THE POWER OF THE PERSONAL IN SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
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THE POWER OF THE PERSONAL IN SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
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ROHIT DARODKAR
Supply chain thought leader Rohit Darodkar discusses the strategic approaches that generate success in the sector
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he nature of supply chain operations is as diverse as business itself. For every country of operations, international rela-
tionship and industry or sector, the complexities of procurement, logistics and supply chain morph and shift. Executives in the space often settle within 04
their niche, but one who has not only led operations in multiple industries but in wildly different territories is Rohit Darodkar, currently Global Procurement and Logistics Manager at Tritium, an Australian firm dedicated to EV charging infrastructure. Having begun his career in India in a graduate supply chain role at Tata Motors, Darodkar moved to Australia to complete his master’s in Mechanical Engineering at Queensland University of Technology, then his master’s in Business Management at Griffith University, majoring in Aviation. After that, Darodkar joined the newly instated Australian operations of Indian car manufacturing giant Mahindra & Mahindra where he remained for over six years. “I worked in positions from warehouse manager to spare parts manager and operations manager and, in those roles, I developed strategies and
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ROHIT DARODKAR
“ You’ve got the challenge of generating demand for a particular product, having a proper strategy in place to support that demand, and ensuring the cost of the product still makes sense for it to be developed, manufactured and sold in Australia” — Rohit Darodkar, Global Procurement and Logistics Manager 06 a dedicated focus on continuous
“The Australian market is very different
improvement of end to end supply
to other corners of the world,” he says.
chain management,” says Darodkar,
“The majority gets manufactured in
reflecting on his early career.
China, Korea or Thailand; very little
“In Australia, Mahindra was estab-
is local. The supply chain therefore
lished in 2007 and I joined in 2010,
becomes a strategic challenge because
so it was a really new organisation for
you cannot simply store these parts on
the Australian market whilst already
your shelf. You have to order a certain
having a huge domestic footprint in
amount to make it logical to pay freight
India.” During his time with Mahindra,
charges on particular parts.” The ques-
Darodkar was deeply involved in
tion, Darodkar elaborates, is how to
post-system development and the
justify bulk orders from overseas when
establishment of effective supply chain
the demand for the related parts isn’t
strategies for the company’s work in
there. In addition to that, the lead time
Australia, a drastically different busi-
for such orders, along with the cost,
ness environment to its native India.
must also be carefully balanced to avoid
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shortfalls in vital stocks for manufac-
making this balancing act far less chal-
turing. “You’ve got the challenge of
lenging to maintain, but the importance of
generating demand for a particular
robust strategies cannot be overstated.
product, having a proper strategy in
For Darodkar, effective relationships
place to support that demand, and ensur-
with vendors and employees are
ing the cost of the product still makes
among the most potent tools a supply
sense for it to be developed, manufac-
chain executive can access. He says
tured and sold in Australia. An excellent
it is important to remember that “every-
storage strategy needs to be in place
one’s in this business to make money”,
and maintained through Order Pattern
and that holding this reality at the front
Method, Reorder Point Process Method
of his mind when managing vendor
and Control Rhythm Method.”
relationships is vital to striking the bal-
Technology is increasingly providing
ance between cost and quality. “The
the answers, with data-driven insights
more you squeeze on cost, the more
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it is reflected by the supplier in the
will buy the end product, and everyone
product quality they deliver.” Of course,
will go out of business.” There is a com-
pricing strategies must reflect market
petitive edge to this as well, as
viability — as everyone is in the busi-
manufacturers are rarely short of
ness to generate value, costs must be
options when it comes to vendor selec-
in line with the feasibility of selling the
tion. “You must always check where
end product. “You need to be open
you stand in the market,” Darodkar
from a business perspective, negotiate
says. “You cannot just rely on one sup-
those costs and manage the supplier
plier for a product. Supply chain is a
by explaining that, if they cannot
demanding and continuously evolving
reduce the cost of a product, nobody
sector — you need to keep your eyes
E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE
Rohit Darodkar With more than 15 years’ management experience in supply chain, logistics, transport and FMCG industries, Rohit Darodkar possesses a unique range of skills and experience delivering best practice management and leadership to a wide variety of international organisations. An experienced and commercially driven supply chain professional with demonstratable and proven experience in people management, process planning and information technology transformation, he is an expert at synchronising supply with demand and developing supply chain strategies that significantly impact profitability and increase the total value of a business. He demonstrates excellence in working through the 3 Cs of supply chain leadership — Communication, Collaboration and Change — and turning the business model into a profitable one.
