Strategies To Drive Your Career Success In 2018

Imagine getting up every day feeling stalled in your career. You greet the world with your best smile and can do personality, and you’re even achieving the results that are expected of you, but you dread Monday mornings. To the outside world, you are winning but deep down inside you are unhappy and your energy is waning daily.

You are not alone. According to Gallup’s State of the American Workplace report, nearly 70% of U.S. employees are disengaged at work. Often when I am coaching clients who are unhappy in their careers, they tend to initially focus on external factors like their boss and the work environment. However, they quickly realize that the most important and game-changing factors for driving their careers are themselves.

1. Start with the end in mind: Visualize the outcome you want to create for your career by the end of 2018, and consider the following questions: What is my vision for my career? What type of experiences do I want to have? What type of impact do I want to have on the world?


A powerful tool that I have used to help clients articulate their career visions — and that I’ve used personally — is a vision board. A vision board is a visual representation of the big picture you want to create for your career and life. Vision boards can be extremely powerful in illustrating your career hopes, dreams and aspirations in a way that inspires you to strive for them.

2. Determine your career motivations: In Shakespeare's Hamlet, Polonius famously says, To thine own self be true. It’s extremely important to understand your motivations and how they align to your career. Starting from a blank canvas, consider what’s important to you in your next career opportunity. What are the intrinsic and extrinsic benefits you desire?

Extrinsic benefits are typically tied to compensation, for example, paid time off, profit-sharing, salary or bonuses and stock. Conversely, intrinsic benefits are non-tangible and are often tied to emotions. Intrinsic benefits may include words of praise, meaningful work, learning and development, autonomy and work-life balance. One exercise my clients leverage to categorize and prioritize their career motivations is to write down their Must Haves, Nice to Haves and Trade-Offs. After completing the exercise, they have a deeper awareness of what’s most important to them.

3. Redefine your strengths and weaknesses: Earlier in my career, my manager at the time shared with me their perspective of my core strengths and weaknesses. Even though I didn’t particularly agree with my manager’s opinion, I moved forward on the prescribed trajectory. Once I began to feel disengaged in my career, I decided to redefine my strengths and weaknesses on my own terms.

I leveraged the brilliant work of Marcus Buckingham, a motivational speaker, business consultant, author and performance management expert, to help me redefine my strengths and weaknesses. According to Buckingham, your strengths are what light you up and energize you.

Think about the work you’ve done when you lost track of time because you were so engaged. Once you understand these strengths, it's time to get clear about your weaknesses. Typically, when people think of a weakness, they automatically think about a limitation. But Buckingham believes a weakness is any activity that weakens you or zaps your energy. You may even be good at it. Once you understand your weaknesses, you're able to determine what type of opportunities would add meaning to your career and life.

4. Leverage your network: Recently I was speaking to a client who wanted to accelerate his career in a different direction. When it came time to discuss relationships that could potentially support his career transition, he couldn’t name one person. Having the relationship capital to support you in moving your career forward internally or externally of your organization is truly invaluable.

As you evaluate your network, explore sponsors, mentors, previous managers, colleagues and other relationships that will help you in accelerating your career. If the relationships don’t exist, create them. With nearly half a billion professionals on its platform, LinkedIn is a tremendous tool for building new connections.

5. Implement an accountability system: Any viable business has an accounting function with checks and balances to ensure the achievement of financial goals. Similarly, it is critical that you have an accountability system in place to support your career goals. One aspect of the system is to have a career plan with key goals and milestones. Because 92% of people who set goals do not achieve them, consider engaging a professional coach, mentor, colleague, community of practice or friend as your accountability partner.

Steve Jobs once said, Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.

Now is the time to move forward with owning and driving your career success no matter what. As we enter the new year, get clear about the outcome you want to create for your career, determine your career motivations, redefine your strengths and weaknesses, leverage your network and implement an accountability system to accelerate your career.

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Resume and Job Search Trends in 2018

In 2013, CareerBuilder surveyed thousands of hiring managers, human resource professionals, and workers across industries. 58% of the employers pointed out typos as the most common problem they saw in resumes. 36% of them said they were seeing resumes that were too generic, and 32% of them identified copying a large amount of wording from the job posting as a problem.

