Sandeep Sangwan

Heading Packaging Procurement, Supply Chain, and Sustainability for Flipkart Group (Flipkart, Myntra, Minutes)

• Setting up Hyperlocal Packaging Solutions and Procurement Scale for Flipkart Minutes. Scaled to 200+ Stores and with highest level of efficiency and reliability.
• Heading a team of 100+ people to manage Packaging procurement across PAN India Sites WITH annual spend of 600+ Crores and the scale of operation spread across 38 Fulfillment centres, 47 Mother Hubs and 2500 Delivery hubs Fulfilling 3 million shipments every day.
• Developing Packaging from Brands Customized for ecommerce Supply Chain to Minimize Cost and Improve Margins.
• Driving Direct and indirect cost reduction charter and has reduced variable cost by 50% over last 3 years
• Spearheaded supply chain sustainability charter, implementing 100% Green Packaging, Developing Circular Economy Towards Net Zero Goal and complying to EPR Rule directive.
• Leading Profitability Pool through Packaging Monetization with Annual Revenue of 100 Crs
• Leading Process and packaging improvements to reduce shrinkage (pilferage and damage)
• Implemented data-driven decision-making strategies, leading to more informed business choices and positive outcomes.

Headed Packaging Development and Procurement

• Packaging Development: Led packaging development of Orla Care and Personal Care Products and delivered 21 new products and 94 new customer/ consumer promos from ideation to commercialization.
• Material Procurement and Vendor Management: Evaluated sourcing options, established vendor network, developed cost models and negotiated with vendors to reduce per unit cost to overall 11% reduction in 4 years.
• Packaging Optimizations: Delivered USD2.1 Million cost savings through value engineering projects and led toothbrush supply chain team to deliver USD21.27 Million cost saving projects. This contributed in overall Margin improvement by 13%.
• Supply Chain Operations: Supported operations team in implementing SRSA (Supplier Responsible Sourcing Assessment) thereby consolidating 9 manufacturing locations to 4 locations, enforcing quality and operations adherence to Colgate standards. Also Played a key role in developing and setting up packaging operation, vendor network and requisite training for new production facility at Sricity (Andhra Pradesh).
• On Shelf- Quality: Developed systems & procedures (SOPs) and provided training for quality inspection for incoming materials at all the manufacturing locations, resulted in reduction of customer complaints by 15%. Conducted on- shelf Quality Audits in different market geographies to assess the quality defects and trade requirements.
• Consumer Immersion: Participated in consumer immersions to understand consumer's criteria of purchase, concerns, media habits and shopping behaviors.

Procurement & Vendor Management

• Developed new material grades & vendors to meet operation needs and reduced inventories for critical materials from 30 days to 21 days.
• Managed product safety requirements as per the customers' need by identifying and validating materials as per REACH Compliance
• Led a team of 3 people to perform material planning, purchase, inventory control & in time connectivity, and ensured Zero machine hour loss because of material connectivity.
• Negotiated with vendors to maintain cost targets and delivered savings worth $ 0.2 MM.
• Established in-house manufacturing of outsourced WIP materials that led to cost saving worth USD 150,000 /Year.
• Played a key role in monitoring and improving process efficiency and reduced loss from 15% to 10% for premium SKUs.
• Handled customer complaints by visiting customer sites, analyzing root cause and providing technical solutions to the sales team.

• Product Development: Developed local UV based ink technology through competition benchmarking and formulation tests.
• Process Restructuring: Established Color Management-shade matching solution for deployment at customer's premises to help field team in providing instant customized product and delay product differentiation.
• Customer Experience: Interfaced with technical services team to resolve customer complaints by analyzing customer requirements and providing technical solutions.