help

You have 5 inbound shipments arriving, and two are at risk of being late. How would you prioritize them?

1. look how this would impact production and delivery timelines, then consider which shipments are crucial for immediate operations.

2. Prioritize the ones that affect the most critical deadlines or customer commitments.

3. work with planning to adjust schedules and allocate resources accordingly, ensuring that the delayed shipments are expedited if possible

4. get status updates from supplier/forwarder/carrier to see where is the delay

BOTTOM LINE: not waiting until the shipment is already late, identify risks early and COMMUNICATE issues; PROTECTING PRODUCTION #1 PRIORITY

The plant is opening in October and many processes arent established yet. How would you approach that?

1. one of the first things that interested me about this position from the 1st interview, I understand there probably wont be a perfect process but I want to see if i could challenge myself in a fast paced environment

2. I want to understand the current flow of materials from a manufacturing environment- so that means who places orders, who communicates with suppliers and what info planning needs. SEE WHERE LOGISTICS CAN FIT IN

3. I would build a simple process to track shipments, start out with a simple excel or SAP dashboard with the POs. supplier, material, ship date, ETA, carrier, customs status and see where these can potentially impact production

4. If I see reocurring issues, id standardize them in a process rather than seeing the problem over and over

BOTTOM LINE: I CAN BUILD THE PROCESS UNDER THE KNOWLEDGE I ALREADY KNOW

How would you work effectively if you’re largely working on your own?

1. comfy with working alone

2. not seeing independent work at NOT communicating with anyone; rather responsible for knowing what needs to happen without anyone checking up on me all the time

   1. what i need to prioritize at hand:

      1. create my own daily priorities

      2. maintain vis on inbound shipments

      3. follow up on anything at risk

      4. keeping planning updated on anything

3. if i run into any issues, i wont sit on it

   1. figure out the root cause

   2. gather info

   3. BOTTOM LINE:

   4. 
      

   5. escalate if needed instead of saying “there is an issue”

What would you do if a supplier is not answering emails?

1. first, we always want to maintain the relationship with current suppliers and if we bring in any new ones, ensuring they are reliable and not impacting schedules in anyway

2. never wait for emails to come in, my duty is to go through the appropriate channels to ensure i talk to the root cause of the issue, whether it be the FF, supplier, trucker, etc

3. simultaneously i would need to look at how this may impact our production schedule, especially if the PO needed is crucial rather than waiting until the ETA has passed.

BOTTOM LINE: KEEP PUSHING UNTIL THERE IS AN ANSWER

A shipment is supposed to arrive tomorrow, but the tracking hasnt updated in 3 days. what do you do?

1. treat as high risk

2. confirm physical location rather than going by ETA

3. contact forwarder or carrier ask if there are any holds in CC

4. compare ETA against production schedule

5. communicate w planning regarding delays

6. if this could affect planning, try to offer alternative solutions.

BOTTOM LINE: COMMUNICATE IF ANY ISSUES OCCUR

What would you do if customs puts an inbound shipment on hold?

1. find out why there is a hold, rather than making assumptions

2. work with customs broker and team to identify where is the issue

   1. missing documents (common cause)

   2. wrong HTS/SKUs

   3. classification issues

3. ensure party who is involved in making correction is contacted

BOTTOM LINE: RESOLVE ISSUE AND DOCUMENT TO PREVENT SAME ISSUE FROM HAPPENING AGAIN

What if you notice an incorrect HS code on a Commercial invoice?

1. do not make assumptions, talk to compliance department

2. flag it and work with customs to get it resolved

3. once confirmed, send new documentation before it reached destination

BOTTOM LINE: MITIGATE ISSUES BEFORE OR DURING TRANSIT RATHER THAN WAITING UNTIL IT ARRIVES

The planning manager tells you a PO is urgently needed for production, but the supplier says it wont ship for another week. what do you do?

1. understand why material is needed and what quantity is req

2. work with planning to see if we can improve on the RDD or use air rather than ocean to expedite

3. communicate with planning about RDD

4. provide alternatives, maybe we can ship 1-2 POS air rather than waiting for all to get here by ocean

BOTTOM LINE: CREATING OPTIONS AND VISIBILITY RATHER THAN REPORTING BAD NEWS

How would I work with the planning manager?

