Internship Report

Supply chain optimization: Resolving discrepancies &

Implementing BPA using Power BI - A case of Nestlé Bangladesh

Submitted To – Md. Aminul Islam,

Senior Lecturer

Department of Management of Information System

Independent University, Bangladesh

Submitted By – Mohammed Sameer

ID – 2020013

BBA 499A
Submission Date: 17th December 2023

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Page | 2
Table of Contents
Letter of Transmittal ................................................................................................................... 4

Acknowledgement...................................................................................................................... 5

Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 6

1.1 Company Profile ............................................................................................................... 6

1.1.1 Vision, mission, objective. .............................................................................................. 6
1.1.2 Corporate Division/department. ..................................................................................... 6
1.1.3 Details of the product lines or services........................................................................... 7
1.1.4 Operation details ........................................................................................................... 8
1.1.5 Philanthropic activities/ CSR .......................................................................................... 9
Chapter 2: Internship experience/ observation details ...............................................................10

2.1 Job responsibilities ..........................................................................................................10

2.2 Functions of the department (Supply chain).....................................................................17
Chapter 3: Internship outcome/Issue Analysis/Empirical Analysis .............................................19

3.1 Analysis of industry/markets. ...........................................................................................19

3.2 Finding peer group/ main competitor(s). ..........................................................................20
3.4 Recommendation based on the outcome of the analysis. ................................................28
Chapter 4: Conclusion...............................................................................................................30

References ...............................................................................................................................31

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 Letter of Transmittal

To,

Md. Aminul Islam

Senior Lecturer

Department of Management Information System

School of Business

Independent University, Bangladesh

Bashundhara R/A, Dhaka.

Subject: Submission of internship report on the topic “Supply chain optimization: Resolving
discrepancies & Implementing BPA using Power BI - A case of Nestlé Bangladesh”.

Dear Ma’am,

With the utmost respect, I provide you my report on “Supply chain optimization: Resolving
discrepancies & Implementing BPA using Power BI - A case of Nestlé Bangladesh”. I leaned on
the knowledge gained during my internship. I appreciate all of your assistance, which will
undoubtedly serve as a model for future projects. Thank you for giving me the opportunity.

I sincerely hope you find this internship report to be comprehensive. I would be pleased to
address any additional questions once I submit the report.

Sincerely,
Mohammed Sameer
2020013

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 Acknowledgement
To Md. Aminul Islam sir, thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to work on this report,
which allowed me to learn new information beyond my initial knowledge. I would like to thank
him for his assistance with the report.

Furthermore, I’m grateful for the suggestions and support that he has assisted me in finishing
the work and able to complete this report on schedule.

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Introduction

1.1 Company Profile

1.1.1 Vision, mission, objective.

Nestlé is the world’s leading company in nutrition, health, and wellbeing. ‘’” Good Food,
Good Life” is the mission they follow and strive through to provide the best quality of products to
their consumers. Nestlé brings about the best tasting, most nutritious varieties of food and
beverages which covers the eating times, from morning to evening.

Nestlé’s Vision is to be a leading, competitive Nutrition, Health, and Wellness Company

that increases shareholder value by being preferred corporate citizen, chosen employer,
preferred supplier, and preferred seller of preferred products.

1.1.2 Corporate Division/department.

The corporate divisions of Nestlé function together, which lets the company strive, thrive
and stand out to bring value efficiently. There are 7 sections in the corporate divisions, and they
are:

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 ● Sales - The sales team looks after all the products and sales. The targets and potential
consumer hunts are attained by this team.
● Marketing - The marketing department plans out all the promotional plan and activities.
● Nutrition - The nutrition team handles all the baby products and nutrition items offered by
nestle. The products include CERELAC, LACTOGEN (1, 2, 3, 4 and RECOVER) and
NAN (1, 2, AL110 and PRENAN).
● Supply chain - The supply chain team handles the import and export functions and
makes sure the products required are available on time. It also makes sure the deliveries
are met in a timely manner. Nestlé has one of the best supply chains in the industry.
● Finance - The finance team looks after the financial status and the expenses of the
company.
● Human Resource - The HR team acquires talents and the right set of people in the
company to bring value.
● IT - The IT department of Nestlé is looked after by the Indian Nestlé Team.