 If you want to stand out, the resume has to be perfect.

We contacted John Laurens, a  human resources manager from Resumes Planet. Job applicants see typos the smallest problem. You can easily get rid of most of them if you use Grammarly or similar software. However, software won’t bring your resume to perfection. There are grammar and spelling mistakes that you can’t notice yourself, - he says.

Biggest trends among job seekers in 2018: When you’re not proficient in resume writing, you can rest assured that you’ll make a mistake. You’ll either write a generic resume or you’ll get into too many details. A professional writer is aware of the standards of different industries. Job applicants are finally realizing they can improve their chances of getting the interview call if they hire a writer to complete or improve their resume

Personality Will Play an Even Greater Role

In August 2017, the unemployment rate in the U.S. was similar to the trend we’ve been experiencing for years - 4.4%. This means that 7.1 million people are unemployed. What does this mean for a job hunter? Huge competition. What does it mean for a recruiter? Plenty of resumes to review.

The hiring manager will look for the candidates with the core skills needed for the specific job. The personality traits, however, are just as important. Employers want people who would fit into their office culture. Your resume can convey your personality up to a certain point, but you’ll have to do something more: follow up.

Laura Handrick, human resources staff writer at Fit Small Business, agrees. Job search continues to be personal. People don’t hire form paper, they hire people they trust will do a great job in the role. - she says.

So after you apply, follow up in any (and maybe every) way you can - contact the recruiter on Facebook, or look for someone you know who works there in your LinkedIn account. My last resume sent via Indeed was never found by the staffing agency. It was only when I sent an InMail to the recruitment firm owner that I was contacted, asked to resend it via email, contacted by the recruiter, scheduled for interviews, and hired. If you fail to follow up with a phone, email, postcard or other form of human contact, you may as well have placed your resume directly into the shredder.

Social Media Will Get More Important

A recent survey showed that 70% of employers are screening candidates via social media before hiring them. 54% have decided not to hire a candidate after screening their social media profiles, and 57% are less likely to consider someone for an interview if they can’t find them online.

That’s how serious social media reputation is in the hiring process. The trend is going to get even bigger during 2018. Scott Wesper, hiring manager for Arch Resources Group, agrees:

As 2018 draws closer, social media will play an even bigger role in job search trends. When you compare the number of users overall, Facebook wins in a landslide victory over LinkedIn. Facebook has 1.86 billion users, while competitor LinkedIn has only 433 million members. Most Facebook profiles are filled with important demographic information like age, past job titles, employer information, educational background, and even interests. This will be key for employers as they target their job ads in order to reach the candidates with the proper credentials.

Digital Resumes and Portfolios

In 2015, the Pew Research center conducted a survey called Searching for Work in the Digital Era. The results showed that 54% of U.S. adults were looking for job information online, and 45% had applied for a job online.

The Internet is the most important resource during the job hunting process. You don’t use it just to search for a job. It’s also a medium that presents you as an ideal candidate. That’s why you’ll have to work on your digital resume and portfolio, since more employers will be interested in that factor in 2018.

Alec Sears, human resources manager from Frontier Communications, says: In 2018 you will see a shift towards digital resumes and portfolios. The format of the resume itself won’t change much; it is simple and succinct and there’s a reason that it’s stood the test of time. But sites like Indeed and Glassdoor make it easier than ever to take that resume and send it out to dozens of potential employers at once. Wise job-seekers will utilize personal websites, online portfolios and even LinkedIn connections to stand out.

Did you hear that? Wise job seekers will have personal websites. They will also have an impressive online reputation that’s visible through social media. They will be getting professionally-written resumes and they will make an effort to show their personality after submitting them. As a wise job hunter, those are the trends you should be aware of.

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HR Management Systems

Flexible and scalable

Swarovski, for example, moved onto a new system hosted on Workday in the hopes of achieving more transparent, efficient and simplified people processes, while supporting new ways of working and catering to changing organisational objectives.

Beyond that, the organisation was looking to empower its people and line managers to make data-driven and fact-based people decisions.

