In the early stages of my placement I had a crucial role in supporting my Senior Buyer with major construction projects. One of my team’s major projects was an expansion and redevelopment scheme. I was responsible for performing analysis work on the tender returns submitted by the contractors and this evidence was used in the decision-making process to appoint the main contractor. This gave me an opportunity to showcase the high standard of my work and also gave me an in-depth understanding of major project work and how my role sat within the team. Despite my lack of experience I played an integral role in one of the biggest construction projects within my department.

After building my confidence, skills and knowledge I was assigned my own project, valued at approximately £6 million. I used this opportunity to demonstrate the skills and knowledge I had acquired and took ownership for its successful delivery. This was a redevelopment project therefore it was crucial that the design supported Jaguar Land Rover's brand and values. The project required me to perform detailed analysis of data to ensure I achieved the best value for money. As well as monitoring processes to ensure outcomes were delivered, I also ensured I met key milestones whilst managing risks. The project involved collaborating with multiple stakeholders and effective communication was of upmost importance. Throughout the project I was mindful of the need to demonstrate integrity and transparency in order to uphold the reputation of Jaguar Land Rover.

As a Buyer, one of your key roles is to achieve value for money. One way to deliver this is through effective negotiations and this was an area of the job that I thoroughly enjoyed. From previous training, internally and externally, I was able to appreciate different tactics involved in negotiations - I also witnessed the application of game theory in a real-life scenario. I put this into practice with my own project which resulted in a saving of around 40% at the first stage of my project.

I also developed a website for the construction department to support colleagues throughout their projects. This site contained all the necessary tools and documents needed to deliver a project from conception to completion of a construction. I developed this site after receiving feedback from colleagues who'd had difficulties trying to locate documents for their project work. The help guide was designed to ensure all tools and documents were stored in one accessible area. I hoped the creation of this site would improve the efficiency of buyers as well as giving them the opportunity to refresh their knowledge. I have been advised that the help guide will be used for new starters to explain how construction projects work from stage 1 of conception all the way through to stage 7 of completion.