2019
6 MarLSA holds Alumni Talk Series 2
The aim of the Alumni Talk Series 2 held on 20th February 2019, was to enlighten all logistics and supply chain students pertaining to their career path in logistics and in other working fields.
This programme was organised by the Logistics Student Association (LSA). LSA took the initiative to invite four alumni from different companies, namely, Sean Jose Mookan from Axceligent Solution (M) Sdn. Bhd., Eric Ling Kai Yue from UMW Toyota Motor Sdn. Bhd, Kevin Guek Kia Wee from Kuehne & Nagel Sdn. Bhd., and also Melvin Tan Chee How from Panasonic Procurement.
The first speaker, Jose, is a business analyst who deals with products and solutions. The second speaker Eric is a retail planner in Toyota Motor Sdn. Bnd. and the third speaker Kevin is doing contract logistics. The last speaker, Melvin, is working under procurement in Panasonic. The purpose of having these four speakers is for them to share their experiences and industrial expectations in logistics.
Jose shared about the attitudes of being a good employee and also how he solved various issues and problems in his work place. As a business analyst, Jose mentioned how important it is to build your network within the company and with the customers.
“As an employee we need to have the ability to identify employer’s challenges and offer a workable solution,” he said.
Jose also introduced the audience to several positions in a logistics or supply chain company, such as a demand planning analyst, procurement manager, distribution centre supervisor, supply chain consultant and also the 3PL business development manager. The talk created a huge link for students to engage with various job positions offered in the logistics and supply chain fields.
Next, Eric shared about the history of Toyota, how it became successful and how they created the Toyota Production System (TPS) to control and improve their production. Apart from that, he highlighted the importance of logistics activities such as how Just-in-Time, Jidoka, and also the Kaizen system helped in the production of Toyota.
He also emphasised that all future logisticians ought to be aware of global issues especially those economically and logistically related. For instance, he mentioned that products of an organisation need to have the right quality, at the right time, also in the right quantity.
He reminded students not to procrastinate whether in work or in life by sharing his life stories and encouraging students not to give up easily, He shared some of his life quotes before he ended his talk.
Kevin, the third speaker, introduced the students to third party in logistics. He described how sea freight, air freight, road and rail as well as warehousing and distribution play a big role in the third party logistics and also introduced the common roles in the logistics industry. He mentioned the role of operations, sales, specialists, customer services and key accountants. He also talked about international major players in logistics, such as DHL, and what they do.
Lastly Melvin from Panasonic procurement introduced the students to tasks and responsibilities held by procurement staff. He talked about the flow of the procurement from raw material to the end customer. He also told the students how logistics management can benefit students familiarising them with logistics terms, business supply chain processes, cargo handling knowledge and other information that may help them stand out in the industry.
The talk benefited all participants who attended the event. With a connection and collaboration of both academic and industrial links, it is believed that this programme imparted a lot of new knowledge especially on the career path of being a senior logistics executive for students.
This talk created a platform for students to develop their knowledge and prepare for their future career paths accordingly with their interests. The session ended with a Q & A session and a group photo.