Earlier this year, hotel search platform Trivago, was seeking out a cloud-based HR solution capable of providing one single source of truth for employee data, while empowering HR leaders and managers with better insights to make faster and more accurate decisions.

The company also needed a platform that its 1,300 employees globally could access at any time and from anywhere in the world.

Using Workday’s Human Capital Management, the deployment saw Trivago transform day-to-day HR processes, such as compensation, absence management, time tracking, recruiting, expenses and performance and development.

We needed an HR solution that provided the technological platform for a single, always-up-to-date database – a solution that was flexible and especially scalable as we grow, says Sian Williams, Business Operations and Strategy – Talent Solutions at Trivago.

It is fantastic and also new for us that we’ll be able to use the system no matter where our people are, or which device they are using.

Indeed, as Workday’s President David Hope notes, whether it’s collecting real-time staff feedback or managing contingent workers, companies today understand that with business needs constantly evolving, having the flexibility and freedom to design functionalities based on priorities, is the ultimate key.

Our clients are already exposed to a comprehensive suite of functionalities that encompass many of (these) trends, says Hope.

I think more important than designing any specific new feature for one particular client is the ability to continuously innovate and update our software to meet the fast-changing needs of the modern HR landscape, as well as to tailor our systems to specific client needs.

But many companies are also avoiding bespoke systems that are overly complicated and difficult to maintain.

Hope says that Workday’s technology enables customers to configure their rules and policies without requiring extensive customisation or coding, which means they are not adversely affected by upgrades.

Real-time functionalities

Times Software, the winner of two awards at HRM Asia’s Readers’ Choice Awards this year,  foresees increasing demand for fully digital solutions that provide real-time employee engagement integrated with a performance management system able to facilitate  consistent, two-way communication between management and employees.

At present, the service provider is experiencing a surge in clients requesting for more interactive performance reviews, as well as dashboards that are able to boost interaction and engagement of employees, says Managing Director Charles Liaw.

Alongside the increase of temporary workforce management inquiries, largely from the hotel industry, and the growing demand for mobile-enabled features such as geo-tracking and push notifications on apps, Times Software ensures that the latest trends can be easily integrated into its systems.

We ensure our solutions are built with constant improvements in mind. That is why our products are easily enhanced in accordance to the market needs, says Liaw. For example, the company is currently in the process of adding data analytics, and has also built a broadcast facility, in which temporary jobs are advertised via SMS and with mobile push notifications.

Liaw agrees with Hope, saying client organisations appreciate platforms that are not fixed with limited functionalities.

A one-size-fits-all approach is no longer feasible in HR as different companies have differing needs. Therefore, we provide a basic platform which is flexible for customisation.

Moving with market trends

In Singapore, where the bulk of Times Software’s clients are based, the government’s call to move towards a Smart Nation is expected to see greater development on the mobile technology front.

Liaw foresees an increase in digitisation of payment methods in particular.

The government’s push for cashless technology means that there will be more payment options available and we wouldn’t be surprised if in the near future, petty cash for claims will all be paid through QR codes instead of physical cash, he says.

The major technology companies’ development race in Artificial Intelligence (AI) will also see robotics technology mature, although Liaw says it will still be a long time before this plays out.

Still, there will be more integration of AI in almost every sector, and that includes HR solutions.

Deep learning will become part of HR solutions, where the system is able to learn about the company’s trends through repeated usage, and then make improved recommendations to users, says Liaw.

AI will enable more productivity as menial functions such as delegation of tasks will all be done by the system.

Disruption in developing countries

Similar changes have also begun happening in developing countries in Southeast Asia.

At the recent Cambodian Federation of Employers and Business Associations, law and tax advisory firm VDB Loi shared how the world of traditional HR was being rapidly disrupted with cloud computing, social media, mobile technology, and analytics changing the way businesses are run across the region.

In order for companies to keep pace with these trends, it is essential to take their HR processes into the digital era, said Dara Ouk, Business Development Manager of VDB Loi.

Ouk further stated that by 2020, digital natives will comprise more than 50% of the global workforce, which will present a new set of challenges for any HR teams still prioritising traditional strategies. Employee engagement and development; attracting top talent; retaining and rewarding this talent; and performance management are just some of the issues that business leaders and HR professionals will face.

