Alumni Success Story - Alicja Babinska, MDSC 2010

With nearly seven years of experience in the logistics sector, Alicja Babinska has grown as a professional within the Swedish giant IKEA. After completing the Master in Supply Chain Management in the 2009–2010 academic year, she has been able to experience logistics work both in a public research institute and in the private sector.

“It has been a very valuable experience both professionally and personally.”

Unlike many ZLC students, who after finishing the Master in Supply Chain Management join private companies, you decided to start your career in a research organization, the Technological Institute of Aragon (ITA). How was that first experience?

I received an opportunity to do a research internship and see how work is carried out in a research institution dedicated to developing projects whose results help companies improve their performance. It was a very valuable experience, both professionally and personally.

Before joining IKEA, where you have developed most of your professional career so far, you worked for over a year in the Logistics Department at Imaginarium, a leading global toy brand. What differences did you find compared to working in a public institute?

The work at Imaginarium was completely different from that at ITA. For the first time, I had the opportunity to work with ERP and WMS (Warehouse Management Systems). At ITA, I developed my analytical skills and spent a lot of time working individually. It was the complete opposite of my next position at Imaginarium, which was much more dynamic and interactive—I had to maintain constant contact with both internal staff (warehouse managers and shipping coordinators) and external partners (suppliers and carriers). This change taught me a lot about how to work with the different stakeholders involved in the supply chain.

In 2012, you joined IKEA, and over these five years, you have held several positions. How has your career evolved within the company?

The idea of applying for a position at IKEA came after one of the company visits we made during the Master in Supply Chain Management (MDSC). I had very fond memories of the visit to IKEA’s warehouse in Valls, and that’s why I started looking for professional opportunities to join the company and contribute my best.

At first, I joined the Transport Department, where I was responsible for planning transportation from Polish suppliers to Southern Europe. Later, I was promoted to Transport Operations Coordinator. After two and a half years, I felt the desire to better understand other parts of IKEA’s supply chain, so I took on a new challenge as a Supply Planner, a position I still hold today. Now, I am closer to the purchasing area, managing logistics for three suppliers—two in Poland and one in Portugal—who ship their products to IKEA stores across six continents.

One of IKEA’s key strengths is the control and coordination of its supply chain through vertical integration. What is the formula for its success?

IKEA’s mission is to make well-designed, high-quality home furnishings accessible to people with limited financial means. To ensure the best prices, we must continuously work on cost optimization. The fact that we have control over the entire supply chain allows us to make decisions from a total cost perspective and take the necessary actions to improve lead times. I believe the key lies in carefully analyzing the flow of information and aligning around shared goals. No matter which stage of the supply chain you work in, as a team, we are all aware of who is at the end of it, the customer who visits our store.