1.1.3 Details of the product lines or services

The current product portfolio of Nestlé includes brands like:

- NESCAFE

- NESTEA

- NESTLÉ KOKO KRUNCH

- NESTLÉ MILO, NESTLÉ CORNFLAKES

- NESTLÉ COFFEE MATE

- NESTLÉ EVERYDAY

- NESTLÉ NIDO (FORTIGROW, 1+, 3 +)

- NESTLÉ FRIUT VITALS

- MAAGI (Noodles, Soup & Seasoning)

- CERELAC, LACTOGEN (1,2,3,4 and recover) and

- NAN (1,2, AL110 and PRENAN).

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1.1.4 Operation details

Year Event

1992 Nestlé Bangladesh started its commercial

operations.

1994 Started manufacturing sweetened condensed

milk. Started repacking Milk Powders, Infant
Nutrition and Infant Cereal.

1994 Commenced first Noodle line.

1998 Nestlé Bangladesh became a 100% owned

subsidiary of Nestlé SA. Started
manufacturing Breakfast Cereal. Inaugurated
the Distribution Centre.

2002 Started manufacturing Local Infant Cereal

2004 Discontinued manufacturing of Breakfast

Cereal. Switched from local repacking of
Infant Nutrition to imported FG.

2007 Expanded Distribution Centre and attained

ISO 14001 & OHSAS 18001 Certification.

2008 Attained NQMS, ISO 22000 Certification.

2009 Commissioned second Noodle line.

2010 Initiated Nestlé Healthy Kids (NHK) Program.

2012 Commissioned third Noodle line. Transitioned

to Mechanized Distribution Centre. Awarded
Standard Chartered-Financial Express CSR
award 2010-11.

2013 Commenced confectionery production.

Digitalized Warehouse Monitoring System
(WMS). Initiated pilot knowledge-sharing
program.

2014 Partnered with 2030 Water Resource Group

(WRG).

2016 Commenced Dairy manufacturing and Tea

Enhancer bulk repacking.

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 2017 Introduced Fruit Drinks and Nectars in the
market.

1.1.5 Philanthropic activities/ CSR

Nestlé is one of the leading food and beverages company with many varieties of
products running in the market for the consumers as well as the big business. It is one of the
pioneer nutrition company in the world. Being such a big MNC in the world it takes part in a
handful of CSR activities. Nestlé works create a better environment and a better society and to
back that up Nestlé has gone through numerous activities over the years.

As amongst the world’s largest food and beverage company, Nestlé touches billions of
lives worldwide. In Bangladesh too, they have made a difference in the lives of millions of
people; from the farmers they work with to the individuals and families who enjoy their products,
and the communities and natural environment which support the operations. Nestlé shares the
challenges and successes of the communities in which they operate.

The following programs highlight Nestle’s commitment to creating shared value for
Nestlé stakeholders and their communities.

• Nestlé Healthy Kids

Nestlé Healthy Kids (NHK) was launched in Bangladesh in 2010 in Nestlé's Sreepur
Factory region, based on a global Nestlé program. Its mission is to provide nutrition instruction
to teachers and children while also promoting healthy lifestyles in the school environment and
neighboring communities. In conjunction with nutrition specialists, the initiative now educates
over 18,000 students in rural schools throughout the Gazipur area about healthy meals and
dietary habits. Students aged 13 to 17 learn about excellent eating habits, nutritional
deficiencies, food-related problems, food hygiene, and strategies to preserve the nutritious
value of food during preparation through NHK. The program also assists in the transmission of
nutritional knowledge from students to elderly family members back home, so assisting in the
development of resilient and healthy communities around Nestlé factories. The Nestlé Healthy
Kids Global Program operates in 84 countries and has educated 8 million children so far.
(Nestle, 2017)

