thoughtleaders
came from but having an eye toward the future. Academy
does a nice job of walking both sides of that line.
QWhat do you consider the greatest challenge you’ve faced in your career? Of what accomplishment are
you most proud?
A I’ve been really fortunate to lead logistics teams for several major retailers. On more than one occasion,
I’ve led groups through some very difficult and challenging
business environments. A major challenge is really keeping
people’s eyes on the horizon, keeping people optimistic
about tomorrow and focused on things they can control
and influence and not be pulled backward by forces they
can’t control.
Rachel Schaler
WHEN RACHEL SCHALER JOINED
Starbucks in 2007, the coffee company was
coming off a period of rapid growth, during
which it focused primarily on establishing
its brand and opening new stores. As a result
of that expansion, the supply chain was in
need of an upgrade. Schaler’s task was to
help re-engineer the company’s distribution
network, with specific responsibility for
Starbucks’ last-mile distribution and customer service.
As Starbucks’ vice president for store delivery and customer service, Schaler manages third-party service
providers as well as the operation of a Starbucks
Consolidated Distribution Center. All together, the team
she leads executes more than 45,000 deliveries weekly. Her
team is also responsible for customer service and order
management for more than 10,000 stores in the United
States, including licensed locations.
Schaler began her career not in supply chain management but in areas such as strategy consulting, merchandising, and account management. Former employers include
McKinsey & Co., where she worked as a business analyst,
and Amazon, where she launched the Apparel Store and led
marketing, merchandising, and account management. She
also worked for Point B Solutions Group, where Starbucks
was one of her clients. Schaler holds a B.A. degree from the
University of Virginia and an M.B.A. from the Harvard
Business School.
how supply chain fits into the overall business experience and the importance of viewing it through the lens of the end customer.
QCan you describe the responsibilities of your team at Starbucks?
A I am responsible for the last mile of distribution in the United States,
which includes a network of 35 locations
throughout the country, and I also partner
with our global last-mile delivery network.
We work with third parties for 34 of the 35 U.S. facilities,
and I have responsibility for those relationships. Our last-mile distribution centers are tri-temp centers. We run a
dedicated network of dual- and tri-temp trucks out of
these facilities to make deliveries every night. We directly
manage the 35th warehouse in Atlanta, where we ship and
process a variety of different products to support our
stores every day.
QYou started off as a business analyst and in market- ing. Why the move to supply chain management?
A My interest in the supply chain actually started in business school, where I was fascinated by the operations classes and understanding the flow of goods—looking
at where constraints challenge the overall supply chain and
then how to turn it around and optimize it. My first experience with supply chain management was at Amazon,
working on a project that exposed me to understanding
QDuring Starbucks’ expansion phase, the focus was on opening new stores, and distribution sometimes got
left behind. But since you came on board, the supply chain
has returned to center stage. What role have you and your
team played in that re-engineering?
A Starbucks definitely had a period where our focus was on opening the next new store. Although our supply
chain has always been there to enable that growth, that
rapid expansion led to a very diverse supplier base and distribution network.
I joined just before Starbucks began its transformation
agenda. To support the transformation in terms of last-mile
deliveries, we focused on strengthening metrics and controls by measuring our daily on-time, in-full, and assembly
accuracy. We also built a team that engages with our
providers’ daily operations to understand service challenges
and develop continuous improvement plans. The team’s
focus on daily operations has made a significant difference
in our supply chain stability and performance.
