Problem

An automotive OEM’s quality department relied on a complex, multi-stage nomination process for evaluating and approving parts suppliers. The workflow required coordination across multiple international departments, but communication was inconsistent and progress tracking tools were complex. A colleague had begun early process optimization work before moving to another customer contract, and the effort was handed off to me to continue improving clarity, structure, and information flow.

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action

Building on the initial foundation, I:

• Reworked and expanded the existing nomination-tracking spreadsheet to create a clearer, more structured tool with defined milestones, dependencies, and status indicators.
• Met with stakeholders across countries and departments to fully understand each step of the nomination process, including recurring bottlenecks and decision-making delays.
• Analyzed communication gaps and mapped where breakdowns typically occurred between regions or functional teams.
• Facilitated alignment discussions to ensure responsibilities, expectations, and timing requirements were understood consistently across teams.
• Worked with two team members to continue refining and simplifying the communication workflow for smoother handoffs and more efficient approvals.

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REsult

The enhanced tracking tool and alignment sessions improved visibility into nomination progress and reduced confusion across global teams. Although the contract concluded before completing the full optimization effort, the groundwork I carried forward strengthened communication structure, improved transparency, and positioned the quality department to move toward a more streamlined and timely nomination process.