Ajlal (AJ) Khalid Chishti

• Leading and managing a skilled and dedicated technical team comprising of four technical support personal, providing comprehensive operational systems support to the category buying team, support office, and store network, ensuring seamless coordination and efficient performance across all areas
• Championed fourteen continuous improvement initiatives affecting both Merchandising and IT department by encouraging open communication, scoping, collaboration, development, testing and knowledge-sharing among team members
• Integrated Total Tools primary ERP Pronto Xi pricing functionality with the website by pursuing an agile approach and streamlined various other technical processes by optimizing existing and new platforms
• Providing ERP solutions and successfully implementing them along with spearheading Business Simplification projects for the business. Thus far, successfully handed over at least twenty business critical projects.
• Primarily responsible to further improve all technical processes for the rapidly growing business by engaging the stakeholders involved
• Defining system support strategy by creating system policies and various system-related SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) along with writing and updating technical documentation covering system components.
• Creating EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) Purchase Ordering business rule documents for the suppliers and designing and implementing various improved Purchase Ordering, Back Ordering, and sending/receiving processes using Mobile Receiving Devices
• Providing technical training to my immediate team, the category management team, store staff at our one hundred plus stores, and colleagues from various other departments by creating Operational Training Videos
• Leading various system improvement projects as an SME (Subject Matter Expert) and primary sponsor by ensuring both the project's success and timely delivery within the allocated budget
• Working closely with the internal development team, project managers, and the leadership team to plan and execute QA (Quality Assurance Testing), UAT (User Acceptance Testing), and eliminating bugs from various technical improvement processes/projects
• Ensuring my immediate team reports are well supported and equipped to provide systems support to the business by constantly empowering them to improve and grow within their roles
• Mentored junior team members in advanced technical skills and provided guidance on professional development opportunities.

Considerably improved POS promotional setups in Pronto, streamlined pricing hierarchies, and aligned all promotional activities implementation between stores (Pronto & POS) and the website (Magento & Balance).

• Implemented cutting-edge technologies to automate manual processes, increasing overall productivity and efficiency within retail operations.
• Spearheaded Systems Architectural Design and Scoped several technical projects to establish tangible outcomes and clarified key requirements to achieve them
• Led a team of Data and Systems Support staff making sure they are well-organized, adaptive, and self-sufficient by grooming and nourishing them within their roles
• Worked alongside internal and external development teams and project managers throughout the roll-out of over twelve technical projects, acting as a key stakeholder in ensuring alignment with business objectives and delivering results on time and within budget. These projects collectively impacted four departments including IT, Operations, Finance and Marketing and contributed to at least 30% improvement in operational efficiency or cost savings.
• Being integral to project planning, formal testing, and roll-out of technical projects to ensure project success within given timeframe
• Evaluated potential risks associated with new business initiatives by conducting proactive audits before implementation. Working alongside Pronto development teams to improve ERP's core functions and implementing at least eight customization pieces to suit overall business operational and technical requirements
• Proactively managing overall business systems support requirements for the category team, store staff, and various departments within the business such as Finance, Logistics, or Commercial accounts
• Supported business development efforts by participating in client presentations and proposals related to support services offered.

• Improved Total Tools Bonus Stock Receiving/Selling procedures by fully automating the previously manual process through working with the internal/external IT team and rolling out the new processes by conducting Webinars with Stores regularly
• Provided set up, maintenance and support for on average six to seven promotional campaigns every month
• Effectively implemented and maintained catalogue and National Promotions in Pronto Promotions Engine and ensured correct General Ledger Mapping, Cost Offsetting, and Supplier Reimbursements for these promotions
• Developed and communicated easy-to-understand Instructions Manual and POS Quiz for the store staff every month which trains and orientate them on how various Catalogue Offers/Campaign Promotions should be processed at the store level
• Coordinated extensively with Operations Department, Category Managers, and Brand Representatives to timely plan and successfully execute Promotional Events, In-store Campaigns, Insider Events, etc.
• Always simplifying and rigorously testing all National Promotions to avoid hiccups at POS and running regular ODBC Reports using SQL for the leadership team to evaluate the performance
• Served as the primary point of contact for troubleshooting and resolving technical promotional issues, maintaining a high degree of POS accuracy and customer satisfaction.
• Coordinated software updates to minimize disruptions while maximizing benefits gained from new features or bug fixes.

• Joined Total Tools Group in January 2018 with the responsibility to technically support the business and bridge the knowledge gap for both store staff and the category management team in a System Support, System Orientation, Retail Operations and System Training capacity
• Extensive System Support and being the first point of contact for one hundred plus stores, Category Management Team, and other departments for overall Systems Support, Data Maintenance, Daily Data Updates, Pricing, and Promotions
• Technically assisting Category Management Team with Store Rebates, Collated Buys and Range Reviews, Bonus Stock Ordering, Performance Reporting, etc.
• Constantly working on System and Process Improvement alongside the Retail Systems Manager and the IT department to simplify Inventory/POS functionality resulting in streamlined processes
• Regularly coordinating with the Pronto development team and the Internal IT development team to conduct projects related to developing custom programs within Pronto as per the emerging business requirements
• Constantly improving and documenting old and new system processes while maintaining their relevance for company records
• Streamlined communication channels by conducting regular training sessions for non-technical staff on using the company's software systems effectively.

• Having joined Woolworths supermarket as a Store Team Member, was promoted to Duty Manager in less than two years
• This quick progression was achieved through exceptional work ethic, impactful interpersonal skills, and inbuilt ability to lead by example
• Extensive customer support by answering customer queries promptly
• Staff training, team building, and motivation of thirty-plus team members
• Constantly liaising with warehouses, distribution centres (DC's), and senior management
• Using in-store information systems such as Store Central, Store Net, Peoples Portal, etc.
• Being the first point of contact in case of an incident or emergency
• Receiving daily stock for replenishment and supervising replenishment of stock
• Increasing daily sales by ensuring maximum on-floor stock availability
• Conducting Fill reports and Negative Stock on Hand adjustments
• Minimizing theft and wastage
• Being the first point of contact for store staff for all their quires
• Store Presentation and constantly improving customer experience
• Following various company SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures)
• Efficiently and accurately closing daily cash of more than $150,000
• Operating forklifts and manual/automatic pallet jacks

Completed a 2-year contract with Kokoda Caravans, driving a 20-30% sales increase by streamlining information systems and developing a customized OMS (Order Management System) and cloud-based production platform.
Coordinated with external IT vendors and supported marketing in digital content creation for the company website.
Led business growth by developing business cases, conducting requirement-gathering sessions, and planning the deployment of several high-end projects.
Improved UX design by collaborating with dealership owners, refining the user experience, and enhancing stakeholder communication through data visualizations and data modeling.

Collaborated with cross-functional teams to optimize workflows and drive process improvements.

Evaluated software solutions, participating in vendor selection processes to choose systems that best aligned with company needs.