Individual learning:
Being a group- and business member has
resulted in large amounts of personal growth and learning. As an individual I
have constantly been forced to act beyond my comfort zone and my usual way of
getting things done. Working with many different suppliers forces an individual
to grow up very quickly and not to allow others to walk all over you. I have
learnt that one has to keep business relationships strict and professional and
act in a manner that forces suppliers to take you, as individual, seriously. I
cannot be the shy and conservative girl that I am with friends and family. I
have to tell a supplier exactly what it is that I want, demand what I have paid
for and not settle for second best or something that was rushed and completed
half-heartedly. If I ordered and paid for the best, the best service is what I
deserve. I have to be in control of myself and my actions as a representative
of the business as this will affect the success or failure of the business.
Group learning:
Being part of a group has proven to be very
challenging this semester. As we approach the end of our course and business
year, many of the group members seem to be less and less motivated about our
product and the success of our business. The lack of enthusiasm and motivation
make it very difficult to work in a group setting at times and this is
reflected in the completion of group work and assigned academic tasks. It has
become evident to me that as a group member, I should always attempt to
motivate my team members through showing them my own enthusiasm about the work
we are doing and being an example of how motivated all group members should be.
Being in charge of the production process gives me the benefit of seeing our
ideas and product come to life. This gives me an advantage over the rest of the
group members and makes it very easy to be enthusiastic and motivation. I have
learnt that it is my responsibility to keep the rest of the group informed
regarding the progress of our production process and that this may help keep
the group motivation levels high.
Business learning:
Being responsible for the sourcing and
production process of our business has proven to be a very challenging yet rewarding
process. There are so many little unforeseen factors that go into this process
and there is so much that can go wrong. This role has taught me to sit down and
establish each and every factor that goes into one production cycle of the
business. It has become evident that each factor of the production process is
just as important as the next and that all the factors should be taken into
consideration at all times. If one step during the production process is
delayed the entire outcome of the finished garment is affected and this could
ultimately affect the success or failure of the business. It is important to
monitor all suppliers and the progress of current orders and requested jobs
that form part of the production process. It has also become evident that the
business should always identify and establish a back-up plan and make alternative
arrangements should one of the orders go wrong or a problem arise with one of
the suppliers in the production chain.
