Yassine Khmou hasn't always been self-employed - he first worked for consulting firms, as Supply Chain Project Manager / SAP S/4HANA Expert. Over the past 4 years, he has embarked on the adventure of freelancing... And he's really enjoying it! This was how he was recruited by L'Oréal via Malt.

Hello Yassine! Can you tell us a bit about your job and your career as a freelancer?

I'm a Supply Chain Project Manager, an SAP S/4 Hana expert. I have a degree in supply chain engineering from Arts et Métiers, combined with a Master's degree in business administration.

I started my career in a consulting firm, where I spent several years as a Senior Consultant. After 4 years, I had the feeling that I'd come to the end of what life in a consulting firm could offer me. Then I moved to a smaller firm, but after a while I started to ask my network about freelancing... Based on their feedback, which was very positive, I decided to go freelance.

Very quickly, I was offered several opportunities, so I threw myself headfirst into the adventure: I set up my SASU and chose my first assignment, and then another... I liked the whole spirit of freelancing: there's a real advantage in collaborating “directly” with the customer, without a sales tactic at the core of the relationship, as could be the case in a consulting firm.

As a result, I gained peace of mind, had only one client, and very few external tasks to carry out - only delivery... In short, I discovered that by being independent, all my time could be dedicated to the customer's needs!

Four years later, I'm still working as a freelancer, out of conviction and choice: I can choose my working hours, I have a better work/life balance... I spend less time on my e-mails, so I have more time to devote to my assignments. I can also learn new tools on my own - which keeps me at the cutting edge of emerging technologies and enables me to offer my customers ever more innovative and demanding services. 

You're currently on assignment at L'Oréal via Malt. Can you tell us about this professional adventure?

I started my assignment in February 2022. For the first 11 months, L'Oréal needed my skills as Supply Chain Optimization Project Manager, in the context of numerous takeovers, mergers and push/pull transitions in operation. In particular, I worked on a push/pull project for L'Oréal's cosmetics subsidiary in Dubai.

We used freelancers to enhance our skills and strengthen our teams during busy periods. Freelancers are appreciated for their remarkable adaptability, as well as their ability to bring new and innovative perspectives that challenge our traditional methods.

Anne Rivalland

Transformation Program Manager at L'Oréal

To put it more concretely, let's say that when we decide to change the way we procure, it inevitably has an impact on our information systems. Every time there was a request for a project, there was a designated project manager who analyzed the need with the business to understand the impact on SAP. Once the project was validated, that's where I came in: I managed the development of a team of SAP consultants, mainly on chatbots, sales, warehouse operations... I did several assignments at L'Oréal in this respect.

In addition, since September 2022, I've also joined a team following an ERP change, as SAP S/4 HANA Migration Project Manager - first part-time, now full-time.

The idea behind this project? Let's just say that today, L'Oréal runs very well on SAP ECC - the current version. The challenges in terms of physical distribution involve sending stock via central partners: so there are several interfaces between SAP S/4HANA and the partners. My role in this project is to ensure remediation between the various 3PLs (also known as Third Party Logistics - which means outsourcing all or part of your logistics to one or more external service providers) handling the France scope and L'Oréal. I'm also responsible for partner returns and a large co-packer who looks after the south of France for the brand. In total, we manage around 100 interfaces. And in terms of volume: 2,800 deliveries, 36,000 pallets per month for a single partner!

Of course, all this coordination work involves working closely with the teams. The wide range of profiles present at L'Oréal meant that my integration went very smoothly: in fact, within IT EMEA, there are a lot of external staff members... So there weren't many differences with the internal employees in the day-to-day work.

To conclude, I'd like to say that this assignment has brought me a lot in the sense that I'd never worked with such a broad product portfolio before.

Yassine's knowledge of APIs and his experience as a project manager provided invaluable expertise. He played a key role in solving technical challenges and strengthening team cohesion. His ability to adapt and collaborate effectively was essential to the continued success of this long and complex project.

Anne Rivalland

Transformation Program Manager chez L’Oréal

We were talking earlier about your professional profile... What skills do you bring to this mission?

As you can imagine, I'm very familiar with SAP - particularly the Supply Chain module. I'm also very good at the business side of things, because I know how to plan ahead - in other words, how to see the whole picture before and after!

This mission also requires me to know how to bridge the gap between business and IT, to know how to listen to the needs of each party and advise on the most appropriate solution accordingly... For me, this is the key to success!

As far as the technologies used are concerned,EDI is generally used in warehouses, but not at L'Oréal! So I had to train myself in API, which enabled me to develop my skills and discover a new and innovative tool.

You're doing this assignment via Malt and you're also registered with Malt Strategy: why did you choose our platform?

I really like Malt Strategy - not least because it saves me a lot of time on the administrative side. What's more, the interface is very easy to use, the assignments on offer are very interesting, and I'm well supported by the teams.

Another strong point of the platform is that it puts me in touch with my peers, through the AfterMalts, which I attend regularly. It's a great opportunity to exchange ideas on the challenges I've encountered, and to give each other advice... All of which means I can keep abreast of new developments and feel part of a community!

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