It's always different. I don't think I've had two days the same since I've been here. There is always something new, there's always something to look at, there's always a new project coming through. Even the routine part of the business is always different. The problems change.
The variety. I get involved with other departments such as packaging. Right now we are dealing with a consulting firm on proposed package changes. We're trying to find ways to save costs without changing our image and also improve our operations, ease of handling, shipping, and so forth. I'm involved in meeting with people in production, engineering, and packaging, and it's been a real learning experience. Not only have I learned more about our company, I have also learned to appreciate the things these people are doing.
I enjoy my job. I get enough jollies out of it to do it.
Q - What do you dislike about your job?
A - I dislike the time lag from when I make a recommendation until it's implemented.
As a staff position, it is frustrating because you can only make recommendations, and you are only as successful as you are getting other people to implement them. I would like to do some of the implementing too. I feel that I learn different kinds of things in line jobs and in staff jobs and that each can complement the other.
The most frustrating is the bureaucracy; if you want to do something, there's always bureaucracy.
I get to a point where I wonder, after obvious changes are taken care of, where I am going to turn next to try to save some more costs or to improve operations. I guess there are a number of ways, but I get a little bit concerned about where projects are going to come from.
Q - What are some important skills to have?
A - Three skills come to mind very quickly. One is a very strong mathematical and quantitative background. It is also important to have strong verbal and written skills. The ability to sell your ideas is unbelievably necessary in a business environment. It doesn't matter how brilliant you are; if you can't express a concept, you're not going to sell it. The third area is computer skills.
Creativity and being able to think logically. This position would be difficult without some kind of financial background. The combination of my experience in distribution, even though it's only been four years, and my financial experience is the reason I was put into this position.
If you are going to be happy at a lower-level management position forever, then you do not need an M.B.A. If you want to move up, then you are going to have to get it. I see more and more people getting M.B.A.'s. It is a case of your competition getting them, so that if you want to compete, it is a good idea for you to get one too.
Strong mathematics background, good problem-solving skills and a strong systems background are invaluable assets. This field is becoming more and more computerized, and you have to be able to understand the systems that you are working with. It would not hurt to be able to write a program. I can. It is absolutely essential that you know some of the relationships between how a program operates, how the computer supports it, and how the files interface. You have to be able to understand what is happening.
Q - What changes do you see occurring in the physical distribution field?
A - Physical distribution is really starting to rise to a much higher level in companies. You can tell that by just looking at the titles like vice-president and director of physical distribution. The salaries are right up there too. That's what's happening; these companies are positioning distribution at a much higher organizational level. It's a fantastic field.
I think many of the people in senior levels realize that they need qualified people, and it doesn't matter whether they are men or women. They are open-minded for the most part. Time will prove that women will be successful in the marketplace; they are certainly entering it in great numbers. I'm pleased to see that women coming out of college today are encouraged to think about areas that weren't even presented a few years ago.
It seems to me that the distribution profession is maturing. We are beginning to notice the systems impacts, the interrelationships, and the trade-offs of all our decisions. We're learning that distribution is not just traffic; it involves inventory control, warehousing, and order processing. All these elements have to be put together.
I think it takes someone who has more of an educational back ground than it did before. The problems and technical challenges we deal with require more of an analytical mind and more of a technical background than what we saw in the past.
Q - What advice would you give someone who wants a career in physical distribution?
A - I suggest they find themselves a summer internship with a corporation and get as much exposure to industry as soon as they can. I don't think you can make a wrong decision by going into industry. The more options, the more things they see, and the easier it is to decide what they want to do with their lives.
Q - Do you have anything to add?
A - NCPDM has an internship program during the summer. People send their resumes into the national headquarters in Chicago, and NCPDM, in turn, sends these resumes out to any company having an interest in interns. While I guess it really makes no difference from which area you get into distribution, the key thing is that you have some background so you can say that you were in a distribution organization. The internship program is one good way to accomplish this.