● Clean Drinking Water

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 Nestlé Bangladesh assisted in the construction of water tanks in several elementary
schools across the nation and gave training on sustainable water usage as part of a global
commitment to promote best practices in water management. The successful provision of
sanitation facilities for girls in Gazipur rural schools led to a significant decrease in the drop-out
rate of female pupils in these institutions. (Nestle, 2017)

● Amra Korbo Joy

As part of their commitment, Nestlé actively promotes breastfeeding awareness, support

in enhancing healthcare knowledge and providing livelihood to unemployed street vendors
through an initiative called “Amra Korbo Joy”. They have also partnered with the 2030 Water
Resource Group to lead the charge in advocating for sustainable water usage and have worked
with local NGOs to train farmers in an effort to enhance their employability. (Nestle, 2017)

● Responsible Sourcing

Nestlé's responsible sourcing procedures help people become more aware about what is
in their food, where it comes from, and how it is created. Nestlé works with farmers and
suppliers to create ethical methods that secure long-term supplies of high-quality ingredients for
our products while also protecting their income. Nestlé Bangladesh selects its suppliers using
tight methods and works with them in accordance with internal non-negotiable minimum criteria.
Suppliers are expected to maintain high standards in corporate ethics, human rights, fair labor
practices, health and safety, and environmental sustainability. (Nestec Ltd., Vevey, Switzerland.,
2018, #)

Chapter 2: Internship experience/ observation details

2.1 Job responsibilities

I have been a part of the Supply chain department/ Inter-Market supply team that looks
after the supply chain of products and transactions made between other enterprises of Nestlé
across the world. So, my Job responsibilities consist of a surviving phase as well as a thriving
phase. The surviving phase is the general operational functional tasks that are very important
for the business to run smoothly and survive in the market. While the thriving phase is using my
intellect and creativity to bring value to the company. My joining date in Nestlé was September
17th Sunday 2023 and below is every job responsibility, tasks and key words I have learned and
worked on.

Day/Week Responsibilities Key word

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Week 1 - Learning about the LC - Letter of Credit (LC)
on how it functions, - Incoterm
why is it used for the - HSCODE
import and export, the - Proforma Invoice
terms and conditions (PFI)
of it, & the different - Bill of Lading
important clauses - IRC number
mentioned in the LC. - Consignee
- Beneficiary bank
- Checking the - Issuing Bank
documents for errors - Tolerance
and notifying line
manager for the
discrepancies found
which is immediately
sent to the supplier for
correction.

- Checking the correct

documents and
saving them in the
shipping repository
while also updating
the excel file which is
to update the invoice
number, invoice date,
and value, BL
number, dates, finding
the container arrival
date by the Bl
number.

Week 2 - Learning about the - PFI

excel file used to keep - PFI expiry date
the data of the LC’s, - Latest date of
PFI, Invoices, BL, shipment
container arrival - FCA
data’s, Sorting and - FOB
filtering data to gain - CPT
document - CFR
information’s. - NESA

- Learned about the

DHL tracking and
handover status of
documents to the
bank and the whole
procedure that
follows.
- Learned about the

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 filtering the DHL
Reminder Final file on
how to filter respective
docx of suppliers that
need urgent
reminders.

- Learned how to check

the list of checkpoints
that must be met
when checking the LC
and the PFI.

Week 3 - Learned how to revise - LC request

a PFI with new - Loadability
loadability - FCL
- LCL
- Using the Pivot table - Transfer Price
to efficiently manage - Volume
data and make sense - Planner
of it based on the - Controller
clauses provided for
the loadability.

- Learned how to send

LC request to the
treasury after
checking PFI sent by
the supplier.
- Communicating with
the suppliers based
on the discrepancies
made

Week 4 - LC request for Q4 - LDP number

PFI’s for - At sight
confectionary, - LC amendment
lactogen, NAN, Maggi
soup, Thai soup,
Tastemaker sauce.

