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Daniel Brewington: Lighthouse Leadership Award Winner 2024

Daniel's exceptional #leadership in managing the Refurb, Assembly, and Test/Staging departments is nothing short of inspiring. From managing stock orders to overseeing quality control, his leadership style, centered around situational leadership and servant leadership, fosters a collaborative environment where projects are executed with precision and efficiency. 

What is your role, and what are your day-to-day responsibilities?  

In my role, I oversee several departments' day-to-day operations, including Refurbishment, Assembly, and Test/Staging. It's my responsibility to ensure smooth business operations within these departments, managing tasks such as inventory control for phone parts needed for refurbished devices, overseeing consumable materials, and handling stock orders based on sales history to optimize efficiency and minimize costs. Additionally, I manage the initial provisioning of phone systems for Optus Yello and other phone systems and the billing setup for network devices used in Optus Yello orders. One of my key objectives is to empower my team to be self-reliant, ensuring they have the tools and resources necessary to excel in their roles. 

 

What's the most challenging part of the role? 

Managing and maintaining precise stock levels of the new parts that we put with phones. 

 

What's the most rewarding part of the role? 

It would have to be watching my group come together to successfully execute a project as a team.  

 

What is your leadership style, and how has it influenced your team's project delivery success? 

I would say I primarily practice a situational leadership role. I try to be a servant-leader as much as possible, which helps my team deliver time-sensitive orders. 

 

As the leader overseeing the testing and staging of equipment, what strategies do you employ to coordinate your team's efforts effectively? 

We strive to maintain close relationships with Projects, Sales, and Shipping to ensure that national accounts orders are provisioned and shipped accurately. Whenever something is in question, my team never hesitates to address questions through the proper channels.  

 

How do you ensure optimum quality control? 

We make sure that we have up-to-date test procedures and cosmetic standards. My team does a great job of ensuring that items are fully functional and cosmetically acceptable before being sent for shipping.  

 

Tell us about your production planning process. 

In my production planning process, I start by running a report to identify the top-selling SKUs over the past year. This helps me gauge demand and plan accordingly. Based on this sales history, I determine a 90-day stock level for finished goods. Then, I check the current stock level of finished products to see how they align with our goals. Once I've selected the SKUs, I ensure we have enough parts available and place orders if necessary. Finally, I pull the required number of phones to meet our 90-day stock level targets. This process ensures we maintain adequate inventory levels to meet customer demand efficiently. 

 

How is Optus' "customer-first" mindset exemplified in your department? 

I see pride and determination in my team as they strive to put out the best product possible. 

 

What would you say to someone who was considering working at Optus? 

Optus is a workplace that historically has a stable employment record. We ensure that employees go home at the end of the day with dignity. We are a diverse group of individuals who share a common goal of customer service and satisfaction. 

Interested in joining the Optus community? Check out our careers page.