Post MDS Role: Junior Produce Buyer, Barfoots of Botley

University: Staffordshire University 2004 - 2007, BSc (Hons) Forensic Science 2.1

Barfoots of Botley, Apr 2009 - June 2010

Supply Chain Analyst

Responsibilities:

• Managing a range of product stocks and deliveries. Creating PO numbers, liaising with suppliers and updating daily stock sheets
• Collating data for daily meetings and performing weekly analysis on the results
• Performing QC analysis to proactively and quickly spot trends and issues
• Feedback to suppliers to improve quality service levels
• Research and implement innovative solutions to reoccurring quality issues and track their results
• Update and maintain weekly price lists and ensuring they are presented in the correct formats for a range of people
• To provide administrative support around other priorities

Achievements:

• I have created a range of analytical systems to highlight which suppliers and products are causing the majority of quality issues
• I have established several ways to track a supplier’s quality level performance
• I have achieved a good understanding of stock management and the importance of maintaining an optimum stock level
• I was responsible for the procurement of all pumpkins during the Halloween season.  This required a high level of organisation and communication. My achievement was to increase the company’s year on year profit by 112%
• I have been given the responsibility of planning supply programs for several products for the summer season. This is a large task which will have consequences if done incorrectly I feel that the fact that I have been given this responsibility and my other achievements show how my skills and knowledge of supply chain have increased

Empire World Trade: Blackmoor Site, Sept 08 - Apr 09

Quality Controller  

Responsibilities:

• Ensured that all products were packed and dispatched according to the company specification
• Alerted the farm manager to any “high risk” fruit by process of regular testing and stock control
• Acted as an ambassador for Empire World Trade at the Blackmoor site and ensured all company regulations and quality control procedures were carried out
• Ensured that all products were dispatched correctly according to orders, and to the correct depots
• Made sure that all products were packed correctly and ensured that the pack house crew were aware of all procedures and were packing to the best of their ability

Achievements:

• I gained a good knowledge of the production of apples and pears, including storage techniques and the range of defects that could be found in the products
• I produced a manual of different defects found in apples and a range of informative posters to alert packers to what can be packed in the different products. This helped improve the efficiency of the packers and reduced mistakes on the lines
• I implemented several new systems to improve the checks that were made on the products during production and outloading to reduce the risk of rejections due to quality or wrong packaging
• I worked very closely with both the production and dispatch teams, as a result I acquired a good understanding of how these departments work

G’s Marketing, June 2008 - Sept 2008

Processing Sales Account Trainee Manager

Responsibilities:

• I had to promote, develop and maintain a good working relationship with all customers ensuring that G’s was perceived as the market leader
• I was responsible for developing joint targets, strategies and tactics with customers and agreeing production plans, both short and long term, with production managers and customers. Where necessary I had to initiate regular reviews and performance assessments of joint objectives
• Managed all day-to-day orders and stock levels, ensuring holding stocks were minimized with accurate control of stock rotation
• Produced weekly sales plans and availability, ensuring that all customer specifications and requirements were adhered to
• Actively participated in the compilation of the annual sales budgets by agreeing customer programs and prices

Achievements:

• I established a good appreciation and control of logistics and their commercial implications
• Through this placement I gained a greater understanding of the processes involved in a large agricultural company, from the growing of crops to supplying customers
• I compiled several data comparisons using Excel to compare actual sales against programmed sales. This highlighted crops that were not meeting their programmed sales. Subsequently I was able to improve sales of these crops
• I was actively involved in several new variety trials in which I promoted a range of new crops and processed customer’s opinions on them
• Achieved a high understanding of the related financial implications of all commercial decisions and updating weekly KPIs