- Lc amendment sent
for the discrepancies
found in the LC.

- Checking the Docx

received from the
suppliers for
discrepancies.

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 - Updating Transit file
for the new docx sent

- Learned about the

whole LC process and
how it is done step by
step from Nestlé
Bangladesh to the
supplier.

- Following up on mails
sent and looking up
on the chain of mails
to understand the
situation.

- Document update in
transit.

- Document retrieval
from shipping
repository for
important checkups

Week 5 - Document update in - One pager

transit sent by the - PFB
supplier. - PFA
- TP Cockpit
- LC update in excel file - Notifying party
sent by the banks.

- Updating the excel file

for more cells for the
upcoming LCs with
the respective PFI’s
sent for the LC
request.

- One pager designing

for the suppliers to
understand the Air
waybill
documentation.

- DHL reminders to the

suppliers that has
extended beyond the
lead and using the
escalation method.

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 - Updating the DHL
numbers sent in the
transit for the
respective docx.

Week 6 - Update transit for the - Cargoo

docx sent by the - Cover-note number
supplier.

- Following up with the

suppliers for the
revised docs

- Reminding the
supplier of the error
found in the shipping
docx.

- Update transit for the

new LC according to
the PFI received and
sent for LC request.

- Made the flow chart

on the entire
operational function of
my job task.

- Made a banner for the

beanpole road trial
being the first ever
approval received
from the Bangladesh
customs house and
Govt, to bring
containers from India
to Bangladesh and
allowing them to keep
the whole container in
the shed.

Week 7 - Updating the shipping -

docx information in
the excel file.

- Retrieving specific
docx from the
shipping repository
and checking them for

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 accuracy

- Using supplier
performance final file
data to visualize them
in Power BI
visualizing the
supplier performance
status and the
container arrival
status.

- Checking LC for
discrepancies and
letting the line
manager know about
the discrepancies
found in the LC
relating with the PFI.

Week 8 - Visualization of - CCU Loadability

supplier performance - DAN
data in Power BI and
uploading it in MY
workspace to
automate the refresh
so that new data gets
pulled in from the
supplier performance
file every time with
scheduled refresh.

- Updating the DHL

tracking numbers in
the excel file
respective to the
shipping docs.

- Reminding the
suppliers for the DHL
tracking numbers.

- Made an excel
tracking for every
SKU product for the
LC issued in Q4 to
check how many SKU
were used and how
much quantities were
left.

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Week 9 - Power BI Automation - Deferred Payment
process - OAuth linking

- DHL reminders to the

suppliers

- LC checking for
discrepancies.

- Document update in
transit.

Week 10 - LC checking for - BPA

discrepancies. - SAARC
- ASEAN
- Document update in
transit.

- Reminding the
suppliers for the DHL
tracking numbers.

- Mailing the supplier

for the revised Docx
to be sent

- Reminding suppliers
to check document
and urge them to DHL
it because of its
critical status

Week 11 - Shipping Documents

check and update in
transit file.

- LC/SKU wise for Q4

data file developed for
the planner.

- Deployment of Power
BI in line managers
Nestlé account.

- Discrepancy reminder
in PFI and the
shipping documents

- Follow up for the

shipping docx

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 dispatched.

- LC & shipping
document update in
excel file

Week 12 - LC update

- Document checking
and update in transit.

- Fetching data for

purchase orders and
their respective
invoice dates for
analyzing.

2.2 Functions of the department (Supply chain)

The Supply chain department of Nestlé works tremendously and efficiently to bring forth
the flow of products and the flow of information, so that Nestlé can have the product and
information with them at the right time and place.

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The Inter-Market team of the supply chain deals with the demand & supply, Customer handling
(which is distributor handling), Distribution of the products, LC Generation. These tasks and
functions are quite important for the smooth running of the company as well as getting the
competitive advantage from its competitors in the market.

Demand & Supply

The demand and supply look forth on setting the volume of the products that is required
for every quarters. So, the Demand and Supply team analyses the market demand and makes
the order from the suppliers for each SKU making sure that Nestlé has the products on time.
They assist on confirming the volume that is required and assists the IMS team send the LC
request based on that volume.

