Four Significant Takeaways From My Internship

I have challenged myself this summer and get out of my comfort zone with my internship at Corbion. This has been an eye-opening experience and has shown new problems in Supply Chain that the classroom does not teach. There have been lots of opportunities to learn new skills and experience many aspects of the overall business. With learning new software programs, furthering my skills in excel, connecting with employees, and mastering specific reports, I have acquired insight into how a Supply Chain works.

The leading enterprise resource system Corbion currently uses LX. This is an archaic program built in the 1980s by Microsoft and is now presently updated by a 3rd party company as Microsoft has abandoned the software. Corbion is currently switching to a different ERP, OMP, that will allow them to transition to SAP in the coming years. With SAP, it takes years to set up and transfer data of a multinational conglomerate and get configured. However, using LX this summer has shown me how using old software can sometimes be frustrating and makes me appreciate using SAP when I learned how in my Information Systems class at Arkansas. The LX system ERP has been helpful in my role as a supply planner, allowing me to see customer orders, plan for safety stock, and tender resupply orders for the Corbion Canadian warehouses.

I have been able to use excel efficiently since my first internship in 2019; however, this summer has shown me the next step in data analysis and reporting. I have become fond of filtering data for a specific category, building tables, analyzing pivot tables, vertically looking up information, and troubleshooting regenerated reports. I have appreciated the University of Arkansas helping me with excel basics through several Information Systems classes I have taken to be qualified and ready for this internship. I know that in the future, I will be able to conquer any excel assignment given to me as it has been a lifestyle this summer.

The culture is different from working at a startup company in 2019 and 2020 for a large conglomerate this summer. Part of the diverse culture is the ability to network here at Corbion. I have set up zoom meetings this summer with department heads to diversify my knowledge in the overall business Corbion takes part in: from the R&D lab to Customer Service, I have been able to get out of my Supply Chain comfort zone. I have enjoyed getting to know my colleagues throughout this summer as I would not have had the chance to meet them outside of Corbion.

I have done a slew of reports this summer, including; distribution reports, scrap reports, warehouse summary reports, and resupply orders. Distribution reports have been the bulk of my summer as keeping the Corbion Canadian locations stocked with inventory to meet safety stock requirements is vital for happy customers. These distribution reports are calculated by looking at what customers order and then comparing that to the safety stock level required for the given item. Scrap reports are done once at the beginning of the month to determine what is expiring, expired, or suitable for sale. This is done by vertically looking up the information then comparing that to the shelf lives of products. Warehouse summary reporting is used to find items below 90% and 50% shelf live, current inventory, and min/max inventory. Resupply orders are derived from the distribution reports in taking the product that needs to be made, tendering it then sending it off with the appropriate lead time.

With ten weeks of interning now under my belt in 2021, I have been able to have experiences that aren’t taught in the classroom. I can new problems in the supply chain that I have not thought of or heard about before, given the world we live in. I am so thankful for the opportunity I have had, and I cherish the information I now possess.?