RISING STARS RUTH ROSE
Job title: Product Data Manager Company: Bradfords Building Supplies
What’s your role?
My role as Product Data Manager is to review and implement all product and supplier information to ensure all channels can access correct information centrally through our ERP.
How did you get into this industry? By chance really. I trained as a hairdresser after leaving school and knew that wasn’t really a career I wanted to pursue. I joined Bradfords whilst I was still trying to decide what I did want to do, working initially in the Transport team as an administrator. I progressed from the Transport department to my role within the Product / Category team.
What might a typical day for you at work be? My day usually starts with me organising and prioritising work dependent upon deadlines. I check that my team are ok and there are no issues I need to address urgently whilst always checking emails. The data and information I am working on is always changing and updating, so I will regularly be in contact with Suppliers, Category Managers, the eCommerce and Stock teams and branches to ensure all information is correct and communicated clearly and frequently.
What were you doing at work last week? I was working on a big project we are about to deliver, ensuring all the information we had in place was correct and up to date. Information and data changes all the time, new products are added, ranges change and we need to ensure what we deliver is spot on. Last week was a huge challenge; fact finding and extracting information from suppliers by speaking to them, emailing them and also communicating across our own teams before putting it together in the right format was always going to mean the deadline was tight but I am part of a great team and we always manage to deliver!
What are your big challenges in this role? Quite simply, getting the right information from the right source and dealing with the volume of information that comes our way is a huge challenge. It’s amazing how much changes in the merchant world and how many products there are to choose from. I never appreciated until I started this job just how much product information I would have to deal with and it’s been a real eye opener.
What do you love about your role? I love the variety and the fact that no two days are the same and I love the people that I work with. I love the fact that what me and my team do has a real business
benefit. Having better, clearer data that is readily accessible and visible to all ensure our customers get a great, knowledgeable service.
What do you think has been your biggest achievement so far in your role?
I’m really proud of how much I have improved our product creation process since I started and the level of detail we now hold. We now have a far more comprehensive range of data and this has led to us being able to sell our product through more channels than we could have previously. The Product Information Management System that we are part way through implementing will be a big achievement once fully in place. Moving the data we’ve collected from unwieldy spreadsheets to having product information that is easy to access and report on will be such a massive improvement and I’m really excited to be a part of implementing this system.
What would you like to achieve next? I would like to ensure that me and my team continue to provide a valuable service to the business. If there are more exciting projects to work on, I would love to be involved. My main aim is to enjoy my role and continue to develop new skills and experiences.
What would you say to someone thinking about a career in the merchant industry? Give it a go! If someone had told me that I would be a Product Data Manager in a builder’s merchant I would not have even understood what they meant. This is an industry where you can try new things, move around and work with different teams as you learn new skills and there are lots of different roles. The industry is very people focussed and it is changing rapidly so there is always something new and exciting coming through. There is a huge amount of opportunity in this industry and I would tell someone new to enjoy it and seize the opportunities that come their way.
What are the changes you foresee the industry making in order to survive the future? I think we will have to move to embrace new technology and to have a different approach in terms of customers. As the demographics of our customer base changes, I expect to see customers ordering online more and wanting a one-stop shop. They will probably do more product research rather than go with what they have always used and want new, innovative products that help them. Having accurate data that is easily accessible will be more and more important for this industry because of this. BMJ
MANAGER’S VIEW
Ruth is a dedicated, hard-working, energetic and proactive member of my team. Ruth approaches everything in a positive way and is unfazed by
challenges. No matter what is thrown at her, she always tackles her workload with a smile and gets it done to a high standard. As the driving force behind the changes to our data management system, Ruth has worked hard to improve the data that we hold. To trade effectively through our website, we need more information to support our sales and Ruth has been key to identifying what is needed and pulling all this together. As Ruth’s role has grown, she has been key to ensuring her team are well- trained and able to deliver to challenging timescales. Ruth professional
approach, her ability to engage with people and her
dedication means she is hugely respected by all those who know and work with her. I am very proud to have her in my team.
Our vision is to be recognised as a market leader and our customers’ preferred ‘Partner in Wall Building’, supplying innovative, sustainable and cost-effective
aircrete building solutions.
Our mission to supply value added aircrete solutions for any wall.
March 2019
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net 19
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