1. give visibility on what is coming in and what can potentialy affect prodcution

2. i wouldnt want them to ask me “'where is this PO"?” I want to have that data readily availabl;e

3. Also i want them to communicate and understand production priorities so i know which inbound materials are the most creitical

BOTTOM LINE: SEE AS PARTNERSHIP: THEY GIVE ME PRODUCTION PRIORITIES AND I MAKE SURE THE INBOND LOGISTICS SIDE SUPPORTS THESE PRIORITIES

What would you do if the planning manager asks you for a shipment update while you’re dealing with several other problems?

1. determine what info they need and if it is production critical, if i can give a quick status update i will

2. If i dont have the answer yet, id tell them what i know, what im waiting on and when i expect to have an answer

BOTTOM LINE: COMMUNICATION IS KEY IN A FAST PACED ENVIRONMENT, EVEN IF THE ANSWER IS COMPLETE, AN UPDATE IS BETTER THAN NOTHING RATHER THAN LEAVING THEM WONDERING

A shipment arrives at the plant unexpectedly and receiving is not prepared. What would you do?

1. work with receiving team to understand what constraint is- dock avail, unloading capacity, paperwork, etc

2. coordinate w carrier and receiving to determine what is the best solution

BOTTOM LINE: LOOK AT WHY WE DIDNT HAVE VISIBILITY ON ARRIVAL, IF REOCCURRING COMMUNICATE W PROPER CHANNELS SO WE CAN PLAN WHEN CARGO SHOWS UP

What if a carrier says the shipment was delivered but the plant says they never received it?

1. never make assumptions and blame

2. get POD from forwarder/ driver info and compare with plants receiving record

3. get with planning to let know there is a discrepancy because we need to know id this will impact production

You discover a shipment is going to be late, but no one has asked you for an update. What do you do?

1. communicate IMMEDIATELY

2. if this will impact production be proactive “here is an issue and here’s the updated ETA, these are the next steps”

BOTTOM LINE: IN A NEW PLANT THERE NEEDS TO BE PROACTIVE COMMUNICATION BC EVERYONE IS STILL LEARNING THE OPERATION AND EST EXPECTATIONS

What do you do if you make a mistake?

1. own up to it and correct it asap

2. communicate with ppl affected rather it going unnoticed

3. look at why it happened: if process issue i would adjust accordingly

MENTION: i am very detail oriented but when you’re working in a fast paced environment, mistakes can happen . it’s important to take accountability and learning from the experience

• time a shipment didn’t make the flight due to a negligence of parties

You’re given a task you’ve never done before and there’s no established procedure, What do you do?

1. ask what is the desired outcome and what are the constraints i am working with?

2. use available resources- internal contacts, logistics team in cali, suppliers, forwarders and understand how they all blend

3. would not be afraid to ask questions

4. but i wouldnt expect someone to walk me through everything

5. research, figure what i can do independently, ask for clarification

6. once i figure it out i document process so there is an SOP in place

How do you decide when to solve something yourself rather than escalate?

3 things: IMPACT URGENCY AND AUTHORITY

1. if i can resolve within my role and it isn’t going to create risk, i will handle myself

2. if something will impact production, involve significant cost, compliance issues or require higher decision making i would escalate it

3. wouldn’t just say “idk” id present the issue w the info i gathered and have a potential recommendation and options

How would you keep track of inbound shipments?

1. start w an excel or SAP database or use if issued by plant

• simple info incl:

  • PO

  • supplier

  • material

  • RDD

  • ETA

  • MOT

  • CC Status

  • priority

2. separate critical shipments from normal so i prioritize those

3. goal to answer 3 questions

   1. what’s coming?

   2. when is it coming?

   3. will there be any potential delays?

How would you handle a day where everything seems urgent?

1. 
   

1. one thing i learned… everything is as urgent, and it will eventually have to be done

2. rank issues based on 3 things

   1. production impact

   2. deadline

   3. how can i expedite?

