Sidharth Simon Varghese

7.15 AM

After hitting the snooze button three times I now realize that if I don’t get up now I will be late. The winter season means that I do not trust myself at all and require three alarms spaced by 5 minutes from 7 AM onwards to wake me up. Thankfully, the third time is always the charm.

7.30 AM

While I sit and ponder who will shout coffee at the office today I realize that I have some time to spare and decide to make myself a cup of coffee before I head into work. Being a massive coffee drinker, I need a coffee to get myself going for the day.

8.00 AM

A quiet and empty office is two things I have begun accustomed to, with all the sales reps on the road constantly and the managers having important meetings, on a regular day I often find the office quiet for the first hour. I immediately go through my emails and make a list of all the things I need to complete for the day. Making price lists for customers, signing warranty requests for the sales rep, and preparing sales reports when requested are three main components of the job. 

8.15 AM

Before beginning my work, I manage to have a quick chat with one of the RSMs about his weekend. Found it to be a great way to relax in what sometimes could be a stressful job. Talking about things outside of work has always made me more relaxed in the work environment and a good way to take time off, after all, it's Monday morning.  

8.30 AM

I begin the day by preparing sales reports that’s were requested by managers and sales reps. Prior to this role, I never understood how important data is nor did I understand how useful Microsoft excel is. BW reports play a crucial role in not only determining sales numbers for the territory managers but also helps the business analyze purchasing patterns of the consumers that would then help the sales rep cater to their needs. Requests vary from product purchase history for a certain rep to the performance of sales reps over a period. 

9.30 AM

Once the reporting is complete I move on to producing price-lists for the territory managers. An easy component to produce but one that needs to be done carefully as mistakes tend to occur and customers do not like it if they are overcharged. During the first few months, I still remember the errors I had made but fortunately, everyone was understanding that it is initially a complex process. After being here for close to six months I now understand the process of producing pricelists and the different discount bundles involved. 

10.15 AM

Before my fortnightly meeting with my line manager, I realize I have time to spare and quickly sign off on the warranty requests from the sales reps. Another important component that needs to be done carefully. I attach the digital signature of the state manager, ensure the information is correct and valid and send them back to the reps who store in on the CRM database, and send the signed customer copies back to me for future reference. 

10.45 AM

I quickly head off to Officeworks to get a quote for a printing job that an RSM requires. I often find activities such as this are a perfect way to get some time away from looking into a computer screen. 

11.15 AM

On my arrival back into the office, I make myself a quick cup of coffee and see a couple of emails requesting a few purchase orders to be raised via SAP. While most payments are suggested to be made via personal corporate card, there is some instance where a purchase order must be raised via the system which will then be paid by the accounts team, another aspect which initially took me time to understand but now is a pretty simple process. 

12.00 PM

12 PM on a Monday morning means it is time for my fortnightly meeting with my line manager. We go through the current projects and the tasks needed to be done over the next fortnight, while I present feedback on what is currently happening. It also is the time for her to assign me new tasks as and when required. Main topics revolve around the Accredited Regional conference in August, the Trade team State meeting in October, and updating the Safety and Sustainability register for the state. It also is the time where we go through my personal development plan where I am currently undertaking a few online courses. 

1.00 PM

After completing the notes from the meeting, I begin to check all the tasks assigned to me. Start by creating a group on outlook and send an invitation to all the trade team about the conference in October. I soon follow up with our marketing agency about getting the invites for the Accredited Regional Conference and send an email to my RSMs about vehicle audits that need to be completed.

1.45 PM

Before moving on to my next task, I get up and go for a quick walk downstairs. Primarily an office job, I have realized time away from the screen is important. For the October conference, I create a project brief and the requirements and compile a list of potential venues to hold the event. 5 hotels in and no luck so far. I also like to write down notes or reminders on post-it notes to ensure I don’t forget anything.

2.45 PM

To take a break from the normal work, I decide to make some purchases that were requested by sales reps or managers. Having Ariba-guided buying makes it extremely easy to acquire products when required. I also begin to receipt the Purchase orders previously created and send the PO number to the accounts team to process for payment

3.15 PM

I continue to call up venues to see potential availabilities. Event management is an aspect of my job that I have really begun to enjoy, however, it can be equally frustrating dealing with venues. I now realize it's time to add special instruction files. Customers want certain messages to be shown at the POS system across the country. SIF outlines what the customer requests from the store level for any potential purchases made on his account.

4.00 PM

Mondays are never easy and all I can think of for now is going home. However, I finally get the invites back from the marketing agency. After a quick check with my manager, I send the invites to our Regional accredited members. Another element my job has taught me is how important wording is from a corporate level. A huge difference from what I did during my degree. 

6.00 PM

After a quick rest at home, I decided to head to the golf driving range. Everyone has their own way of winding down after a long day, I have found that mine is by playing golf. 

8.00 PM

After a quick shower and dinner, I decide to make my lunch for tomorrow. Also, time to catch up on my social media feed!

10.00 PM

I soon make my way into bed. Some Netflix to wind down before heading to bed and doing this all over again!