to support APICs by leaving you with their definition of supply chain: The global network used to deliver products and services from raw materials to end customers through an engineered flow of information, physical distribution, and cash.  Furthermore, supply chain encompasses planning, sourcing, making, delivering, returning and the associated enablement tools.  Now, let’s make sure that our academic partners are providing this broad foundation to their students and ensure Supply Chain is a destination occupation, driving unparalleled excellence and value.

College, trade school, apprenticeships....one size does not fit all!

It is hard to believe that my “baby” is graduating from high school in only 2 days.  Sniff.  Sniff.  In the course of the last year, we have vetted ad nauseam the “right path” for him post high school.  He talked to the Navy, thinking perhaps that enlistment would be a good fit.  Briefly, he considered trade school. Finally, his love of science, math, and soccer prevailed and he decided to pursue engineering while playing college soccer.  The options often seemed endless and the navigation next to impossible. In six months, we visited 15 universities, consulted websites, accreditation bodies, talked to students, recruiters, and professors and constructed one heck of a spreadsheet, all with the hope of selecting a place where he can grow, thrive and be successful.  Oh, and not require selling a kidney or getting a second mortgage on the family home!

This is the second year in a row and that I assisted a student navigating the post high school landscape; my oldest is completing his freshman year in college, studying Environmental Science. I am convinced that there is no “right path” but there are countless opportunities to explore, learn, develop and grow.  Much like a fingerprint, the journey is unique to the individual and we often cannot fathom the end game.  Yes, there are individuals who have a calling, who know with certainty what they want to accomplish, where/how they want to live, and how they can contribute to society.  That was never me. It is not my children.  Moreover, I have only found it rarely in their friends and associates.  To be honest, I do not see it much at work either.  I have yet to witness my nephews pretending to be Chief Supply Chain Officers or Executive Vice-Presidents of Operations!

Ultimately, my advice to my own boys, their friends, teammates, classmates, etc…has been to explore what interests you, that you are “good” at, and that can provide a decent standard of living.   Yes, I am pragmatic; some interests are better explored as hobbies versus careers.  Regardless, I do not buy into the notion that EVERYONE must acquire a bachelors in “something” in order to be successful.  The skilled trade shortage in the US is real and it will only worsen as boomers retire.

In ’96, I was fortunate to on-board in plant maintenance with a large apprenticeship class.  Hardworking. Intelligent.  Motivated.  All are accurate descriptions of the 30+ men and women that completed the selection process and were accepted into the program.  They worked with seasoned veterans during the day, went to school in the evenings, stayed up half the night completing homework and other household chores, and missed numerous family activities in the interest of bettering their employment and/or earning a higher wage.  Perhaps because I came from a construction family, multiple generations of tile-setters, I never recognized a divide.  The plant could not operate without either the engineer or the journeyman.  Our jobs were different, but neither more important than the other.   It seems that somewhere along the journey, we have failed to recognize that many innovations/ideas require physical construction to produce value. If I pay for an architect, but find no carpenters, I have no shelter.

For this reason, I was delighted to discover renewed interest in developing skilled tradesmen and women during a recent visit to the Southern Indiana Career and Technical Center. With tracts in Robotics, Industrial Maintenance, Precision Machining, and Welding, the options were varied and provided a robust means for high school students to explore paths and learn skills that manufacturer’s value.  I would still love to see a resurgence in formal apprenticeships, as I think the mentorship it provides is invaluable, but how awesome is the recognition and subsequent investment by the community in developing manufacturing and construction leaders.  

Supply Chain transformations are HARD! How do I get started?

Last year, I was privileged to not only attend but, also, speak at the APICS Conference in San Antonio.  The sheer size, breath of material covered, and depth of knowledge at the conference was mind blowing and I must admit that I was bit intimidated.  Fortunately, passion for continuous improvement drove past my fears and I had an incredibly enjoyable and intimate discussion with a couple hundred supply chain professionals on the transformation of Berry’s Supply Chain.

It was with great enthusiasm that I said “YES!” when APICs asked me to repeat my presentation at an online event on Wednesday, 23-May.  Won’t you join me for lunch (12-1 PM CDT) to discuss Berry Global’s efforts to build an End-to-End Supply Chain? Not sure if this is something that might interest you?  Check out the abstract below.

Building an End-to-End Supply Chain: Berry Global Case Study Part 1

Creation of an end-to-end supply chain must start with an honest evaluation of where you are.  Have you ever tried to generate route directions without a starting point? It is impossible!  Google, Apple, MapQuest – they just spin, lost in the enigma of “where are you now” until they can pinpoint your location.  Once you know where you are, you can start the journey for where you want to be.

