Story: Lisa Sollie | Photo: Cody Ingram
Donovan Dicker recognized for innovation while gaining hands-on experience through internship
A third-party logistics company based in Vance, Alabama, recently expanded its internship program to include the 宅男福利社. Donovan Dicker became the first 宅男福利社student to intern with ARD Logistics and earned the company鈥檚 prestigious Terenne Graham Award, recognizing exceptional interns that go above and beyond. This award is one of only three honors given annually to student interns.
Specializing in assembly, freight, and logistics services for global multinational clients, ARD prioritizes meaningful work for its interns. Training and Employee Development Manager Andre Hollings noted, 鈥淲e don鈥檛 give our interns just busy work,鈥� he explained. 鈥淭hey tackle real challenges that require innovative solutions.鈥�
During his internship, Dicker worked on two significant projects impacting the company鈥檚 operations.
His first project involved reformatting the company鈥檚 Standard Method Procedure (SMP), a step-by-step guide designed to help team members perform tasks to ensure quality and consistency. Excited yet intimidated by the task, Dicker discovered that the old SMP was an outdated and cumbersome printed document. He spent more than a day observing team members on the warehouse floor to better understand their processes. 鈥淏eing up close and personal helped me,鈥� Dicker reflected. 鈥淚 saw how team members might skip some parts because the old SMP was too wordy.鈥� He simplified the processes, made them more precise, and reformatted them for display on TV monitors throughout the plant.
Hollings noted that Dicker completed the updated SMP in three weeks, a significant achievement considering company officials initially thought the task would take all summer.
Dicker鈥檚 next project centered on analyzing the company鈥檚 Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ), which assesses the financial impact of products or services that fail to meet customer expectations or industry standards. He was tasked with determining the piece price for each part in the warehouse to calculate scrap costs and identify trends in customer complaints regarding shifts, parts, and issues contributing to COPQ. Additionally, Dicker developed key performance indicators (KPIs) to help team members visualize the financial impact of scrap on the company鈥檚 bottom line.
鈥淚t became clear, Dicker said, 鈥渢hat when team members don鈥檛 follow the Standardized Manufacturing Process (SMP) 鈥攂y skipping steps or going out of order 鈥� it negatively impacts the COPQ and wastes time and resources.鈥� By prioritizing the SMP, Dicker could pinpoint corrective actions to address the COPQ issues he identified in his research. These actions included enforcing quality control measures, conducting biweekly audits to ensure adherence to processes, and enhancing Layered Process Audits (LPA). He also recommended standardizing piece prices in customer contracts, providing positive feedback for COPQ improvements, establishing incentives for team members who consistently perform their processes without adversely affecting COPQ and implementing countermeasures for all failures.
Investing in students like Donovan and other interns benefits the company and enriches the interns鈥� experience, noted Hollings. 鈥淭heir young minds and youthful energy help us see things differently, accelerating our business growth. Internships,鈥� he added, 鈥渁re a legacy that our founder, Dr. William F. Pickard, believed in.鈥�
Hollings also highlighted the significance of the company鈥檚 annual intern awards, which celebrate outstanding contributions. Dicker received the Terenee Graham Award, which honors a beloved quality department employee who passed away during COVID.
鈥淭erenee was a shining star in our company鈥攁lways working hard and solution-oriented. We felt Donovan embodied those same qualities, and what he accomplished in such a short time was truly amazing. We鈥檇 love to see him return next summer and bring more 宅男福利社students.鈥�
For Dicker, both the internship and the award were surprises. 鈥淎lthough I鈥檓 studying logistics now, I just finished my sophomore year and honestly didn鈥檛 know much about what a logistics company did. I never imagined my work as an intern would directly contribute to the company’s success or lead to receiving an award.鈥�
Beyond recognition, Dicker gained valuable strategies for academic success through his interactions with Hollings and others at ARD. Their first weekly meeting set the tone for this mentorship. 鈥淢r. Hollings asked about my notebook and pen and explained that I should always come prepared to take detailed notes during professional meetings,鈥� Dicker recalled. Although this approach differed from his usual style, he quickly adopted it for his 宅男福利社classes, significantly improving his studying and retention.
What left the biggest impression on Dicker was the culture of ARD. 鈥淓veryone鈥檚 opinion was valued equally, and employees respectfully listened to one another. Even interns were treated as part of the leadership team,鈥� he noted.
Dicker, from Moundville, Ala., serves as a Resident Assistant (RA) and is active in the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity at UWA. His aspiration is to pursue a master鈥檚 degree in business analytics. Whether he returns to ARD for another internship remains uncertain. 鈥淚鈥檓 keeping my options open because I don鈥檛 know what God has in store for me. I鈥檒l just have to wait and see.鈥