Training with Industry (TWI) offers a rare and invaluable opportunity for Supply Corps officers to immerse themselves in the private sector’s supply chain for a full year. This experience provides insights into industry’s best practices that can then be brought back to the fleet. For someone like me, whose entire professional life has been within the Navy, TWI represented a chance to broaden my understanding of the business community and to use that knowledge to enhance fleet operations. My objective was to leverage this experience not just for my personal growth but to act as a channel, disseminating industry knowledge to our fellow officers in the Supply Corps. The more return-on-investment (ROI) I could generate for our community, the better. Additionally, I aimed to bring value not only to the Navy but also to Home Depot and myself.
Why Home Depot?
Founded in 1979 with just two stores in Atlanta, The Home Depot (THD) has grown into a retail giant with over 2,300 locations across three countries. Despite its massive expansion, THD has managed to retain a unique culture that permeates every aspect of its operations. This culture is centered around two key concepts: the “Inverted Pyramid” and the “Values Wheel.”
The Inverted Pyramid symbolizes Home Depot’s commitment to servant leadership, a principle that resonates deeply with military values like “Officers Eat Last.” This concept places the front-line associates at the top, with leadership at the bottom, emphasizing the importance of supporting those who are on the front lines. The Values Wheel, created by THD’s founders, encapsulates timeless principles that echo our Navy core values of honor, courage, and commitment. These cultural synergies make Home Depot an ideal company for a Supply Corps officer to embed with, particularly given their highly dynamic and complex supply chain operations.
Analytics Summit
Before beginning my fellowship at Home Depot, I engaged with 10-12 Supply Corps commands across the fleet to identify specific challenges that my experience at THD might help address. Through these discussions, I compiled a list of focus areas, which I called “Fleet Topics.” These topics guided the course of my ROI initiatives, ensuring that the knowledge and practices I gained could directly benefit the fleet. One of the most prominent themes that emerged from these pre-fellowship engagements was the critical need for enhanced data analytics.
To bridge this gap between fleet needs and industry insights, I organized the TWI THD Analytics Summit. This daylong event, held at Home Depot’s headquarters in Atlanta, brought together 11 NAVSUP participants from NAVSUP BSC, NAVSUP WSS, and NAVSUP HQ, along with several leaders from THD’s Supply Chain Analytics organization. The summit featured presentations and discussions on a wide range of analytics topics, providing a platform for both groups to exchange ideas and solutions.
The key takeaway from this summit was the realization that, despite the apparent differences between the Navy and Home Depot, we face many similar challenges, particularly in the realm of supply chain analytics. Issues like validating and cleansing data are common hurdles for both organizations, underscoring the value of such cross-sector collaboration.
Associate for a Day
To further extend the benefits of my TWI experience to a broader audience, I created the "Associate for a Day" program. This initiative was designed to share the proverbial “TWI wealth” by allowing a Supply Corps LCDR or senior LT to shadow me for a day at Home Depot’s headquarters. The idea was simple: even in just one day, our officers could gain valuable insights, spark innovative thoughts, and have those "eureka" moments that could be brought back to the fleet.
The program has been a resounding success, with participants gaining firsthand exposure to private industry’s best practices, which they can then integrate into their roles within the Supply Corps. It’s a prime example of how a single day of immersion can translate into meaningful, long-term benefits for the fleet.
Key Takeaways
The TWI program is a remarkable opportunity, and for any officer selected for or considering TWI, here are my top tips to maximize the experience:
- Contact your predecessors: Home Depot is the Supply Corps’ longest-running TWI partnership, with a “Long Orange Line” of fellows dating back to 2005. The insights I gained from these naval officers before and during my fellowship were instrumental in helping me make the most of this opportunity.
- Come prepared: Engage with commands across the fleet to understand the contemporary challenges we face. Building a list of “Fleet Topics” by consulting with experienced Supply Corps officers will provide a focused direction for your initiatives. These relationships should be maintained throughout your tour to receive ongoing guidance and feedback.
- Become the emissary: Use your TWI experience to benefit others by sharing the knowledge and insights you gain. The initiatives I developed, such as the Analytics Summit and Associate for a Day, were designed with this in mind, but there’s limitless potential for ROI when you focus on “sharing the wealth.”
- Have fun: TWI is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to immerse yourself in a new environment, learn, grow, and bring back valuable insights to the Navy. Make sure to enjoy the journey and take full advantage of every opportunity that comes your way.
By following these tips, TWI fellows can ensure they not only gain from the experience but also contribute meaningfully to the Supply Corps’ future, leaving a lasting impact on our operations and culture.