Customer Handling

Customer handling refers to the communication and relationship between Nestlé

Bangladesh and its suppliers. Since the IMS deals with the suppliers who supply the good and
products from the other enterprises of Nestlé set up in different countries. The dealings and
communication between Nestlé Bangladesh and the suppliers are quite professional because of
it and the procedure is much more efficient than handling the suppliers who belong to a third
party.

Having weekly meetings as well as quarterly analysis of the supplier performance is

done through the data received which includes the document arrival date, discrepancy issues,
time taken etc. to come up with inferences that is addressed with the supplier to revise and level
up for their concerning performance.

LC generation

The IMS team handles the demand supply and generates the LC request for the food
products that are required by the factory. It completely handles the planning & scheduling of the
product’s arrival within the preferred time so that the products are available for use for Nestle.

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Chapter 3: Internship outcome/Issue Analysis/Empirical Analysis

3.1 Analysis of industry/markets.

Nestlé is a pioneer in the FMCG industry. FMCG, or Fast-Moving Consumer Goods is an

industry marked by rapid sales turnover, high-volume transactions, and a diverse range of
products addressing consumer needs. They include everyday essentials like food and
beverages, toiletries, cleaning supplies, and other affordable household items. Nestlé's
contribution aligns with the dynamic and fast-paced nature of the FMCG industry.

The FMCG industry holds a crucial position in the economy, making substantial
contributions to the country's GDP and employment opportunities. This sector plays a vital role
in various facets of the economy, particularly in the retail and distribution industries. By fostering
demand for a diverse range of products and services, FMCG significantly influences economic
dynamics and growth.

Consumer goods refer to finished products and services meant for household
consumption, distinct from items used in creating other goods or services. Household
consumption, also known as Private Consumption, includes the utilization of specific products
and services. Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) are sold at a lower cost, including items
like packaged foods, beverages, toiletries, over-the-counter drugs, and other consumables.

FMCGs typically have a limited shelf life. Meat, fruits and vegetables, dairy products,
and baked goods are examples of FMCGs that are highly perishable. Other products with high
turnover rates include toiletries, packaged foods, soft beverages, and household supplies.
Although the revenue margin for FMCGs is very low, these products are typically sold in large
quantities to generate significant aggregate earnings. FMCGs are widely regarded as the most
classic example of a low margin, high volume business. Consumer goods are also classed as
Slow-Moving Consumer Goods (SMCG) based on how quickly they are sold to clients. SMCGs
are items with a useful life of more than a year, such as household appliances, furniture, and
home improvement supplies. These products have a slower sales frequency and do not
circulate as quickly as FMCGs. (Deliverect, n.d.)

Rural Consumption

Consumption in rural regions stands out as a key factor fueling the expansion of the
FMCG industry. As per the BBS, rural consumption expenditure accounted for 103% of total
income in 2015, surpassing urban consumption, which represented 86% of the total
consumption. Over the past 15 years, there has been a substantial rise in consumption
expenditure in rural areas, climbing from 81% to the current 103%. This flourishing rural market
segment holds considerable potential, contributing significantly to the overall growth of the
FMCG sector.

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Availability of Raw Materials & Low Labor Cost

Bangladesh's climate is conducive for cultivating livestock, producing essentials like milk,
rice, wheat, maize, sugarcane, fruits, and vegetables. This abundant range of raw materials
serves as a substantial resource for numerous FMCG companies. Additionally, the cost-
effective importation of necessary raw materials, which aren’t locally available, is facilitated by
Bangladesh's advantageous geographical location. Besides the availability of raw materials, low
labor cost in Bangladesh is another driver of the growth of FMCG industry in this country. Low
labor cost supports low cost of productions which makes Bangladesh a favorable investment
destination for FMCG industry.

