Quality Deviation Specialist

Our mission in Supply Chain Operations (SCO) is to supply IKEA products to our customers in a simple, affordable, sustainable, and excellent way. Whenever our products don’t reach our customers in an excellent way, we, Quality in Supply Chain Operations, take the lead to investigate deviations, connect relevant stakeholders, and mediate the discussions to decide what to do with the inventory, manage financial implications, and enable to convey learnings into improvements.

Assignment

Job specific key tasks and responsibilities 

• Analyze the reported deviations and order discrepancies, define whether they are valid deviations or not and secure collection of proper documentation for root cause analysis.

• Identify relevant stakeholders connected to a deviation, initiate dialogue and make available all relevant information for a decision to be made on who was the causing party and what action should be taken with affected goods (in transit and/or stock on hand).

• Observe patterns and trends in deviations and initiate investigations with concerned stakeholders whenever a recurring problem occurs.

• Calculate the costs related to a deviation and prepare documents for the financial settlement between the causing party and the owner of the goods.

• Actively manage the open cases and secure the communication flow among the stakeholders until the resolution can be provided and the case can be closed.

• Ensure utilization of proper tools and working methods for each specific case and secure alignment within the team.

• Contribute to the Action Plan activities to secure goals set in line with Quality Direction and Supply Strategy are met.

• Be an ambassador for quality by actively sharing feedback and lessons learned from cases handled and by collaborating with team members to improve ways of working and reduce deviations.

Knowledge

• Knowledge of IKEA Supply Chain stakeholders and how they impact quality

• SCO Quality Direction

• Specific material or service/process knowledge and possible quality deviations

• Ways of working with deviations, root cause analysis and claims

• Knowledge of claim and conflict management

• Basic knowledge of reporting and data visualization tools

• Good understanding of customer needs and expectations regarding quality performance

Motivation

• Energized by a dynamic environment and navigating through unknown situations

• Finding the best way to solve a problem and look for long term solutions

• Setting own or team goals and investing energy and drive in reaching them

• Interacting and collaborating with others. Building trust and partnership to reach common goals

• Continuously learning and sharing knowledge

• Sense of urgency and a Quality First mindset

Capabilities Job specific capabilities:

• Analysis and accuracy: able to collect, analyze information and recognize patterns

• Effective problem-solving: able to identify relevant stakeholders, bring in the relevant data and mediate the conversation

• Build trust: able to engage stakeholders in solving challenging and unknown situations with respect, curiosity, and authenticity

• Communication: able to express clearly when speaking and writing, relate with diverse stakeholders, persuade, lead discussions, and mediate solutions

• Ability to prioritize when dealing with multiple tasks and requests from stakeholders

Key previous experiences and proven skills

Key previous experience and skills needed before the job can be taken up

• Experience in activities requiring a service mindset, stakeholder engagement and problem solving in a global organization, preferably within quality or deviations

• Experience in activities requiring attention to details and accuracy

• Communicates with ease and confidence; uses logic and facts; fluent in English

• Proficient in using computer, Microsoft Office and using various electronic communication channels