In late-2015, VDB Loi entered a partnership with technology firm Microimage HCM Asia in Myanmar. VDB Loi employed Microimage’s digital HCM Cloud solution, which was customised for the niche market based on VDB Loi’s local data, knowledge and expertise.

The HCM solution enables companies to maximise the full potential of digital technology while receiving a consumer-grade user experience that is intuitive and interactive. The solution works across all devices including mobile.

Just last month, the legal firm also rolled out the platform across its Cambodian offices.

Taking HR into the digital era with a platform that was designed for the future generation of digital natives is the only way organisations will be able to attract, retain and motivate the right talent and remain relevant

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Most Popular Master In Finance For Acquire A Job In Singapore Banking

The Masters in Finance (MIF) qualification is slowly gaining traction in Singapore, a city where mid-career banking professionals have traditionally preferred taking MBAs.

But where should you study if you want a MIF that will help you boost your finance career in Singapore

We searched our CV database for financial professionals in the Republic who have a Masters in Finance to their name, and we found out which business school they attended. We then ranked the 15 most popular of these universities to produce the table below.

Because the MIF has only recently emerged as a popular qualification in Singapore, the data set is not yet large enough to examine the business function of graduates or the type of firm they work for (but you can click here for our global list of top MIF schools for getting front-office jobs at leading investment banks).

However, our numbers do show that spending tens of thousands of dollars to study abroad may not be worth the effort.

Of those who attended one of the top-15 business schools, 60% studied locally – either at a domestic college (SMU or NUS, for example) or at a Singapore campus of an overseas institution such as ESSEC or INSEAD.

If you do want to leave Singapore for your Masters in Finance, one city stands out: London. The four most popular foreign-based courses – London Business School, London School of Economics,
Imperial College, and Cass – are all based in the British capital.

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Character of supply chain management in retail scenario

Supply chain management plays a vital role in the entire process. We talked to the SCM heads of some of the prominent retail chains in the country to discuss how they are beefing up supply chain management efficiencies — the changes that should be implemented, and the improvisations to keep retail on an all-time high.

Importance of Time Definite SCM Service for Retailers

With an all-round boom in the retail sector, the psyche of the consumers is also rapidly evolving. Consumers today, know what they like, go for what they want, and expect impeccable services. This consumer evolution has stirred the retail sector and to keep up with the pace; retailers are coming up with ways to minimise the operational cost as much as they can, without hampering the quality of product, time management and keeping up with the demand forecasting.

Providing the right product at the right time is the need of the hour. Management of the transition of products from manufacturing to the point-of sales is key. Achieving this by itself would ensure the smooth functioning of any retail organisation. From planning of inventory, transition of products and the point of sales, SCM deals with the proper control of it all. A slight shift for the worse to any of the processes in the supply chain could cause dissatisfaction of consumers and lead to major risks in business.

Availability of stock on shelves is the single largest success factor for a retail business. Timely delivery of products and faster replenishment requires time bound logistic services. Time definite logistic service is critical for any grocery retail business, particular dairy and F&B sectors, but not so critical for apparel retail business, says Asst Vice President – Supply Chain Management, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd – Pantaloons.

He further adds, With e-commerce and Omnichannel players competing in the market place, retailers are indeed getting more and more conscious about time definite logistic service.

Head IT and Supply Chain, Bestseller Retail India Pvt Ltd, Ranjan Sharma says, We have weekly new launches and the entire supply chain is geared to meet those dates as a lot of planning is involved in it and any misses cost us heavily.

It is key for retailers to come up new strategies and re-evaluate with their supply chain and modes of distribution. With SCM in place the retailer is able to monetise on new and upcoming trends with a faster pace and avoid the other risks usually faced.

Resonating the same, General Manager & Head – Logistics, Raymond, Suresh Chugh says, Retailers are becoming more conscious nowadays because it’s directly linked with secondary sale. More efficient and timely logistics services can help retailers fetch better sell thrust especially for ‘Fresh Sale’, which is already under pressure due to extended EOSS window every season/year.