3.2 Finding peer group/ main competitor(s).

Competitive Analysis

Nestlé is the market leader when it comes to nutrition items. The overall industry is filled
with several competitors doing everything possible to dominate and take the lead. For the past
few decades in the FMCG industry of Bangladesh, international brands like Unilever, Nestle,
and Marico and many other local brands like Pran, Radhuni, Teer, Fresh have been conducting
their business successfully by providing what the consumer needs.

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Unilever

Unilever stands as a global giant in the FMCG industry. This multinational British
company has a diverse portfolio of over 400 household products, catering to approximately 3.5
billion consumers across more than 190 countries. In the Bangladesh market, Unilever presents
a range of 28 brand products in 10 categories, where it holds a dominant position in 9 of them.
Among Unilever's leading brands in Bangladesh are LUX, Glow & Lovely, Wheel, Surf Excel,
Rin, Lifebuoy, Close Up, Pepsodent, Vaseline, Sunsilk, Clear, Ponds, and Dove. (Unilever, n.d.)

In terms of the food products the sub brand Knorr of Unilever is providing a wide range
of products from instant noodles to soups. The products really stand neck on neck with the
products of Nestle, which are the Maggi instant noodles and the soup products.

Pran

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 Pran is one of the most prominent FMCG brands in Bangladesh. The brand provides a
diverse range of approximately 200 products spanning ten distinct food categories, including
juices, beverages, carbonated drinks, mineral water, bakery items, snacks, powdered spices,
confectionery, biscuits, and dairy products. Popular product from Pran include Alltime Bun,
Frutoo, Mama Wafer, various sauces, Lychee juice, spices, cooking oil, milk candy, and Mr.
Noodles. Notably, Mr. Noodles serves as a significant competitor to Nestlé in the noodle
industry.

ACI Foods Ltd

ACI holds a prominent position as a leading FMCG manufacturing company in

Bangladesh. Operating under the Pure brand, ACI specializes in the production of spices, edible
oil, salt, flour, and semolina, offering a diverse range of over 60 products across 16 categories.
Additionally, under the FUN brand, ACI provides cakes, crackers, liquids, chanachur, and
candies. The company expands its reach to include consumer goods such as toiletries, home
care items, hygiene products, electrical and electronics, mobile phones, and paints. ACI's
expansive retail network, Shop Swapna, stands as the largest retail chain in Bangladesh,
boasting over 190 stores. Serving more than 40 thousand consumers daily.

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Fresh

Fresh is a well-received consumer brand in Bangladesh, proudly associated with the

Meghna Group of Industries, one of the country's major industrial giants. Meghna oversees an
extensive range of 18 product categories, including Fresh, Super Fresh, Pure, and Number
One. The diverse offerings span from flour and semolina to cooking spices, salt, sugar, edible
oil, water, tea, biscuits, confectionery, condensed milk, and energy beverages. The Meghna
Group of Industries, other than the FMCG sector, also extends its reach across various
industries such as cement, steel, building materials, chemicals, LPG, animal feed, shipping and
logistics, dockyards, stationery, securities, insurance, media, aviation, and economic zones.

3.3 Issue/Opportunity Analysis

The Main issues Identified.

1. Errors in LC document by the bank, also errors in the Suppliers shipping document.
2. Technical issues require long and complex procedures to handle, even with the issue
status.

Opportunity Identified

1. Using the outdated methods from excel to generate visuals for the supplier performance.

Thus, Applying BPA through the help of power BI to generate visuals automatically. As
an organization there are several issues that Nestlé must look after and bring out solutions to on
a regular basis to continue being the top leaders. Above are some of the issues I have found

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while doing my internship in the MNC, but rigorous analysis and steps are taken to minimize
and eradicate the problems so that the whole process becomes much more efficient and faster.

Since the Supply chain department holds one of the most important tasks to provide the
flow of information, products, also deal with supply demand etc. having a linear and efficient
process is very important for the smooth running of the department as well as the company.

