Rebecca Hambleton, Operations Manager at BT Supply Chain, has won the Rising Star Award at the CILT (Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport) Awards after overseeing an ingenious project to redevelop the picking facility at the company’s national distribution centre in Magna Park.
BT Supply Chain won the contract to support the national roll-out of smart meters to a key customer’s residential and small business customers. With volumes growing exponentially, BT faced a challenge in sustaining rapid output within a limited operational footprint.
Rebecca was tasked with doubling picking capacity within the existing space. To complicate things further, the physical redesign had to be fully completed across just one weekend, to ensure there was no impact on service levels to the customer.
25-year-old Rebecca, who joined the business in 2016 on BT’s business management graduate scheme, oversaw the project from beginning to end. After running brainstorming sessions with the picking team, Rebecca helped to develop the ingenious solution. The answer was to build two U-shaped pick areas, carefully controlled to allow a circular flow that increased efficiency and reduced travel time with the warehouse.
During installation, Rebecca co-ordinated all internal teams and external contractors to make sure everything was in place prior to the Monday morning shift.
“Rebecca fully led this project from start to finish. Her motivational skills kept everyone engaged throughout, and the new system was delivered without a hitch – delivering double the volumes we were seeing before” explains Mike Gauterin, MD of BT Supply Chain.
“However, where Rebecca stands out from the crowd is in her outstanding problem solving and communication skills. I’m delighted this has been recognised.”
At the CILT Awards, judges praised Rebecca, saying: “When BT Supply Chain won a new contract to work with EDF, on the high-profile roll out of smart metering, their picking efficiency came under pressure. As a graduate trainee, Rebecca engaged with the pickers themselves to develop a solution which would double their volume capability. IT systems changes were needed as well as a complete redesign of the layout, which had to be implemented in a single weekend. The success of this project was down to Rebecca’s excellent planning, inspiring leadership and sheer hard work. She is now mentoring others to share the tools and skills she has learned.”
For Rebecca, the experience has been a positive one. “BT really invests in its graduates and I’ve been given plenty of exciting projects to work on at Magna Park. This one has been a particular stand-out, because everybody came together to achieve something that has lasting benefits both to the business and our customer. I’m really proud of what we’ve delivered and it’s an honour to be recognised by CILT.”
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