Revising the Supply Chain Practices in Omnichannel Era

The consumer today is driving the need for transformation in Omnichannel retail supply chains. The buyers have all the power in today’s market. They are demanding more options and leveraging retailers against each other to get the best value for their money. A competitive retail environment is leading retailers to opt for an Omnichannel strategy. Retailers are working towards seamlessly integrating their distribution channels to improve visibility into inventory and serve their customers in a better way.

Talking about how supply chain mechanics are changing in the digital age, with retailers going Omnichannel way, Vice President – Marketing, Safexpress Pvt Ltd, Vineet Kanaujia says, Development of a profitable Omnichannel supply chain strategy requires analysing the business from top to bottom. We need to look at the retailer’s market strategy, the Omnichannel operating model and execution enablers. Being the supply chain and logistics industry leader, Safexpress has created 30 ultra-modern Logistics Parks, pan-India network covering every square inch of India, and backed the same with world-class systems, processes, human resources, fleet and IT infrastructure.

The mechanics of logistics is constantly evolving and today as the world is more connected than ever, there is a need for real time integration across channels. Resonating the same fact, CEO and Whole Time Director, TCIExpress, P. C. Sharma says,  At TCIexpress we are constantly tracking the movement of goods on a real time basis and we also look at online response management (ORM) as a critical mechanism to address the consumer through the social network. We have uniformly deployed content across platforms such as our website, catalogues, brochures, Facebook page, Twitter and LinkedIn, to ensure common messaging. We also follow package scanning through barcode technology such as HPT (Hand Pallet Truck), Pallets and Forklifts. This provides accuracy in the operations and real-time tracking of the shipments at packet level.

The path to purchase is becoming more complex amidst the ever-burgeoning growth of online and mobile shopping. According to Zebra’s 2017 Retail Vision Study (RVS), superior Omnichannel support requires 90 per cent inventory accuracy. As a result, inventory accuracy is more critical than ever as products from both brick-and-mortar and digital channels flow through the pipeline.

Talking on the same, Regional Sales Director – India, Zebra Technologies, Deep Agarwal says, Omnichannel retailing has become a necessity more than a requirement as consumers today are digitally empowered. Consumers can virtually tap into every retailer’s stockroom from their mobile device to search for products and compare prices. To meet this demand, retailers are adopting technology solutions to heighten merchandise visibility throughout the supply chain, from the time inventory is shipped from the warehouse and received in a store’s back room to when it’s stocked and replenished on the sales floor.

Agarwal, adds, The rise of online shopping has trained consumers to demand unprecedented convenience. Retailers today, must be nimble enough to serve their multi-channel shopping journeys seamlessly. Around the globe, retailers are investing in IoT technologies to redefine their operations and the shopper experience. Merchants are reinventing their supply chains with upgrades that enable automated, real-time inventory visibility via Internet of Things (IoT), such as RFID, which can boost inventory accuracy levels to as high as 95 per cent.

Talking from an e-commerce perspective, CEO, Vinculum, Venkat Nott says, Customers today do not like to wait for the products they buy. However most of them do not like to pay more for express service. A paid service for fast shipments is likely to work well for retailers. Marketplaces have set the standard already and have invested in products not just to streamline their order management processes and to have real time inventory in stores and warehouses but also predictive analytics in terms of what products to carry in which store and keeping the right products in warehouses close to the buyer.

Further talking about Vinculum services, he says, Vinculum has cutting edge products to facilitate Omnichannel retailing and provides real time view of inventory across the supply chain using our Vin eRetail suite of products.

Retailer’s Perspective on Omnichannel

Retail is going omnichannel and meeting the supply chain needs of this new environment is a major challenge. Talking on this aspect, Chugh says, Yes, it’s true that retail is going Omnichannel and meeting the needs of this new environment is a big challenge. Since this is the need of the hour and must be implemented to get the better sales. We are also working on this but at very initial stage as of now.

 If you cannot beat them, join them! Ominchannel is the future and no retail organisation can stay away from entering into it. We have started selling online through prominent e-commerce players like Amazon, Flipkart etc, in addition to creating our own Omnichannel platform.

We are going through a lot of technology intervention which includes bringing together different portals and market places to converge to one system at store for execution with realtime integration of inventory and logistics. We have already gone live across all our stores for Tata Cliq since October 1, 2016 and will be live on our brand websites by the end of June, says, Sharma, from Bestseller.