3. handle high risk POs first

4. communicate what i am working on

5. keep a running list (sticky note method)

BOTTOM LINE: FAST PACED ENVIRONMENTS NEED ORGANIZATION WHICH ALLOWS YOU TO STAY CALM WHEN THINGS GET HECTIC

What would you do in your first 30 days?

1. learn operation

2. understand production schedule

3. know people and how things flow

   1. production schedule

   2. inbound material flow

   3. suppliers

   4. buyers

   5. FF

   6. customs brokers

   7. receiving process

   8. how corp logistics team supplies the plant

4. Start building visibility and be transparent

   1. do not assume i can change everything

   2. understand what works

   3. identify bottlenecks

   4. make improvements with LT

What do you think is the biggest challenge of joining a plant that is just opening?

1. lack of established processes and amount of change

2. use this as an opportunity: want to build on the knowledge i have and processes

3. will be days where priorities will change quickly or if there’s something that has never happened before

4. i’m comfortable with showcasing what i know and figuring things out proactively

This position is basically the plants i bound logistics point person. How do you feel about that responsibility?

1. I like the aspect of this role..RIGHT🤣😭

2. I don’t need someone to constantly give me tasks to stay productive

3. i would like to have ownership over something and look at “ok what needs attention today and what i can do to resolve it”

4. at the same time, i understand i am not alone and will be working alongside planning, buyers, suppliers, etc

BOTTOM LINE: BEING THE PERSON CONNECTING THE PIECES TO A PUZZLE AND MAKING SURE SOMETHING DOESNT FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS

Tell me about a time you had to resolve a logistics problem quickly

1. current role i’ve had situations where a shipment had documentation and CC delays and there was pressure to keep it moving

2. identify why it was stuck and what info was missing

   1. missing HTS

   2. wrong CI/PL info

3. coordinate with the appropriate channels to get the issue resolved

4. can’t assume 1 email will fix everything especially if you aren’t getting it in the response time needed

   1. keep following up

   2. mitigate bottlenecks

   3. keep supply chain moving

What would you do if corporate logistics tells you one thing but the plant needs something different?

1. try to understand both sides:

   1. logistics- looking at cost, network level decisions, carrier contracts

   2. plant- looking at production req

2. bring both teams together and understand why this PO is so important

3. if there is a conflict- escalate it with facts

   1. what does the plant need?

   2. what is the current option?

   3. how will this impact?

What metrics would you track in this role?

1. on time delivery

2. supplier on time performance

3. ETA accuracy

4. transit delays

5. CC delays

6. past due POS

7. number of shipments impacting prod

BOTTOM LINE: NOT USING METRICS FOR THE SAKE OF REPORTING, USE METRICS TO IDENTIFY PROBLEMS EARLY

What would you do if you have no idea where a shipment is?

1. use reverse logistics and start working backwards from last milestone

2. check TMS/ERP system first, contact forwarder or carrier or supplier at origin

3. establish last confirmed location and the next possible milestone

4. if i can’t get an answer- escalate because we need visibility at all times

BOTTOM LINE: THIS IS BASICALLY WHAT I DO IN MY CURRENT JOB I AM ALWAYS MONITORING UPWARDS OF 50-100 SHIPMENTS AT ONE TIME

have to remain persistent in getting info

How would you react if the plant suddenly changes the production schedule?

1. look at the inbound materials supporting production

2. identify which shipments are more crucial, which can be delayed and which suppliers or FF need to be contact

3. communicate w planning to ensure alignment

BOTTOM LINE: Alignment is key especially in a start up environment, things will not always go to plan and it’s important to look ahead and adapt quickly

Why do I think I am a good fit?

1. things are always changing and rapidly and i coordinate with a lot of people already to keep things moving

2. coordinating shipments, docs, overseas offices, customers so i want to be that person who connects the dots

3. like having ownership of what i do

4. want to be that person to create a process and constantly improving it and seeing it as an opportunity for career growth

TWO PHRASES TO FALL BACK ON

“goal would give planning enough visibility so that yall are never surprised by an inbound materials issue”

“i don’t want to just track shipments, i want to understand what could prevent the material from getting to the plant and address before it becomes a bigger issue”