At Berry Plastics, we evaluated our reality in 2014, leveraging Berry Supply Chain SMEs, industry experts, and consultants. We learned that we lacked supply chain maturity and we were infants in the journey to nirvana, an Integrated, End-to-End Supply Chain.  With multiple planning systems, wide spread excel usage and off platform manual efforts, lack of a demand plan, and inconsistent processes, we lacked the ability to efficiently predict and control our results. 

Once, we understood where we were, we needed a strategy, a map, for navigating to our desired destination.  This is not an easy task for a company that has completed over 40 acquisitions in 30 years and has grown to nearly $8B in annual revenue. Berry’s approach was to create Centers of Excellence (COE).  This allowed us to leverage dedicated, subject matter experts to evaluate best practice, create new processes, evaluate systems and tools, determine a repeatable implementation approach, and execution/implementation strategy.

Part 1 of Berry’s journey included the creation of a multi-faceted project portfolio, branded, STEPs to Success.  STEPs (Streamline – Transform – Enable – Pursue) attacked multiple areas within the end-to-end supply chain, including transactional efficiency, data sharing, policies, and relationships through four programs or key pillars: Customer Interfaces, Warehouse & Transportation Operations, Supply Chain Systems, and Integrated Planning. Our approach was to move our enterprise from reaction to integration, improving all aspects of the supply chain and increasing profitability.

Passion. Zeal. Both seem insufficient to describe my enthusiasm for this discussion.  We can always improve, always advance, always evolve to the benefit of all stakeholders: consumers, customers, employees, suppliers, and stockholders. There is no RIGHT way for how to get started, but perhaps I can help to stimulate some ideas or answer some questions. 

You can register using the following link: http://www.apics.org/credentials-education/events/event-landing-page/2018/05/23/default-calendar/building-an-end-to-end-supply-chain-berry-plastics-case-study

Let’s share the supply chain continuous improvement journey!  Together, everyone wins!

Christine (Reed) Barnhart 

Mentors, role models, colleagues and friends – What exactly do I need?

 I do not think I can discuss mentors and role models without giving the first shout out to my family.  Very few women in my family have been traditional, stay at home, wives.  Grandma Charlotte retired from Crescent Plastics; she always told the best stories about the ladies in her department with all the work place gossip intact.  My maternal grandmother, Doris, aka Mimi, was widowed when I was very young; she was the first female professional that I encountered. I had no idea what she did at “the bank” but she had a beautiful, highly polished desk, she wore heels, dresses, jewelry, and make-up. Always immaculately put together, I thought she was very important and tremendously glamorous.  My own mother, Momma Sue, as she is affectionately referred, worked in healthcare.  As a phlebotomist, she was in scrubs, no jewelry, no make-up, no pretty shoes, but her ability to juggle a full-time job and manage a home with two active kids and a husband that worked long, unpredictable hours in construction was amazing.  I grew up believing that women could do anything.

Throughout elementary and high school, I had a variety of role models and mentors that provided concrete evidence that women were intelligent, capable, and creative. I had only to dream and I could make it a reality.  Girl Scout leaders (Judy Weaver, Betty Statham, Karen Selby) provided a smorgasbord of experiences: National Convention in exotic Kansas City, hiking/camping/backpacking at a variety of state parks and the illustrious Camp Koch, State Page for the Indiana General Assembly, and a multitude of badges teaching me everything from sewing to accounting and finance.  Coaches/teachers (Ginger Lutterman, Fred Bracher, Eldon Hopkins) reinforced a belief in self and perseverance both on the court and in the classroom. Why wouldn’t the volleyball team be honored at the fall assembly along with football? Why wouldn’t there be a 50/50 gender split in calculus or advanced chemistry? In fact, my recollection is that of the several valedictorians/salutatorians in my graduating class (yes, we had several of each – over achievers!), there was a slight female advantage.

You can imagine my horror and shock when I entered engineering school only to discover a complete lack of female instructors.  It was also my first encounter of gender bias.  Was it intentional?  Probably not. It still smacked me in the face at a point without any female leadership or guidance.  Fortunately, there was a very, very small group of inspirational women in school with me (Melissa Dilger, Michelle Graves, Debbie Gross, etc…).  We provided each other with the feedback, coaching, and support to successfully navigate a minefield of self-doubt perpetuated by a leader that truly believed women should not be engineers and he had a duty to steer us in an alternate direction. We overcame.  We triumphed. We graduated. 

