Trainee Sathwik Ramaprasad has always been interested in supply chain management, even before he was aware of the term. Now, he works at Henkel in that exact area.
Describing himself as a “supply chain enthusiast”, it’s no wonder that Sathwik Ramaprasad now feels like he’s working in the exact role to which he always aspired.
“My interest in supply chain management stemmed from an article I came across around 15 years ago, about how a major book publication house managed global logistics to ensure the much-awaited last book of a seven-part series hit all markets at the same time to avoid plot leaks,” he said.
“Although I was too young to know the terms ‘supply chain’ and ‘logistics’ back then, during my bachelor’s degree, I thoroughly enjoyed the modules of operations management and supply chain management and wanted to further my knowledge in this area of business.”
Ramaprasad then identified pursued work experience opportunities in this area before completing a master’s degree in operations and supply chain management.
‘We were never spoon-fed information, which meant that we were always given the freedom to come up with solutions ourselves’
“I came across the role of ‘Chaingers’ trainee at Henkel, which provided an opportunity for graduates like myself to get hands-on experience in the day-to-day of operations and supply chain,” he said.
“These tasks would take place at manufacturing sites, with rotations taking place across the business and responsibilities given to individuals. These experiences were to act as stepping stones to possible management leadership roles in our career ahead.”
Are you now working in the type of job that you wanted?
I wasn’t very specific on any industry while looking for a job, as I believe at this point in my career, where I am just starting out, I should be open to options.
Having said that, I would proudly say this job is exactly what I’ve always wanted to do. Not many people are able to say that they are working in the exact role that they always aspired to, but I now have the opportunity to put into practice what I learned over a number of years.
Mostly revolving around operations and supply chain, I am responsible for carrying out projects either on the shop floor or at an organisational level, knowing that my work would directly impact process improvements, cost savings and, essentially, making life simpler for my colleagues.
Can you describe a typical day in your role?
A typical day would consist of me juggling multiple projects that I have been assigned, including data collection from the shop floor, analysis of information and communication with respective department managers.
Normally I would have a couple of meetings scheduled with stakeholders from various departments to either gather information or provide progress updates. As part of carrying out these projects, I would also have had to carry out sampling tests or moderate workshops.
Earlier, when I was new to the role, on days where we were rotated between different divisions, it would also involve shadowing a colleague to understand the day-to-day activities of those departments. This was a really useful part of the Chaingers programme, getting to interact with multiple layers of the site has been beneficial as I have developed and taken on increased responsibility.
Did your responsibilities and workload change as the programme progressed?
One of the best parts of the programme was the onus that was bestowed on the trainees, which provided an excellent learning environment for us.
When we all started out, there were resources provided to us to ensure that we obtained extensive knowledge regarding each department that we would be rotating in, as well as the organisation as a whole. But at the same time, we were never spoon-fed information, which meant that we were always given the freedom to come up with solutions ourselves, which was very beneficial for our own development.
As we grew in the role, we were given complete ownership of large projects, wherein we had to don the hat of project managers. This needed us to have multiple exchanges, meetings and presentations with management teams both on-site and at the organisational level. This not only gave us an opportunity to closely observe and learn from working styles of successful leaders, but to network with established leaders in the business.
How do you think this programme has made you more prepared for working life?
The programme has helped me identify the areas of work that I enjoy doing, the roadmap I can chart for myself for my career ahead, and what areas I could go into that would really challenge me.
For example, through my experience on this graduate programme, I have identified that project management is a skillset I would love to improve my skills in. I have really gained a practical understanding of how important project management is within the supply chain of a multinational organisation such as Henkel.
The programme enabled me to work to my strengths, and at the same time helped identify weaknesses that I can improve on. Along with practical learnings like Six Sigma and agile project management and leadership, one of the most important lessons we learned was to always try and push the boundaries.
Another amazing aspect is the team environment involved in the programme, where a healthy and collaborative working environment is encouraged. All of us on the programme bonded really well, which not only helps with networking, but also provides us with multicultural working styles.
Would you recommend this graduate programme to others?
10 out of 10 times, yes, I would recommend! In fact, I have already given positive feedback to interested applicants of the programme, who reached out to me on LinkedIn.
I would recommend the programme because of how comprehensive it is. Being permanent employees, this gives us the freedom to discuss and think about our future careers in Henkel once the programme has finished. For young graduates, there aren’t many options that enable growth to the extent of what this programme provides.
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