Forecasting Techniques and Methodologies

Traditionally, retailers have not been able to predict the demand, leading to a mismatch between demand and supply, thereby affecting profitability. Even though forecasting techniques and methodology have continued to develop in sophistication, they cannot deliver the accuracy required for managing logistics in the context of the retail scenario. The answer to these problems lies not in better forecasts, but in reducing the dependency on forecast and by harnessing the potential of modern logistics services.

Talking on the same, Sharma from Bestseller, says, We are fast fashion brands and we have to spot trend way ahead of time. Then we get into sampling and manufacturing cycle which is also very long. Though modern logistic services definitely help to reduce the overall time to make the merchandise available but the same cannot replace the art of demand forecasting. But at the same time if the entire sourcing strategy and manufacturing is aligned well then smaller sample sets could be developed and on their success large scale manufacturing could be done thus reducing the risk.

Chugh of Raymond, opines, Answer to these supply chain related problem lies not in better forecasts, but in reducing the dependency on forecast and by harnessing the potential of modern logistics services. Combination of both i.e., better forecast as well as usage of modern logistics services will give much better results. None of these two components alone can generate better yield or desired results.

Best demand forecast accuracy is considered to be at 50-60 per cent. So, supply chain has to mitigate the risks associated with about half of the inaccurate demand forecast in any industry, which results in high or low safety stock, stock outs and loss of sale. Quick turnaround of unsold or obsolete stock and faster replenishment of high selling stock from manufacturing location to point of sale is the key to success of retail business which is achievable through harnessing the potential of modern logistics services, states Khetan of ABRL.

Innovations that Inextricably Links SCM and Retail

India has occupied a remarkable position in global retail rankings. The Indian retail industry is one of the fastest growing in the world. India’s retail sector is experiencing exponential growth, with retail development taking place not just in major cities and metros, but also in Tier-II and Tier-III cities.

Talking about the innovations that is happening in the space of supply chain management, Kanaujia, says, Emerging trends like making the supply chains digital, increasing the role of procurement in supply chain, increasing collaboration for efficient supply chain management, etc., will be the major factors driving growth in the organised retail market in India. Being the industry leader, our role is very vital in bringing about the global standards to India. We are proactively working towards hastening this change in our industry and taking it to a different level.

Future Supply Chain Solutions Limited, has recently inaugurated a High Speed Cross Belt Sortation Technology, at its distribution centre at Mihan, Nagpur.

This new technology, being first of its kind in India, is touted to be a game changer and a stepping stone, making it India’s most automated first of- its-kind.

Talking about this new innovative SCM facility, Group CEO, Future Group, Kishore Biyani says, This distribution center will be a milestone in the Indian warehousing sector. With the brilliant technology used in the Sorting system at the DC along with the individually coordinated system solutions, we can ensure the highest level of service to the consumers of the nation.

The elevated technological quotient in the sector and India is already witnessing the importance of big data and IoT in the logistics sector. Even while technology is evolving, we do not see a divide but co-existence of manpower with technology to move ahead to the next level.

Putting things in perspective, Sharma of TCIExpress, says, Some of the trends and practices which are already in play in the global markets includes robotics, automation and unmanned aerial vehicles/drones. We use piece level scanning through RFID/ barcode technology. It is noticeable that this technology is widely used by manufacturers and retailers in modern trade segment. We being future-ready have technologically adapted to this need and are in sync with Industry demand.

Talking about some of the SCM best practices adoption, Khetan, says, There had been quite a few best SCM practices adopted by us, key ones being: use of warehouse management system (WMS) coupled with RFID technology turning our warehouses into paperless operation, Auto replenishment system (ARS), ensuring faster replenishment of stock to the stores and Vendor portal for auto approvals of shipment requests from vendor.

Divulging the details of SCM innovative practices that has helped Raymond in staying ahead in the game, Chugh, says, Layout restructuring, current season stock kept on ground floor and previous season stock moved to first and second floors based on the ageing. This helped us in increasing picking productivity; man power deployment based on season/ month wise load helped us in cost reduction of WH transactions/piece; working on Auto LSP selection program which help us in significant reduction of the
logistics cost/ piece; manual processes converted to system based programs which helped in hassle and error free work.

