Biggest Challenges Faced By An Automation Engineering Manager At Walmart
Alexander's biggest challenges as a Manager, Automation Engineering at Walmart stem from vendor delays with "emerging technology," requiring constant timeline management, and from being the central point of contact for issue resolution, meaning "when something goes wrong, I'm kind of the first person that people point the finger at." This highlights the dual nature of leadership roles: managing external dependencies and internal expectations while maintaining a positive attitude for continuous improvement.
Project Management, Vendor Management, Problem-Solving, Leadership, Communication
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Alexander Claiborne
Manager, Automation Engineering
Walmart
University of California, Santa Barbara
N/A
Environmental & Related Sciences
Automotive & Auto Parts, Technology
Operations and Project Management
Video Highlights
1. Managing vendor relationships and timelines for projects involving proprietary technology and potential delays is a significant challenge.
2. Being the central point of contact and facing the brunt of issues, even if not directly responsible, requires strong problem-solving and communication skills.
3. The interviewee emphasizes that challenges are inevitable in any role and highlights the importance of a positive attitude and proactive approach to overcome setbacks and view them as learning opportunities
Transcript
What is your biggest challenge in your current role?
This could be answered a couple of different ways. The biggest challenge could mean an external factor. Right now, I'll start with that aspect: working with different vendors.
As they develop proprietary technology, things that have never been done before, they experience a lot of delays. I understand that happens; I've been on that side before in research and development. But it is a challenge to make sure they're sticking to timelines.
If we have a six-month contract and it needs to be pushed back a month, or the project start date needs to be pushed back, that's theoretically wasted time. We've already worked with a site to implement something, and they're expecting it. We understand things will move around; that's just the nature of working with emerging technology.
It can be difficult to work with a vendor and have to push them. Especially knowing why things happen, they'll give me a full explanation. I'll say, "That makes sense," but it is my job to ensure they stick to timelines.
The other way to answer this is: what's the biggest challenge for me as a person working in this role? There are many things; every day, I feel challenged in one way or another. In that regard, it's being the brunt of whatever issue presents downstream effects.
As I mentioned earlier, I'm the point person to help bring people together. But the double-edged side is that when something goes wrong, I'm often the first person to be blamed. It might not really be my fault, but I'm the face of the project. People say, "This went wrong; you need to figure out what happened."
Sometimes it's tough. I might feel like I didn't really mess up, but I'll still get an email saying, "This needs to be fixed right now." I have to drop what I'm doing and find the right person to help fix the issue. That is something that is a little bit challenging.
Overall, it doesn't happen very often. There are other things in terms of personal growth, too. You'll find unique challenges everywhere you go. It's a matter of having the confidence to overcome them and understanding that it's all a learning process. Things will go wrong, but it's about how you get back up and make things right afterward.
Everywhere will have its challenges, but try to have a good attitude and see how you can make things right after something goes wrong.