SAMANTHI THUSHITHA WELIGODA GAMAGE

• Deliver customer service by assisting shoppers with inquiries, purchases and product recommendations in alignment with company standards.
• Efficiently manage point-of-sale operations, including processing transactions, handling cash, and ensuring accurate end of day register reconciliation.
• Maintain an organized and visually appealing store layout by executing merchandising guidelines across various departments.
• Collaborate with team members to uphold store presentation, cleanliness, and compliance with safety protocols.

• Customer service and building relationships aim to delight customers.
• Assist the business to grow and prosper.
• Projected cheerfulness and professionalism in everyday contact with customers, management, and team members.
• Support merchandise and sales methods, stock counting and maintaining good housekeeping in the shop.

• Serving customers appropriately as per company guidelines.
• Accurately handled cash, card and digital payments, ensuring the till was balanced at the end of each shift.
• Maintained a clean and organized checkout area, proactively addressing potential obstructions to enhance customer safety and store efficiency.
• Collaborated with team members to uphold company service standards and ensure a smooth and welcoming checkout process.

Company Overview: Hirdaramani - global leader in apparel manufacturing with over 100 years of history, operating 44 manufacturing plants worldwide with 75,000 associates.

• Led the implementation of Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP, the first apparel specific system of this scale, ensuring seamless integration across merchandising, supply chain, sampling and planning functions with Deloitte.
• Spearheaded ISO certification and SOP standardization of the cluster in Merchandising, Supply chain, sampling and Planning functions, enhancing operational efficiency across Sri Lanka.
• Process mapping, display and present flow charts. This initiative covered operations in Sri Lanka, Vietnam & Ethiopia.

Achievements:

• New ERP implementation to group: Bangladesh, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia.
• Merchandising Manual and standardization of process across Sri Lanka, Vietnam & Ethiopia.

• Led the LEAN transformation projects, redesigning front-end merchandising processes to enhance efficiency and reduce lead times.

Achievements:

• Merchandising costing within 24-hours.
• Samples within 24-hours and 48-hours.
• Efficient working environment (80% of efficiency) - sampling and merchandising and Supply Chain process improvements, IT solutions.
• Conducted Value Stream Mapping (VSM) for all customers, data gathering, analyzing and developing future process strategies.

• Marketing/business head for Columbia Sportswear, managing an independent 26-member team to drive profitability and deliver apparel orders in accordance with buyer expectations.
• Set performance expectations for the team, monitoring progress towards goals and providing constructive feedback as needed. Prepare every year Business plan to Directors and Customer.
• Preparing reports and presentations for customer performance review every year in US and India.

Columbia, Prana, Mountain Hardware, Mount-trail

Projects & Achievements:

• Earning Per Minutes (EPM) improvement project - Material costs, Printing costs, negotiations -increase EPM by 30%.
• Standard Minutes Value improvements on each product.
• Own development of suppliers and strategic partnership - increase profit margins to 30% on each product.
• Purchase orders to suppliers send within 48 hours.

• Managed customer orders, procurement, and supply chain operations to ensure on time delivery (OTD) and on-time tracking (OTT).
• Maintain customer relationship, review costing, developments and monitored supply chain/procurement operation activities to ensure on time delivery and 100% specification accuracy of garments orders.
• collaborated with key suppliers for optimal inventory levels, resulting in reduced stockouts and overstocks. Strengthened supplier relationships and negotiated cost-effective contracts to streamline sourcing and procurement.

• Led Merchandising teams to meet KPIs, ensuring seamless coordination between suppliers, operational plants, and internal departments.
• Managed customer relationships with SanMar USA, Tesco UK and Adi Gold, optimizing order fulfilment and delivery schedules.

• Managed and responsible for sourcing, procurement, and bulk production operations, ensuring quality and efficiency in garment manufacturing and on time delivery of all export orders.
• Customers: Tesco, Columbia.

• Managed product development, costing, procurement, supplier negotiations and bulk production for brands including GAP-USA, Banana Republic, May Department stores.

• Provided administrative and operational support, ensuring smooth executive functions within the company.
• Business communication, administrative work, Coordination with the stakeholders and commercial activities on procuring products.
• Applying for Tenders, submitting import applications and involved in import procedures and LC opening.