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October 16, 2023

3

min. read

Meet the Logwardians - Christine

Christine, Continuous Improvement Manager at Logward, reveals how she found out that this is the profession she really enjoys and how she helps Logward's customers.  

Hi Christine, thank you for this chat! Let’s start by learning more about what you did before joining Logward.

I worked for fifteen years in a company that produces corrugated cardboard. There I mostly worked in the Logistics and Sales departments. Logistics is where I worked the longest, and at first, I was responsible for truck scheduling, then I got more involved with the ERP, taking on more projects and starting to collaborate with the IT Department for optimization and development activities. After this I moved to the Sales department, where I was responsible for key customer accounts. However, I was still working with the IT department, and I realized that this was the job that I liked: improving and optimizing different parts of our processes. I wasn’t the classic seller - I really enjoyed getting involved in optimization, working with figures, statistics, and evaluations. When I got the opportunity to work in Logistics again, I went for it. So, I started working as a Deputy Logistics Manager, and I was again the first point of contact for optimization activities while taking over the supervision of logistics projects.

What’s your role at Logward?

I work as Continuous Improvement Manager, so I’m responsible for the systematic identification and analysis of improvements in the delivery regions of our customers. I keep the balance between booking parties by defining measures, offering recommendations, monitoring these recommendations, and if necessary, provide countermeasures.

Why is Continuous Improvement important at Logward?

Logward is a 4PL provider, and we want to optimize our customers’ supply chains and make sure that compliance is maintained. So continuous improvement is what we offer with Allocation Management, which is only one of the features of our wide offer, but a key part.  

Christine doing a puzzle
Who's better at doing puzzles? Christine or the cat?

How was your first day at Logward?

I was really excited, I had to learn everything about the company and my new colleagues, but it was great to have Sonja as my steward. She was there for all my questions. On my first day, I felt like everyone was waiting for me, interested in working with me, and in learning more about my professional experience.

Can you describe your typical day?

I check whether recommendations previously made for booking partners are still useful or new ones are needed. I also check if the booking partners complied with those recommendations, and if there are deviations, I inform them. I also look at new measurements, identify free shipping capacity, and prepare an overview for all shipping partners to help them take advantage of free capacity and optimize their delivery times.

What is your proudest moment at Logward?

I felt very proud after my first consultation with one of our customers. I had prepared very thoroughly for it, and it was amazing to see many of my recommendations being accepted.

What do you like most about working at Logward?

I love that Logward is such a young and modern company, and we don’t have a centuries-old company structure. All colleagues and supervisors are very open, and you can talk to anyone. I also love that everyone is always informed about what other departments are doing, through activities like our bi-weekly All-Hands meeting and our Daily email with a daily highlight from every person.

What do you think are your strengths, and, on the other hand, what skills would you like to improve?

I’m good at planning, organizing, and structuring things. In my free time I also use my planning skills for some events. What I can improve is taking phone calls, I don’t like them.

Can you tell us about your hobbies and what you like to do outside of work?

I have a lot of interests, I read a lot of books, play volleyball, go skiing, and scuba diving. I love to spend time with friends and do puzzles too. Until recently I was also studying part-time, I just got my bachelor’s and I’m considering continuing studying.

What are your favorite vacation destinations?

I like to go diving, camping, and spend time alone in nature. I’m not into sightseeing tours and I don’t like lying on the beach all day long. Where I would love to go is Hawaii and stay there for a long time.

Christine Smolka
Christine getting ready for scuba diving

Have you seen anything lately that made you smile? What?

Last weekend I was at a wedding, where I met a friend that I hadn’t seen in a long time, and I saw his son for the first time. It was such a cute and lovely moment when I took him in my arms.

Rapid fire:

Swim underwater limitlessly or fly? Swim underwater

House party or a bar? House party

Be a detective or a scientist? Detective

Be chronically underdressed or overdressed? Overdressed

Ice cream or milkshake? Ice cream

Logward is a Hamburg & Bangalore based logistics technology company.

We build software, move containers, and change mindsets.

If you have any questions or just want to say hi, reach out to mail@logward.com. Or you can book time with one of our logistics experts here.

Any questions?
Reach out to us, and we'll get back to you shortly.

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