One More Trophy Added To The Cabinet! Meet the National Winners of Asian Paints Chain Reaction 2021 from IIM Bangalore
Here is an excerpt from the exciting journey of the National Winners of Asian Paints Chain Reaction 2021 from IIM Bangalore!
Right from day one, we were completely immersed in the process of solving the case with the truest of our ability. We didn't expect to win even the campus round, let alone the nationals. We, three, almost never got a chance to take a specific supply chain course, and we were put up against marvelous teams from NITIE (the Mecca of supply chain and operations) and the likes. All we did was open the textbook, read, talk to dealers in the market and use the first principle problem-solving techniques. So, winning came completely unexpected to us.
To this, Raja Pandey exclaims,
My first reaction was to send 15 emojis full of surprise in our WhatsApp group!
Challenge accepted!
There were multiple reasons that compelled us to participate in Asian Paints Chain Reaction 2021.
One, all of us really admire Asian Paints as a technology-led organization with a robust supply chain network and thought leadership. This was surely going to be a prestigious case competition. The PPI being offered to winners was definitely a bonus. Also, our team had already excelled in 4-5 competitions before, but we never got a chance to participate in a supply chain case. So, this was a challenge we wanted to take up.
From basics to badass
Since none of us had previously taken a supply chain course, our first step was just to open the textbook and start from the basics, find what frameworks and concepts were relevant, and find a structure to the problem. We were cognizant of the fact that it would be impossible for three young boys to design a supply chain network for such a huge company as Asian Paints without leaving the comfort of our rooms. So, we used all our contacts to ring the dealers, talk to them, and understand the market first-hand.
Then, once the campus administration allowed us to move outside, we made several field trips across Bangalore to talk to dealers of all sizes. They gave us some really good insights into the Tile Adhesives markets and what matters to the customers. That helped us shape what AP's business goals should be, leading to supply chain goals.
Together we rule the world
We did have conceptual conflicting opinions throughout the competition, but we looked at them as a crucial step towards finding the best possible solution. Therefore, throughout the course of the competition, we ensured that we sat together and patiently discussed until we arrived at a solution the whole team agreed to.
However, we never had ideological conflicts. We three have been a team and working together for almost six months now. This was the 6th competition that we participated in as a team. Throughout the journey, we have developed respect and trust for each other. We have deliberated, argued, mocked, pulled legs - all even till 5 AM. We strongly believe that the sheer cohesion of the team is way more impactful than the knowledge any one individual brings in.
Learnings, learnings everywhere...
We took this case as a challenge and directed our efforts towards problem-solving activity. If it required us to learn about a certain domain, we never hesitated to discuss it inside and outside our team or pick up the textbook in search of a structure. This approach has helped us to garner a multitude of learnings.
The first is definitely the confidence that it is possible to solve any problem using the first principle problem-solving frameworks. Second is the sheer knowledge of supply chain strategic decision-making that we got to exercise based on a real-life scenario. And third is to never hesitate in opening the textbooks.
We are definitely going to take this forward into our career as we step into the industry and hopefully remember this in the longer run.
Hang on, before closing let us share that one special moment that shall always remain close to our hearts. It was the time when we were announced IIM Bangalore's campus winners. That moment was even more surprising than the Grand Finale. First, the jury announced the name of the runners' up, and it wasn't us, obviously. Our heart sank at the moment as we weren't expecting anything at all. But then the next moment was straight disbelief when they announced us as the campus winners. Isn't it pretty spine-chilling?
All in all, getting the opportunity to present our solution in front of AP's senior leadership was a huge honor in itself for our team. The complete setup of the competition (stage, screen, etc.) was extremely professional, and the cool screenshots we could take were another perk. The feedback provided by the jury was insightful and informative. Overall, the entire experience of Asain Paints Chain Reaction 2021 was tremendously enriching for all of us.