As I look back over my career, I have to question whether it was luck or some unseen design that provided such a plethora of wonderfully enlightened, energetic, and enthusiastic colleagues.  Intentionally, I will not label them as mentors, role models, or friends.  Some embodied all and others played a pivotal role at an instance when I needed support, guidance, or encouragement.  Many are women. Others are men who never saw a gender boundary (Mike Reibsamen, Kirk Sakel, Scott Collins, Tony McKimmy, Kenny Grismore, Andy Odorzynski).  Whether it was sheparding my career as I started a family (Linda Duvall, Paula Lee) or pushing me out into the global landscape (Mike Anthony, Patty Cox), they each saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself and helped me to expand and grow. My network pressed me to take risks (Pat Chandler, Kathy Hardesty, Jose Feito), not limiting my career to simply what I had learned or experienced thus far but to apply it in novel ways to both the benefit of myself and an employer. Often, they have thrust me into uncomfortable, but wildly rewarding opportunities (Terri Pitcher, Debbie Garrison, Mandy McCain). 

It is only now, as I acknowledge but a handful of my influencers on paper, that I realize how truly fortunate I have been. I grew up without knowledge of boundaries and with role models that believed hard work was a prerequisite for success. I stumbled into personal/professional relationships with servant leaders who had little to gain from my accomplishments beyond small measures of gratitude. My framily (yes, that is friends and family pushed together in a seamless fashion) includes trailblazers who have proven women in STEM can knock it out of the park (Marcy Mohler, Emily Millsap) and that women entrepreneurs can be fierce and creative (Terri Lewis, Mandy Patterson).  It, also, includes unsung, compassionate heroes who provide comfort, laughter, and companionship (Christy Boring, Wendy Payne, Erika Liddle, Kathy Hartz, Diane Wells, Melissa Kettinger).

I am always stumped when a new professional asks me how to find a mentor; this is what they need to conquer the world!  Mentors. Role models. Peers. Friends. Teachers. Family. Coaches. Students. Teammates.  Influencers are all around you.  Ask for what you need. Be open to feedback. Ensure that you give a little something back: gratitude, thankfulness, or a measure of your day to someone else.  I do not believe that life is a zero sum game. I do not win because you lose. We all win when we help each other. We all win when we stop erecting boundaries.  The world is simply a better place when it is filled with optimism, creativity, and fellowship. 

In closing, I give thanks to my biggest fan, my husband. Yes, it is cliché, but he is my cheerleader, my sounding board, the instigator behind the scene that loves and supports my success and helps me find value in my failure.   

Christine (Reed) Barnhart 

Can you survive Industry 4.0 without Business Analysts?

In 2008, after 12 years in engineering at Whirlpool Corp, I transitioned to an analyst role with Mead Johnson Nutrition (MJN).  I did not have deep technical knowledge of SAP or any ERP for that matter.  I did not have deep subject matter expertise in infant formula or any other process industry.  My education was in electrical, not chemical engineering.  I did not have my MBA and I had no clue that I had just spent the first decade of my career in functions that were part of supply chain. Ten years ago, I could not have an intelligent debate on the details, merits, or opportunities for supply chain and supply chain management!  Business intelligence, analysis and analytics provided a path to what has become an incredibly fulfilling adventure.

I was lucky; the MJN planning director bought into Gartner’s recommendation that “Being able to write good SQL doesn’t make someone a good business analyst.” Furthermore, she believed that I had solid transferrable skills that would provide a great base to leverage data and insights to create business process improvements.  In the interest of transparency, I was not devoid of basic analysis skills.  With a formal education as an electrical engineer (Minor in math!) and a six-sigma black belt, I had a solid foundation in data, data, and more data.  Did I understand statistics? Sure.  Could I perform a regression analysis? Of course.  More importantly, I recognized the importance of capturing, reviewing/sanitizing, grouping/categorizing, communicating, and modeling, i.e. building scenarios / predicting outcomes.

I am not a data scientist, but I am an information provocateur.  As we enter the fourth phase of the industrial revolution, aka Industry 4.0, the unification or blending of the physical, digital, and biological realm necessitates data connoisseurs, like me, throughout the business, charged with championing better leverage and data utilization for quantifying, controlling, and optimizing the enterprise.  Supply Chain is uniquely focused on the space where digital meets physical and most companies do not need PhDs embedded in their organization to reap benefits.  We need business analysts, folks who display comfort in complex environments that can consume, employ, and thrive in the ambiguity of the undiscovered and unfamiliar.

There is a reason that STEM starts with Science and ends in Math.  You cannot have Technology, Engineering, or Digitalization without these fundamental drivers.  Success in Industry 4.0 requires assimilation of STEM into the company DNA and business analysts from diverse backgrounds with broad experience and a passion for exploring are the foundation.  With a modicum of quantitative analytical skill combined with excellent communication, a business analyst can connect the brilliant data scientist to the adept business executive and achieve unparalleled results.