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“ You need to accept that you won’t ever have 100% support, and you need to accept that you cannot make decisions alone simply because you are the boss” — Rohit Darodkar, Global Procurement and Logistics Manager
industries. All of these factors are being affected by rapid shifts in customer and consumer buying-behaviour. Many markets which used to be purely local or
open to new developments and offer-
regional have now become global, as
ings.” Reflecting on this not only enables
have the supply chains that serve them.
the best value in product acquisition, but
As a supply chain leader, you need to
also ensures suppliers do not rest on
focus on what lies ahead and, to some
their laurels when it comes to appealing
extent, be able to predict it. This can
to their own clients. He continues: “The
only be possible with a thorough under-
supply chain world is changing rapidly,
standing of market dynamics.
sometimes unpredictably, in line with the market dynamics across many
“Another thing,” Darodkar adds, “is to be mindful of the professional relationship with vendors. You need to maintain the bond with them that their product is not only required but is at the heart of your operations. They need to know they are important to your organisation, that their quality is good and that you expect that quality to be maintained. You must set KPIs for that quality, for deliveries and so on, but it’s a two-way relationship. If you give freedom for them to set KPIs for you as well, such as sales targets,
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ROHIT DARODKAR
timely payments and the like, it becomes a more open relationship and they take more interest in the business’s success and how they can influence it.” Internally, Darodkar says a keen focus on managing change is also imperative to effective supply chain operations, particularly in the age of digital transformation. “People come to do things their own way, and there’s always a resistance to learn new things,” he says. “As the world evolves, 12
you need to evolve, and change is the only thing that’s constant. As soon as you accept that change and believe that it’s important to your organisation, resistance goes down.” In manufacturing, it is not only changing technologies
“ If you give freedom for vendors to set KPIs for you as well, such as sales targets, it becomes a more open relationship and they take more interest in the business’s success and how they can influence it” — Rohit Darodkar, Global Procurement and Logistics Manager
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that necessitate a pro-change mindset,
“You need to accept that you won’t
as the iterative nature of products
ever have 100% support, and you need
means processes are similarly prone
to accept that you cannot make deci-
to alteration and optimisation. Instilling
sions alone simply because you are
this vital cultural component is one of
the boss,” he explains. “You need to
the leading challenges faced by execu-
have confidence in your people to
tives in every department of every
ensure that the decisions you make
industry undergoing transformation,
are effectively communicated and that
but Darodkar believes the answer to
everyone is on the same page. At the
the riddle lies in the personal.
end of the day, no organisation is run
ROHIT DARODKAR
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“ Flexibility will ensure that change will not faze you or cause you undue stress. In turn, your team will be encouraged to embrace, rather than resist change” — Rohit Darodkar, Global Procurement and Logistics Manager
by one person, it’s always a team effort. You need to understand your people and your resources, what works for them and what doesn’t, and from there you can better understand how to convince someone to come on board. Sometimes a simple coffee table discussion works, sometimes you need to take someone out for a beer, sometimes you need to be a strong authority, but often you don’t need to be pushy. Flexibility will ensure that change will not faze you or cause you undue stress. In turn, your team will be encouraged to embrace, rather than resist change. If what you are doing is right, people just need time and they will come on board.”
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