Customer Care Associate & Head-Supply Chain and Mission Control, Shoppers Stop Ltd, Devadas Nair says, Supply chain in Shoppers Stop coordinate and integrate all activities associated with moving products, services and information into a seamless process by embracing all partners in the chain including various departments, vendors, carriers and other service providers.

Further talking about the innovative SCM practices, which they have adopted, he says, Regionalised distribution centre operation, which helps us to manage the inventory better; distribution centre management is outsourced and independently handled by logistic partners; implemented advance warehouse management system with Omnihannel capabilities; same-day turnaround across DCs. Some of the fast moving products are delivered directly to the stores to ensure faster availability; sales and stocks information are provided to vendors on a daily basis so that they can be proactive.

Keeping Business Seamless Even During Peak Seasons

Managing fluctuations in demand during peak and seasonal requirements is a
must for every retailer. Talking about the same, Khetan, says, There is a separate forecast for peak and seasonal requirement which is aligned with capacities at each node of supply chain, right from transporters’ hubs to warehouse capacities for transaction as well as storage.

We start building up stock at the DC and retail points well in advance so as to reduce the spike in demand. We also cross train people to handle loads during peak seasons in multiple shifts, says, Sharma from Bestseller.

Lot of automation devices/ equipment are being used in International SCM industry which reduces the dependency on labour. It helps on improving the productivity as well as reduction of manual errors. Talking in the same context, Chugh, says, We plan the manpower in such a way that during non-peak months/ seasons, we reduce the unskilled labour but we don’t touch the skilled labour. We cover up the additional workloads by doing over time by extending working hours on normal days and working on Sunday, as and when required.

Role of GST in Improving Logistics/ SCM Conditions in India

The proposed model of GST brings to the Indian economy the promise of becoming more competitive in a global market, with a better tax environment to conduct business in India. The new tax regime will result in a seamless integration of goods and services transactions across the states and will have a positive impact across the retail value chain.

According to JLL India, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) are soon going to be a reality in India. These, coupled with a growing demand for quality warehouses by the industry, are expected to lead to an increase of Grade-A and Grade-B warehousing stock across the country in the next few years.

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IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES AT INTERVIEWS

An art in which almost all the performance is unscripted and dialogue is spontaneous

STEP INTO THEIR WORLD

The focus is not about you - it's about building the scene. In improv, this rule is called step into their world. It's meant to get you to focus on other people and the setting rather than making you the centre of attention.

In an interview, you're also in a new scene that's larger than yourself. Even if it feels like you're the centre of attention, remember you're there to show how you fit into the whole picture. What role can you play How can you contribute to a part of the scene

LISTEN WELL

It may seem like a good idea to have some clever one-liners ready for your moment on stage.

But a prefabricated set of lines is the kiss of death for an improv scene. Instead, a performer must truly listen to his partners, understand what they're trying to convey, and respond appropriately.

In your interview, pay attention to the questions being asked. Do not cut the person off or answer without fully grasping his question. Listen actively with your facial expression turned on. Not only will this help you, it also shows that you're fully engaged.

SAY YES VERBALLY, PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY

Another improv rule is saying: Yes, and…. That is, give examples and keep the momentum going after answering a question. Make your yes visible in your body language, attitude and words.

All things being equal, the candidate who demonstrates that he or she is passionate about a role will usually be hired.

Set yourself apart by saying what you admire about the company and why you want to work there. But don't be phony: Ask yourself why you are applying, beyond the salary and benefits. Be sure about your reasons and your answers will reflect that conviction.

BE READY FOR THE GOTCHA QUESTION

It is Why should we hire you over others.

Avoid overselling yourself in relation to the rest. You don't know what they bring to the table and saying that you are superior only makes you come off looking arrogant.

Rather emphasise not just your skills but how you want to use them to meet the goals of the organisation.

Tell a personal story - rather than repeat bullet points from your resume, tell a story that demonstrates how your education, evolution and journey intersects with the job.

Others may have similar skills, but your story belongs only to you.

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