My job as a buyer
As a recent graduate, I was able to work as a buyer for a large company specializing in the creation of paint products. My company offered me a chance and an opportunity that is rarely offered to beginners. Fortunately, thanks to the various internships I was able to participate in, I was still able to have some experience in the field of corporate purchasing.
I had to prove my worth in order to move up the ladder more easily. I slowly but surely integrated myself into this new life, and after a few months, the director of the purchasing department decided to give me my first assignment. This one concerned a packaging problem that the company was facing.
A major problem
The company where I work is a large company that makes its margins on the sale of paint products. The paint production line (water-based paint) mainly deals with the creation of the product (transport of the components, dispersion, grinding, tinting, filtering...) but also with the packaging. The market for which the products are intended is that of large construction companies. Nevertheless, my company wished to widen its target to the private individuals, in small and medium series, in order to sell the unsold products. To do this, a range of products mainly intended for this market was created.
Unfortunately, the packaging of paint for large companies is different from that for individuals. This requires adjusting the packaging machines to smaller cartridges or cans. After analysis, the investment in these modifications for repackaging was not profitable. We had two choices: forget about packaging for private customers or find a solution. The latter was chosen and I was given the task of finding a way to reduce production costs to ensure a margin on the product.
A simple solution
Among the solutions that were within my company's budget line was subcontracting. My job was to find a company specialized in packaging that could handle small and medium series. Initially, we had used a small company that did this type of work. Unfortunately, the quality of their work was not up to our expectations. After further research, I discovered the company Etraves, which not only specializes in this field since 1991, but also offers quality services at a reasonable price, in compliance with the regulations.
In order to facilitate our work, Etraves provided the packaging, which saved us time and money. Convinced of the quality of their services and their seriousness, our company now only subcontracts with them. Always delivered on time, we had no inconvenience in our partnership. My first mission was a success and it also allowed me to prove myself in my work. It also allowed my company to open up to the private market and to develop.
