Spring has arrived!

Welcome to the second edition of my newsletter where I share my #journey and #learning process through the Solutions Accelerate Program. As promised, this edition will be shorter, but still packed with updates on what I’ve been up to in March.

Our program is divided in 4 modules:

1. Sales & Project Management.
2. Operations.
3. International Project.
4. Continuous Improvement (Virtual Project).

Learning Log

To help me stay on track, I maintain a personal learning log. In it, I write down all my experiences before and after each training session. This log is a valuable tool for my #development as I use it to track four specific objectives for improvement in different areas, as well as an objective for each module, all of which are tailored to my needs and meet the SMART criteria.

Module 1.

Module 1 of the program had me and my team working on three deliverables as we strive to help a client implement a distribution center. Here's how the module is divided:

1. Sales pitch phase. Deliver a sales presentation.
2. Negotiation phase. Deliver quote based on calculation model.
3. Project phase. Deliver project brief.

All of this is for a client seeking to implement a distribution center.

My teammates Alexis Hormazábal and Anggie Juliana Garcia have been working with me on these tasks, our focus during March was to complete the Sales presentation and I believe we have made an excellent job.

My mentor.

The program has assigned us mentors to connect with and learn from. My mentor is Penny Scrase, who is a Training Manager in the UK. Our first meeting was excellent. We got to know each other first, and she was very kind and professional. She was also very keen on helping me with anything she could, even sending me information for moving around in London. She even expressed interest in checking for the possibility of meeting each other when I gather with my international team for the second time at Cardiff University. I am looking forward to our next scheduled teams meeting and to learn more from her expertise.

Experience days.

During the first two modules of the program, we have #experience days that help us gain a deeper understanding of the different departments in the company. In this module, we completed experience days with #Sales and #ProjectManagement. It was an opportunity for us to shadow and learn from representatives in these departments and gain valuable insights.

At the start of March, I had the pleasure of working with Guillermo Carrillo from the Sales department. Together, we followed a plan covering the following key topics:

• Customer identification. How to detect new business opportunities.
• Sales process review. How to follow the sales process.
• Sales slides. How to prepare and present our slides.
• RFP/RFQs. How to follow the proposal and quotation process.
• Implementation and systems. How we are using Microsoft Dynamics as CRM.
• Customer visit / meetings. How to approach the customer during meetings.

Guillermo was candid, supportive, and professional in sharing his knowledge, providing me with further insights into how to approach customers, how to attract them to a proposal, and how we work within DSV to make it happen.

Trainings.

In addition to experience days, we had several trainings in March that helped us acquire knowledge to complete our objectives and grow as professionals.

• Presentation Skills.

We learned various tips to maintain audience engagement, including using whiteboards, polling, and other similar tools. I also learned the S-C-Q-A Pyramid Principle developed by Barbara Minto, which is a method for organizing and presenting ideas. Additionally, we learned about new capabilities in Teams apps that can be used for virtual meetings, such as breakout rooms and whiteboards. Marc Van Baal did an excellent job in the presentation #skills training, providing valuable insights on how to keep audiences engaged and organized.

• DISC assessment.

During this training, we took the DISC assessment, which assesses individuals' work styles. I learned that there are four work styles: Dominant, Influential, Steady, and Compliant, and that each person reflects a unique combination of these styles. Based on my assessment, I found that I am primarily Compliant and Steady, meaning that I focus heavily on the analytical aspect of my work and am reliable in accomplishing objectives. However, I have room for improvement in the Influential aspect of my work style, which I've been actively working on and will continue to do so. Marjolein Verbeek was an exceptional trainer, guiding us through the process and helping us gain a better understanding of our work styles.

• WCM Lite (Warehouse Calculation Model).

We learned how to obtain rates for customers based on their input and needs using the Warehouse Calculation Model. This information is put into a CASE worksheet to begin the process. We also learned that it is essential to account for everything that supports the process, including building, infrastructure, and IT equipment, to ensure accuracy. We were taught about different metrics that allow us to foresee the financial results of undertaking a business, making it easier to make informed decisions. Kaj Beurskens and Ralph Schouren were very attentive trainers, providing clear explanations and making the complex process easier to understand.

Thanks for reading the second edition of my personal newsletter! March has been a month filled with valuable experiences and learning opportunities, and I hope you've enjoyed this brief insight into my journey.

In the upcoming month, I'm looking forward to completing the experience days with Project Management and attending the Change Management training. I'll be sure to share my insights and takeaways with you in the next edition of this newsletter.

Stay tuned for more updates on my progress and don't forget to hit the follow button to keep up with my journey through the Solutions Accelerate Program!