Errors in LC/ Errors in the Shipping Document

Sending the LC request for a specific product is the task of the IMS team of the Supply
chain department. Checking the LC is also a part of the operational task of the IMS team. But
having consistent errors in the LC document or having the constant need for amendment due to
the errors made by the suppliers or us can result in big time leads in the process. The whole
purpose of the supply chain is to reduce the time factor and have an efficient supply of products
from the supplier to Nestle's factory. The banks used by Nestlé are SCB, HSBC, CBC, and CITI.
The LC templates are premade where the information is inputted based on the terms and
conditions provided to them by Nestlé for each product. This process of having errors made in
the LC calls for amendment to be made on a regular basis which postpones and makes the flow
of the process much longer.

Errors/Blunder from the suppliers is also an issue that is regularly seen. Information
included in the shipping documents is seen to have errors such as the HS code of the product
being different, the unit price and total value calculation mismatch, wrong Incoterms included,
Missing batch codes for test certificates, missing important shipping documents (These issues
are mainly seen in the scanned documents that is sent to the IMS team for checking before
sending it to the bank). Upon finding the discrepancies, revised document claims are made
which takes time based on the availability of the supplier. Sending the original copies with such
discrepancies would lead to rejection of the products as well as the payment issues by issuing
bank and would also lead to a hard time clearing the products from the port unless the proper
shipping documents are brought that meets all the clauses of the LC.

Sometimes the bank notifies Nestlé about the discrepancies found in the original
documents, and they (Issuing bank) ask for the approval to accept the slight discrepancies that
are made in order to proceed forward with the payment to the supplier. The level of acceptance
of discrepancies in the shipping documents depends on the level of discrepancy acceptance
that could be made while clearing the products from the port.

IT Request Procedure

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 Having technical issues which could be the device that is given by the company or the
software issues that are hindering the daily operational tasks requires the employees to raise a
ticket as an IT issue which is looked over shores in India. Any requirement for the employee
requires the raising of IT requests.

Thus, this procedure of outsourcing the function to overlook the employee’s requests is
both beneficial as well as time consuming. Since Nestlé has made central hubs in the world and
India being one. India provides all the assistance in the Asian regions regarding the IT issues or
other demands required by the employees.

The Specific opportunity - Automated Visualization of reports using Power BI

The IMS team holds supplier performance meetings every week to discuss the
performance status of each supplier and how many of them have performed up to the
benchmark set by them and how many of them have not.

By analyzing the visuals generated from the data they take the necessary actions
required with the respective suppliers to make them meet the benchmark (Which is to have a
95% “On time” success rate).

Since generating reports using excel required changes to be made at the end of each
month in the premade graph generator, which seemed outdated considering all the software
available to automate the process and create much better visuals using the same data.

Thus, I have applied the functions of BPA (Business Process automation) which creates
a smooth flow of different processes to efficiently create updated reports every month and
automatically send the report to the respective IMS team member as well as the respective
supplier on the set date. Business Process Automation involves using technology to streamline
and automate complex business processes, enhancing efficiency, improving the operational
workflows, and optimizing information management systems within an organization. (Wikipedia,
n.d.)

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Figure 1- Document Arrival Status dashboard

Figure 2- Container Arrival Status Dashboard

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 Figure 3 - Doc Arrival status by Invoice

In the case of the supplier performance report of Nestle, the whole data is constantly
updated in SharePoint, thus having the SharePoint file is quite necessary to automate the
visualizing part in Power BI. Since Power BI offers the function to include files from the Web
which with proper credentials can refresh and pull updated data from the SharePoint. The
refresh of data can be done manually and automatically which will pull the latest data from the
SharePoint file. This allows the stakeholders to stay updated and make informed decisions
based on the up-to-date information.

Using the BPA method, I was able to integrate different systems seamlessly which was
the integration of SharePoint, Power BI, and Email Systems to ensure the cohesive and
interconnected workflow. This really allows the team to focus more on the strategic part of
analyzing the report that is automatically sent to the IMS team as well as the respective
supplier. Thus, regularly reviewing and refining the automated process ensures it remains
aligned with Nestle's goals.

