For Mayzie Wallen, work is all about the why

Before joining Specsavers, Mayzie Wallan was working in a ‘dream job’ in the music industry.

“I have a Master’s in Accounting and previously had worked for Deloitte in external audit, and before that in compliance with an administrator for the Workers Compensation scheme. But my last role was as an account manager in a business management and accounting firm specialising in the music industry. At first, I was a little hesitant to interview for the job at Specsavers, because I was working in what I really in what some would consider the ‘dream job’,” she says.

“But I went into the interview with an open mind and I was really impressed. The managers eloquently communicated to me the why. Specsavers do great things for the community, providing accessible and affordable eye care, and I knew I wanted to get onboard that journey. It’s easy to forget why we are here when we are rolling through the day to day tasks and facing challenges but I’m so glad I work for Specsavers. I’m really proud of what we do.”

Mayzie joined Specsavers as an eCommerce Inventory and Demand Planner, responsible for forecasting and demand planning for Specsavers’ eCommerce contact lens business.

“My job involves looking at trends in product use, forecasting usage, and preparing and purchasing products to be shipped out to our customers. Because the role has an operational component the morning is usually taken up with my daily tasks, such as preparing and sending orders to suppliers, reviewing out-of-stock items, and responding to queries from suppliers and from the warehouse. Afternoons are usually more varied. I could be preparing reports, reviewing efficiencies, and working on different projects to improve the supply process to get our products to customers quicker,” she says.

For Mayzie, her job is all about managing relationships and problem-solving – and spreadsheets!

“I am a real people person and I really enjoy that part of the role. I also love solving problems! Contact lenses are a high-volume product and at and with so many products flowing through to customers every day it’s inevitable for challenges to arise. I love being given a problem to solve and figuring out a solution that means a good result for the customer and the business. Coming up with a solution for preventing similar issues in the future is such a great feeling and really fulfilling.”

And she says the best part of working at Specsavers is the people.

“A previous manager once said to me, “As you go through your career, look out for the managers that inspire you, don’t be too concerned about the thing you are doing there”. This has stuck with me throughout my career. My manager and Head of Department at Specsavers are excellent. Both have different strengths, and so much experience, so I’m learning every day. One thing that I’ve noticed at Specsavers – which is refreshing – is that people have a very long tenure. The culture is great, it really has a close-knit family business feel. The flow-on of that is that there is a wealth of knowledge in every corner of the business which provides so many learning opportunities if you have your eyes open.”

She also encourages more people to join businesses in supply chain roles.

“Supply chain isn’t boring! And it’s not just an area for ‘data heads’ or ‘number nerds’,” she says.

“Often when I tell people what I do they balk and say that it’s quite unexpected. But as someone who is a passionate communicator and a people person, there are lots of opportunities to use those skills,” she says.

“The first project I was involved with at Specsavers was moving our eCommerce Contact Lens distribution centre from Singapore to Melbourne. This was a huge project to jump into and I had such a steep learning curve. Talk about baptism by fire! But the whole project team was awesome, and the project was a resounding success. Then in March, anticipating the shift in purchasing behaviour likely to arise from the pandemic we launched around 30,000 new SKUs. This required a lot of late nights and early mornings reviewing the data and making sure the launch went smoothly. It was a huge achievement!”