Victory in the Digital Age requires a new approach.  Do we need deep subject matter expertise to run our ERP system? Of course.  But, does everyone we hire need 3 to 5 years of experience in our specific application?  Do we need a fundamental understanding of the industry in which we operate? Absolutely.  With that said, perhaps, an analyst or two from a different sector can provide new and exciting insights, processes or methodologies.  Must all of our analysts reside in IT or should we embed a few within the business? By remaining flexible and focusing more on candidates that demonstrate a basic passion for exploration and learning and less on checking the box for a specific degree, work history, or experience, we enrich our corporate DNA and ensure triumph.

Christine (Reed) Barnhart 

REFERENCES

Schlegel, K. (2011, June 16). Tutorial: Business Analyst Job Description (Tech.). Retrieved April 19, 2018, from Gartner website: https://www.gartner.com

Great leadership has little to do with technical or educational knowledge - Take a risk!

In 2008, after twelve years with Whirlpool Corporation in various engineering capacities, I embarked on a new and exciting adventure into infant formula with Mead Johnson Nutrition.  At the time, I believed that my analytical skills would translate and help me in my new endeavor in capacity planning, but worried that I would lack critical management skills, specific to my new industry.  Within just a few short weeks, I was already actively contributing to various problem-solving sessions and offering suggestions for improvement.  After only a few months, I was tasked with development of a new, global master planning role and leading supply chain projects.  In six short years, I mastered four separate roles within first planning and then regional and global purchasing. This was very reaffirming. It greatly enhanced my self-assurance and enabled me to start to see myself, not just as a competent engineer and project manager, but also as a leader.

Examining Peter Drucker’s premise that “only 10% of management has to be fitted to the organizations specific missions, its specific cultures, its specific history and its specific vocabulary” absolutely supports my personal experience and journey.  I believe that the 90%, which Drucker describes in “Management Challenges for the 21^st Century” as generic, meaning no real differences in tasks and challenges, are apt to be basic tactical skills, applicable to all industries and occupations, and most importantly to leadership.  In essence, I believe that Drucker is supporting what I have learned first-hand, management is about applying good fundamental learning and knowledge, mixed with excellent leadership attributes, and very little about the specific industry, education or occupation that you pursue.

This was further demonstrated when I transitioned to Berry Global in 2015. Tasked with creating a global integrated planning solution to improve customer service while optimizing inventory investment, it was my first foray into a holistic approach to supply chain management. Previously, I had lead in more tactical, subject matter roles that required a deep understanding of the specific function, be it manufacturing, planning or sourcing.  As part of the Integrated Planning Center of Excellence, I found that I was required to leverage not just my first-hand knowledge of supply planning, but, more importantly, to communicate a message, a shared vision for improvement, for what the future could look like if everyone worked together. 

In “What Makes a Leader” by Daniel Goleman, he writes, “It’s not that IQ and technical skills are irrelevant.  They do matter, but mainly as ‘threshold capabilities’; that is they are the entry-level requirements for executive positions.” (2004)   I believe this is exactly what Drucker is alluding to when he asserts that managing a Roman Catholic dioceses is amazingly similar to running a retail chain.  Specific technical knowledge is important but only as an order qualifier to borrow a term from marketing.  What makes the management professional successful is his leadership ability.

Too often, we choose to be imprisoned by our background: what we have studied or where we have worked.  Beyond this, too many companies fail to realize that diversity is not just about gender or race.  Rather, a keen understanding that great leadership has little to do with technical or educational knowledge, helps both employees and businesses to capture diversity of thought, approach, understanding, and experience by venturing beyond traditional candidates.  Why can’t I hire someone from industrial controls who has demonstrated great leadership by implementing an IoT project even if I am a packaging supplier? Why can’t I put my name in for a supply chain strategy position in healthcare if my background is white goods? Fundamentally, we need/want leaders who can energize us, champion change, and take our business to the next level.  Success is not measured by the check boxes on your resume, but rather by your accomplishments, the tangible actions, activities or results that you nurtured.

 In closing, I issue the following challenge to both employee and employer:

1. Look outside of your current industry for energetic, progressive, and dynamic employees/employers.
2. Focus on diversity of experience.  Our experiences are defined not just by our gender and race, but also our geography, cultural influences, education, and work history.
3. Do not be afraid to take a risk. Stretch yourself by considering a change of industry or function.  Stretch your company by considering someone with a proven track record, but without deep subject matter expertise.

