Please note that as of 12th June, our new order cut-off time for next day delivery is 3.30pm. For more information, click here.

GN, Face to Face

Dave Day, Supply Chain Manager

Unsurprisingly the last two years have been the most challenging of Dave Day’s career – and not just because he’s an Arsenal fan! As Supply Chain Manager at Mila, he’s played a huge role in helping the hardware specialist get stock on the shelves and keep customers supplied.

 

IT’S ALL ABOUT YOU

Where were you born, and which part of the country do you currently live?

I was born in High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire but moved up to Burbage in Leicestershire in 2010 to be near my wife’s family.

Your education and the subject or activity in which you excelled…

I graduated with a Masters degree in Manufacturing Engineering from Warwick University in 2004. I really enjoyed those four years of study and it’s good to feel that I’m still applying so much of what I learned in my day-to-day role here at Mila.

Your favourite sports or interests…

Football, football and more football. With three older brothers who were Arsenal fans, I was indoctrinated into being a Gunner pretty much from birth, and I’m doing the same with my three young sons now! I also coach two of my sons’ junior football teams at Hinckley Borough FC, so my evenings and weekends are almost always spent on the touchline.

Your biggest regret in life…

I’ve given everything to my career so far and obviously missed out a bit when my boys were very young but now that Mila has introduced a hybrid working pattern, I’m loving the fact that my work/life balance is better, and I can spend more time with them.

The temptation you can’t resist…

I’m a really big foodie so it’s restaurant experiences – but only on very special occasions! I proposed to my wife at the Michelin starred The Square in London and for her 40th birthday last year we treated ourselves to dinner at Purnell’s in Birmingham.

Someone or something that inspires you… 

Sad as it might sound, I’m really just inspired by the challenge of creating a perfectly balanced supply chain – always holding just enough stock but not too much. It’s a challenge that’s constantly evolving obviously – particularly during a global pandemic.

 

YOUR CAREER

When and how you joined this industry…

I’ve always worked in supply chain – first at the offices supplies company Staples and then at Lloyds Pharmacy – the principles are basically the same no matter what industry you work in. I joined Mila in 2013 because I wanted to get more international experience; and all the exposure to Far Eastern sourcing via our dedicated office in China has been a fantastic learning curve.

The job you do in 25 words… 

Making sure that Mila keeps its customers happy by ensuring we have everything they need at the point they need it – while optimising our investment in stock.

Your greatest achievement…

It has to be helping Mila to navigate the massive supply chain challenge of the pandemic as successfully as we did. We know from the feedback we had from customers that we outperformed the competition right from the moment we reopened after the first lockdown. Getting our OTIF back above 98% in the face of repeated lockdowns here and in China, the massive spike in retail demand and the rocketing price of shipping was an immense achievement, not just for me but for the whole team here.

 

AND YOUR FUTURE

What you would like to do if you weren’t in this industry…

I’d probably still be working in supply chain – I think it’s in my DNA now, but I’d be analysing the data and looking for the all important patterns in another sector.

A particular ambition…

My trips to Mila’s supply chain office in China have given me a real taste for more adventurous travel. I’d like to explore other parts of South East Asia now – and sample the food of course.

The way you want to be remembered…

I’d like to think I was well respected by my peers and by Mila’s customers and that I had helped to make a positive difference.

Back to News