The automation also brings a new step in the picture which is to let the suppliers know of
their performance for the month and will give them a reason to perform better or keep the better
performance on rolling.

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3.4 Recommendation based on the outcome of the analysis.

Errors in LC/ Shipping Docx - Recommendation

● Supplier Training Program - Developing a training program for the suppliers and letting
them know the importance of accurate shipping documents. Clearly specifying the
specific documentation required as well as the standard discrepancies allowed in order
to have a smooth transaction.

● Regulatory compliance - Providing an overview of the relevant regulations and

compliance standards held for the shipping documents. Also letting them know the
consequences of the failing to withhold the compliance standard.

● Q&A sessions - Allocating time for a question-and-answer session so that the supplier
can mend any doubts or misunderstandings.

● Training Materials - Comprehensive training materials, including guides, manuals and

video tutorials could be made accessible to the suppliers so they can refer to it anytime.

● Pre submission checking software - Automating the process of checking with the help of
a customized software would really come in handy for both the supplier and the buyer.
The supplier can auto check the shipping documents for discrepancies before sending
them to Nestlé Bangladesh. Implementing this properly would completely eradicate the
issue of documents containing discrepancies. We could also provide the suppliers with a
checklist so they can cross check the documents before sending them to us.

These steps would ensure the supplier knows the standard of documents Nestlé Bangladesh is
expecting them to provide to the supply chain team in order to have a flawless execution of
transactions with them.

IT Request Procedure – Recommendation

● Chatbot Assistance - Implementing chatbot assistance on the IT request portal would be

a great step/ initiative to help the employees explain their problem and get their solutions
(The problems could be the common ones). The keywords of the problems could be
detected by the chatbot, and the employees could be directed towards the solved
methods of the respective issues they are facing. The severe issues could be handled
by the personnel detected by its status.

● User Training Program - Conduct training programs for the employees to make them
familiar with the portals of self-service programs by ensuring they understand the
directories and the process.

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 ● Consistent adaptation - Giving feedback on the service provided will bring in the chance
to improve and adapt to the issues ensuring the service meets the employee
expectations and standards.

BPA - Automation of supplier performance report using Power BI – Analysis

● Continuous monitoring and refinement - Incorporating BPA for generating reports will
allow the stakeholders to monitor reports generated regularly and check for the
anomalies or areas of improvement allowing them to commit more time in decision
making and strategic analysis.

● Collaboration with suppliers - Fostering collaboration with the suppliers by sharing their
performance reports automatically every month will keep them updated of their
performance. It will also provide a space for feedback from Nestlé Bangladesh to
understand and improve the supplier’s performance through necessary actions.

● Periodic Review & Benchmarking - The IMS team can schedule periodic reviews and
benchmarking of the supplier performance against the industry standards. This can help
Nestlé Bangladesh stay competitive and explore the new insights in a broader industry
context.

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Chapter 4: Conclusion

This report is showcasing the analysis of the supply chain department of an FMCG
business who have been the pioneer in their industry, having huge operations to deal with on a
regular basis and still holding the leading position.

Nestlé Bangladesh has one of the efficient and best flow of supply chain, be in terms of
product or information. Its company culture and the work environment make the employees
perform their very best and maintain the flow at the optimum level.

The whole IMS team works relentlessly to meet the targets and volume of products that
is required to create value. They are also adapting new means and technologies like AI to make
their work much easier with NESTGPT which uses the API of CHATGPT but is a much more
filtered version to provide precise answers for the prompts that is aligned with company
standards.

Lastly, the gaps/opportunities that were found during my internship, Nestlé Bangladesh
has been working on the issues to minimize them as much as possible and as for the
automation that I built for them through Power BI, It will make their analyzing process much
smoother and efficient.

Overall, Nestlé Bangladesh is an amazing workplace with and amazing work culture,
filled best minds of the FMCG industry. It is indeed a dream place to work at and the learnings
and takeaways from this analysis are to be remembered and implemented for the days to come.

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