Christine (Reed) Barnhart 

REFERENCES
Drucker, P. (n.d.). Management Challenges for the 21^st Century.  Harper Collins Publishers, Inc.
Goleman, D. (2004) What makes a leader? Harvard Business Review

Communicating Success and Acknowledging Failure

I have been managing projects of various shapes, sizes, and content for over 20 years.  From design and implementation of multi-million dollar pieces of equipment, electro-mechanical controls for appliances, business process redesigns, and ERP tool suites, I’ve participated, managed or  lead hundreds, if not thousands of discrete projects from inception to completion.  Recently, I was reminded how important it is to not just communicate project success, but to, also, acknowledge failure.

It is easy, as a project manager, to be enthralled in the day-to-day execution of a project plan, checking off milestones and deliverables, while you march toward successful on-time, on-budget, and on-scope completion. We often forget how important it is to loudly proclaim the small victories that equate to project nirvana.  Did you complete user acceptance testing for 10 facilities? Great. Send out a note letting management know that you are reducing risk at Go Live because you tested not just the tool, but the business process, and master data in advance.  Purchasing negotiated a savings for a component needed for a new design?  Wonderful.  Perhaps a shout out on the company portal for helping to reduce the new product introduction cost is warranted.  

Success, big or small, should be celebrated.  Taking the time to communicate these victories to stakeholders is important to both the overall success of your project and for helping to build credibility and respect for project managers and their teams. Whether we like it or not, perception is reality. If we “finish” a project or task and have not communicated the complications, herculean efforts, obstacle avoidances, or tactical execution, we have no one to blame but ourselves when management under values the role of a project manager and the importance of employing formal project/program management methodologies.

In contrast, this is, also, our opportunity to acknowledge failures, roadblocks that we did not adequately identify before we started, risks that were not uncovered before they caused delays, or stakeholders that never embraced our call to change. A healthy recognition of breakdowns in our process, methodology, tools, etc…allows us to learn and grow.  It also demonstrates to our peers that while we may have experienced a setback, we have meticulously examined the problem, are committed to improvement, and are cultivating our lessons learned for the betterment of the organization.

Sometimes, we try to frost over failures, redirecting inquiries, deflecting concerns. Personally, I think this almost always backfires. It diminishes the credibility of the project team, adding to a perceived lack of expertise. Perhaps, we did not think this project warranted a professional project manager, as it was a single site implementation and we were working with the software vendor.  In some circumstances, this would be a fair assumption.  We discovered that the interaction between our business processes and the tool created conflicts and moving forward, we really need someone to lead our change management efforts. Excellent. We have now communicated that we had an issue, we have identified a root cause, and an action plan for moving forward. It may still take management some time to determine if they want to relaunch the project, but it supports the notion that we are capable, proficient and skilled.

In closing, I would like to provide my top 3 communication requirements for project managers:

1)    Communicate both within and outside of your team regularly. 

It is not enough for your champion, working team, or project customers to know what is happening. You must remind others in the organization of what you are working on, why it is important, and that it is moving forward.

2)    Highlight your team’s accomplishments and any obstacles that they identified and overcame.

This is your opportunity to give props to the guys and gals that make you and the project look good.  No need to be sugary or over inflate your praise.  A simple proclamation of a job well done goes a long way.

3)    Acknowledge shortcomings and provide corrective actions.

Do not shrug off or make light of a botched job.  Be specific and forthcoming.  ALWAYS highlight what you learned and how you are going to apply the knowledge moving forward. 

Re-start my blogging.....

A few months ago, one of my mentors told me that I needed to blog more.  At the time, I was not sure why she was offering this advice.  Yes, it would help others get to know me, my thoughts, perspectives, etc…  But, did I actually have anything to say that others would find valuable? In the past, I have journaled to satisfy myself, examine a position, or challenge my perception.  Blogging in a profession context felt different and something that I had to ponder for a few months.  I do enjoy the posts of several friends and colleagues.  I do not, particularly, suffer from a lack of opinion. Just ask my husband or children.  Therefore, after much self-reflection, I have decided to give it a shot. 

 If folks find my blog informative, great. If they do not, well that is great too.  No need to subscribe.  My next quandary, what to blog?  If you have suggestions, I am all ears. I have a variety of interests and varied background.  As such, not much is off limits.   My goal is to do at least a weekly post and as with all good engineers, I brainstormed a list of potential topics before I embarked on this adventure.  Without further ado, my first blog topic is “Communicating Success and Acknowledging Failure.”  I hope you enjoy. I am sure this will be a work in progress. I encourage you to provide feedback, comments, critique. It is how we improve.