Sharmishtha Biswas ZLOG Alumni 2011 and India Manufacturing Excellence Leader at Johnson & Johnson. See Linkedin profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharmishtha-biswas-130b392/
Right after graduation, you joined Cummins, the American Fortune 500 Corporation that designs, manufactures, and distributes engines, filtration, and power generation products. Having different roles within the company, you were working in Cummins for 7 years. What do you consider your biggest accomplishment? Is there a project that you feel especially proud of?
Answer: After my graduation in 2011, I joined Cummins NV in Belgium as part of the esteemed Global Logistics Improvement Group. During my 4 years in Cummins Belgium, I led several network design and supply chain optimization projects for North America as well as for EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa). One of these projects is still very close my heart.
Answer: For 6 years I was in automotive industry, 3 of which I spent in India, leading pan-India spare parts distribution operations for Cummins India. This move from Belgium to India was a huge transition. The difference in work culture, business needs and market demands were significantly different and it took me sometime to adapt. After stabilizing the business for 3 years, I wanted to challenge myself by working in a more agile and complex supply chain and, consumer product goods supply chain is invariably the one with highest drama!
Could you briefly describe your role as Leader at Johnson & Johnson?
Answer: As the MAKE or Manufacturing Excellence leader of India, me and my team deliver across 3 pillars – performance management, program management and business value creation. Under performance management pillar we manage the performance of all plants in India and draw insights from the reported data to help improve site performance going forward. Under program management pillar we drive key supply chain programs in India. Recently we launched a path-breaking program called Johnson & Johnson Production System which re-defines the way manufacturing is done today to fit the needs of future, from planning flexible production schedules to condition-based equipment maintenance – all focused on better flexibility and agility in supply chain. Finally, under business value creation pillar we continuously challenge the status quo on operating model to draw better commercial benefit, e.g – Make Vs Buy which means whether a product should be made in a J&J plant for better fixed cost leverage or should we give it for contract manufacturing for better conversion cost.
What is your favorite part about being in logistics and supply chain?
Answer: My favorite part of being in logistics and supply chain management is that there is never a status quo. Markets are changing constantly and with that the role of supply chain is evolving in its ways of serving the customer.
Do you have any favorite memories from being a student at ZLC?
Answer: I have so many memories from my time at ZLC! For me it starts with the people that I met and became friends with, for life. Teachers, fellow students, teaching assistants and the admin staff – I remember each one of them as their warmth is what kept me happy and thriving in a place so far from anything familiar.