Supply & Demand Chain Executive recently announced its 18th annual listing of Pros to Know in the supply chain industry. Among those receiving this recognition was Censeo’s own Aram Mazmanian. We sat down with Aram to find out more about his role and impact and what this recognition means to him.
During Aram’s 11 years with Censeo Consulting, he has worked with six or seven different federal agencies. Aram takes great pride in knowing that his work has helped each of those agencies to buy better and faster. In fact, for those projects he’s had a leading role with or been directly involved in the government has saved a total of $200-$250 million. Aram relishes the role of being able to come in and provide these types of analysis that yield such notable results. “Censeo is able to inject strategies that create immediate saving and improvement in the way that work is done. But also, we provide strategy that helps their clients to continue to improve over time,” adds Aram.
When asked about the biggest challenges the supply chain community will face in 2018 and beyond, Aram speaks to the great need to do more with less. “The number of acquisition professionals continues to go down and the workload being asked of them continues to increase,” states Aram. “The challenge will be to put the right processes and talent in place. Are the right talents, tools, etc. in place to be able to work at a high level?”
Aram prides himself on Censeo’s work to educate supply chain organizations. Aram makes it a primary goal to leave behind the tools that will enable an acquisition team to continue to improve itself and sustain that transformation even after the engagement with Censeo has ended.
When asked about why he loves what he does, Aram focuses on the mission-driven nature of the clients he gets to work with on a regular basis. Aram exclaims, “They truly believe in their agency mission. It’s pretty exciting to be around people who have that motivation compared to just being in a job.” Aram also cites that another contributing factor to his job satisfaction is knowing that the impact of his work matters. In fact, from his perspective the work done on the commercial side pales in comparison.
Aram speaks similarly when talking about his Censeo colleagues, describing them as intelligent and motivated but down-to-earth people. A common quality in Censeo team members is that they are “super-collaborative.” Aram says they are “people who will drop everything to help with an urgent issue to try and solve something.” He finds it invigorating to get that many smart people in one room to help brainstorm innovative approaches and solutions.
When talking about what got him on this career path, Aram cites his passion for supply consulting and that the public sector has offered him a whole new set of challenges and considerations. He adds, “I was attracted to the importance of mission and the challenge of understanding all the important policies that go into a supply chain strategy.”
Aram is excited to receive recognition in a field where there is so much passion and a mission focus on outcomes beyond profits. Aram states, “To be recognized as someone important in [the supply chain] field is a valuable thing. It definitely makes me feel better about the work that I do.”
Aram had a mentor who emphasized two priorities: the importance of working efficiently and making time for family, friends, and self. Aram, it’s obvious that you put the first to practice. Now, go enjoy the time!