Arun Karmakar

 Define Walmart Sourcing’s Quality Strategy (keeping in mind “uncompromising Quality for our customers” and BQLP-Better Quality at Lower Price) and Goals and Objective to ensure we are continuously exceeding our customer’s expectations.  Develop and lead a strong Technical Team across countries to support all the businesses which are very versatile in nature. Home Quality team awarded the best team in Walmart Global Sourcing in several occasions.  In 2022, I was driving Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Workshop for our Quality team across all offices and trained 47 associates with Green Belt Certification.  Driving the team towards more and more automation (One stop data solution, Factory Assessment Tool, JQMP 2.0, Power BI, Predictive Quality Module using AI and M/c learning)  Vast experience in handling Home Textiles products (Bed, Bath, TOB, Utility bedding, Kitchen etc), Hardhome (Cookware, Dinnerware, Flatware, Furniture, Small and Large Appliances, Home Décor, Art and Craft, Home Management etc and Toys, Seasonal and Celebrations ( Boys, Girls, Ride on, Pools, Bikes, Christmas articles, Valentine, Halloween etc).  Monitoring closely the quality of the products across all the factories through implementation of Best Practices, DQA and driving various projects across the globe. Focus is on Quality Assurance rather than Quality Control- Proactive vs Reactive. Ensure consistent performance on all customer facing KPIs.  Implementation of Standard Process Mapping, Updating Test Protocol/ Inspection criteria in Walmart so as to fulfill our customers’ expectations.  Partnering with buying team/ onshore technical team in making the right choice of product and factory. Quality team involves from Product Development, Executions Process and monitoring the product performance and KPI.  Partnering with the third parties – Inspection agencies, Testing agencies and Audit agencies to have best in class collaboration and partnership.

- Managing the Global Softhome Technical team in India, Pakistan and China. Developing the talent within Global sourcing to ensure that we are exceeding our customer's expectation in terms product quality and deliverables. - Empowering the suppliers and factories through various programs - DQA at factories (Dedicated Quality Assurance), RFT Councils (Right First Time Council), Supplier Development program etc. - Working closely with our onshore Walmart US/ Walmart Canada/ ASDA and other international market partners to ensure that we launch new products to our stores flawlessly. Further we continuously monitor customer feedback about our quality and drive the team to exceed customer's expectation consistently. - Working closely with our Third Party Leadership - BV, CTL, SGS, ITS for testing,Inspection, factory audit related activities. - As Sustainability Champion, I drive all the sustainability initiatives across our supplier base - Sustainability Index, Higg 3.0, Energy Efficiency Program, Project Gigaton. - I am driving various Projects at Technical Collaboration Board at Bentonville, US.

 Ensure Quality of all the products being sourced from the above countries in Home, Hardhome, Hardlines, Connsumables and GNFR areas, comply with Walmart’s Quality Standard.  Excellent experience in handling not only Home Textiles products but also a versatile range of products like Cookware, Metal Folding Chair, Iron Board, Stationery, Wooden products, Refrigerant, Toothbrush, Pet bowls, plastics etc.  Ensure Factory Capacity and Capability audits (FCCA) across the supplier base in this region. Have thorough knowledge about FCCA across the supplier base. I was instrumental in developing the enhanced version of FCCA module, successfully did piloting in India and finally rolled out in 2013 globally across all retail markets.  As Sustainability Champion from Walmart, India Office, I drive all the sustainability initiatives across our supplier base and implemented Sustainability Index audits at the supplier level.  Implementation of Standard Process Mapping, Enhancement in FCCA/ Test Protocol/ Inspection criteria in Walmart so as to fulfill our customers’ expectations.  Partnering with buying team/ onshore technical team in making the right choice of product and factory. Having excellent product knowledge, I am instrumental in partnering with buying team/ onshore technical team in making the right selection of products and factory.  Partnering with the third parties – Inspection agencies, Testing agencies and Audit agencies to ensure that Walmart’s interest is protected.  Led Process Excellence projects globally in Walmart. All the projects led towards excellence in Quality Assurance Processes and systems e.g. JQMP (Jt Quality Management program), Development of Factory Score Card system, Launch of Chemical Module, Development of SOP for MQEs to address product failures, Development of Onboarding programs for Quality Associates, Development of Training Module for Quality associates, Development of enhanced Inspection protocol etc.

- Established a great Product Develoement team at Welspun at Towel, Sheet and Cut & Sew Sections which led the industry with a series of innovation. - Highly focussed on Bed Sheet, TOB, Towel products. Everytime the challenge was to showcase something new at Market week at New Yorn or Hemtextile and presented a great image of welspun in creating innovation. - Created full fledged display room, guided the team for creating innovative beds, developed systems, SOPs, contributed significantly in all kind of Pre production, Production samples to improprove RFT as well to bring down the lead time. - As a Head of Christy operation, streamlined the Christy Business with a focussed approach on improving planning, production process, and quality. From a 100% air shipment to zero airshipment within a month, took christy to a new level. Premimum products developed for John Lewis, M&S, Bloomingdale, Sainsberry, Debenhams and succesfully launched the progs in store. - Worked in close coordination with US design and PD team of welspun incorporating the market research from "Just Ask a Women" into the products.

- Worked for this company for a very short period about a year. The company was manufacturing polyester fibre, filament and yarn with a turn over of around 500m$ . - The thought process was let's have a test of whatever I have learnt in my previous organisations. This job was like a hot seat and I would be dealing with customer complaints, improvement in their process so that we can grow the sales of Indorama polyester. - Got a lot of new customers on board during this short period. Helped in establishing their process to increase the productivity and quality. Got great recognition from the management. However somehow we were not happy with the busy Mumbai Life and left the job and joined Welspun at Anjar as DGM.

- Heading product development team at Mahavir Spinning which is a unit of Vardhman Group. The factory was producing around 18 tons threads / day - I was responsible for development of all kinds of Sewing Threads suitable for RMG as well as local segment. Poly poly core spun, poly cotton core spun, mettalic thread, various kite flying threads are the few products developed and successfully launched in the market. - I was leading 5S/ TPM implementation in the factory. - Taking care of implementation of ISO quality management system. - I was heading Customer Technical Service Cell to address all kind of customer complaints and resolution. - I was responsible for technical studies on the process and the implementation of the reengineered process.

- Joined Trident Group as a Management Trainee. Within 6 months took the charge of R&D division. - During expansion of Unit II, took additional responsibility of the same and set up the one of the best spinning lab equipped with all latest testing instruments like AFIS, HVI, UT3, UTR4, Classimat etc. - Led the team for both the units. Started diversifying product range - from 100% cotton to Polyester Cotton spun. Streamlined the process, developed system, led in implementation of TQM, implementation of ISO 9000 in the organisation. - While restructuring happened promoted to TAS group (Trident Administrative Services), the top group in the organisation. - Leading from the front in resolution of customer complaints.

- Selected from the campus interview and joined this group as a Shift officer in production Deptt of worsted division. - Worked for a period of only one year and left the job to pursue higher studies.