When Haworth needed to rebid its medium-density fiberboard suppliers this summer, Carla Garcia-Caballero didn't just watch the process — she ran it.

Garcia-Caballero, a Holland native and Ferris State Management major expected to graduate in December, pulled purchasing data to map what the fiber board – known as MDF --  products Haworth buys, in what volumes and from which suppliers.

From there, she contacted current vendors and sourced new ones for the request for proposal, then compared pricing, product specs and freight costs to determine which supplier offered the best overall value.

"Suppliers rarely give you their best price upfront," Garcia-Caballero said. "You have to dig into why a quote was given a certain way, ask follow-up questions, and look for opportunities to bundle or adjust the volumes to get better pricing."

Garcia-Caballero also got a look at how forecasting problems ripple through a supply chain. When Haworth's demand forecasts didn't match actual usage, the mismatch led to over-purchasing and excess inventory costs. Her team responded by digging into the data and reviewing historical trends to improve the forecasting model.

Her Lean and Six Sigma coursework turned out to be the most directly useful part of her Management degree, she said. Haworth applies those same techniques in purchasing and other departments.

"Seeing the tools from class used in real processes felt rewarding," Garcia-Caballero said. "It gave me an advantage since I was the only intern in the department with that background."

Ferris State's Management program housed in the College of Business prepares students for purchasing, supply chain and operations careers through hands-on coursework and internships like Garcia-Caballero's.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports buyers and purchasing agents earned a median annual salary of $75,650 as of May 2024.

_{Release and photo courtesy of Ferris State University.}