It took a global pandemic to open most people’s eyes to the importance of the supply chain. For Michelle Harvey, it took a coffee mug.
It took a global pandemic to open most people’s eyes to the importance of the supply chain. For Michelle Harvey, it took a coffee mug.
Now a Master Scheduler for Eli Lilly and Company in Indianapolis, Harvey entered Indiana State University (ISU) in 2014 knowing she wanted to pursue a business degree, but she wasn’t certain which area of business interested her most until she heard Associate Professor Kuntal Bhattacharyya – aka, “Dr. B” – explain the supply chain.
Using his coffee mug in an illustration, Dr. B, who serves as chair of ISU’s Marketing & Operations Department, explained how the supply chain moves materials and products from one place to another to get even the most ordinary goods to consumers.
"Dr. B got his grip on me,” says Harvey, a member of the 2021 class of the Conexus Indiana Rising 30, which honors Indiana’s young advanced manufacturing and logistics leaders.
Quickly immersing herself in her new area of interest, Harvey not only took supply chain classes at ISU but also began to participate in industry events and groups, took an internship with Rolls-Royce, and connected with Conexus Indiana programs.
Along the way, she realized that the supply chain industry values people with curiosity, a thirst for ongoing growth, problem-solving abilities and organizational skills. In exchange the industry gives young professionals the opportunity to contribute in a meaningful way.
She points to her experience as an example: In her previous job with Rolls-Royce – where she was hired in 2018, fresh out of ISU – Harvey helped to shape how the company manages inventory by forecasting supply needs for future aftermarket service. At Lilly, which she joined in August of 2021, her focus is on more immediate production plans for manufacturing sites. “I’m looking at the current month and all the way until the end of 2023, asking, 'What is our production plan, what are we making, do we have all of the components and drug-substance inventory to make and formulate it?’” she says. “I have an impact.”
Demonstrating her belief in the power of ongoing growth, in the past year, Harvey got married, made the move to Lilly, began an MBA program and, as part of a business she runs on the side, committed to helping eight couples plan weddings in the coming year. With all of that juggling, she underscores a big part of what appeals to her about supply chain work. “It’s like making a puzzle every day, and then making it again the next day,” Harvey says. “The challenge is the joy.”
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