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In the first week of my internship as a Sales Support at Fastenal, I was warmly welcomed by my colleagues. I was then assigned to my senior, Mayy, who will serve as my trainer and provide guidance throughout the internship period.

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At Fastenal, my responsibilities include managing customer accounts such as Agilent, Benchmark, Grand Venture Technology, Venture Electronics, and others.

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In the first week, I learned how to process customers’ purchase orders (POs). My task involved generating quotations based on the items requested in the POS system and assigning due dates for the orders. The POS system enables us to track the status of each item, allowing us to provide customers with the estimated time of arrival (ETA) for their orders.

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In the second week, I learned about the quotation process and how to place orders with U.S. vendors through the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) system. Since some customer orders require items sourced from overseas, I was trained to procure them from vendors such as Stainly Engineering, Lindstrom, and Star Stainless. These vendors primarily manufacture fasteners, including screws, nuts, washers, and related components.

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During this purchasing process, I learned how to communicate effectively with vendors and ensure that the items ordered accurately meet customers’ requirements.

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In addition, I learned how to add customer purchase orders (POs) to the pick list, enabling warehouse staff to prepare and ship the items to the customer’s site. This process must typically be completed at least two days before the scheduled shipment to allow sufficient time for order picking.

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In the third week, under the guidance of my supervisor, Mr. Jurard, I was assigned to learn the process of picking items in the Fastenal warehouse.

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"I was required to pick items according to their designated locations and pack them based on the customer’s order quantity. Once the picking process was completed, the items were placed in a designated area for the driver to deliver to the customer’s site.

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After completing the picking process, I was required to prepare a packing slip and an invoice for the customer. These documents indicate that the items are ready to be shipped to the customer’s site and serve as proof of delivery.

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Each month, the Finance team issues a Statement of Account (SOA), which I forward to customers to remind them to settle outstanding payments and prevent their accounts from being locked in the POS system. When an account is locked, we are unable to process purchase orders or arrange deliveries. Once the customer clears the overdue payment, the account is subsequently unlocked.

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As part of my daily routine, I check emails to process customers’ purchase orders (POs) and arrange shipments according to their required delivery dates.

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On 25 April 2025, my senior will accompany me to Teleflex Kamunting for the installation of a new coil machine at their site

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Subsequently, I learned how to set up the machine controller and assign products to their correct motor positions. When a customer requires a product, they can input the designated motor position into the controller, which will then open the door to allow the product to be retrieved. After collection, the customer is required to enter the quantity taken, and the transaction will be automatically recorded in our system.

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In the fifth week, I gained knowledge about FASTstock, which is the solution provided by our company to customers.

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FASTstock is a solution in which a vending machine or locker is installed at the customer’s site to allow them to access products more conveniently. When the stock level in the machine is insufficient, our driver will visit the site to replenish the products.

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"I learned various aspects of the system, including how to assign products based on motor positions, set the maximum capacity for each product, and configure rules to authorize valid users to access the products.

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This week, I accompanied Mayy to Benchmark Penang for a meeting with the customer regarding the implementation of FASTstock at their site. I was assigned the responsibility of recording key discussion points during the meeting and preparing the official meeting minutes afterward.

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The meeting involved the Benchmark Finance Manager, the Warehouse Supervisor, and the Purchasing Department to discuss the project cost and determine the most suitable location for implementing the machine.

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This week, I accompanied our driver to learn the replenishment process and visited several customer sites to carry out the top-up activities.

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We top up parts based on the motor positions recorded on the restock paper. Since each customer site has machines located in different areas, we were required to visit multiple locations to complete the top up tasks.

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In addition, I check my email daily to fulfill customer requirements, such as hit quote, arranging shipments, and handling other related tasks.

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This week, Mayy taught me about the Request for Quotation (RFQ) process. An RFQ occurs when a customer provides the description of a required part, and we are responsible for sourcing the exact or an equivalent product through our website or other resources such as Google. Once the product is identified, I prepare a quotation for the customer that includes the product description, price, unit of measure (UOM), lead time, and minimum order quantity (MOQ).

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Initially, I handled some simple RFQs from customers under Mayy’s guidance. If the customer accepts the quotation, they will place an order with us through a purchase order (PO).

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By this week, I have become more familiar with my daily tasks, which include preparing quotations based on customer requests, checking emails to process purchase orders and arrange shipments, and handling requests for quotations (RFQs) by sourcing and providing the most suitable product options to customers without much more guidance from Mayy.

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On the other side, I also assist the warehouse staff in picking items when they are unavailable or occupied with other tasks.

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This week, our entire office held a meeting regarding the upcoming relocation of our office. The move is necessary as the current rental period has expired.

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We were required to measure every rack and shelf in our warehouse to ensure they would fit properly in the new warehouse. This task was quite challenging, as it required a high level of accuracy; any miscalculation could result in the racks and shelves not fitting correctly in the new warehouse.

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Mr. Jurard assigned different tasks to each person in the office. My responsibilities included clearing items from every rack, cleaning the racks thoroughly, and ensuring the warehouse floor and surrounding areas were properly cleaned.

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This week, we began carrying out our assigned tasks in preparation for the relocation, as the move must be completed before July.

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I began by removing all items from the racks and placing them onto pallets until each rack was completely cleared. Afterward, I cleaned each rack thoroughly to ensure it was ready for relocation to the new warehouse.

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Although there were many items stored on the racks, I carried out this process for nearly a week to ensure that all racks were emptied and thoroughly cleaned in the warehouse.

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In the second week of the office relocation project, I was tasked with disassembling the warehouse racks to facilitate their transfer to the new warehouse by lorry.

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At the same time, I was also responsible for disassembling office tables and chairs to move them to the new warehouse. During this process, I learned how to use an electric drill along with several other tools.

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The disassembly process also took me nearly one week to complete all the assigned tasks this week.

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After completing all tasks at the previous office, this week I began my duties at the new office. My responsibilities included assembling new office tables, reassembling the meeting table, reconstructing the racks in their original layout, and returning the items to their designated places.

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The new tables were delivered from our branch in Johor. We assembled them to serve as our new office tables, as the previous ones were too large and did not fit the layout of the new office.

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It took us one to two days to assemble all the new tables, after which we spent the remaining time reassembling the racks in the office. After reassembling the racks, we began placing the items back in their original locations at the new warehouse.

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The office relocation project was nearly completed after one month of work. We needed to ensure that everything was arranged correctly according to the plan, including both the warehouse layout and the office layout.

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Once everything was completed at the new office, we began packing our remaining belongings at the previous office, transporting them to the new location, and placing them in the correct areas. We also ensured that the previous office was left tidy and empty before returning it to the landlord.

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Starting the following week, we officially began working at the new office and no longer returned to the previous office.

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At the same time, I also resumed checking my emails regularly and completed several pending tasks that had been delayed due to the relocation project.

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This was my first week working in the new office. Although the environment was different, the nature of my work remained the same. I continued performing my daily tasks as usual, including checking emails, preparing quotations, and handling RFQs.

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In addition, I ensured timely communication with customers and coordinated with the warehouse team whenever necessary to support smooth operations. These tasks allowed me to strengthen my understanding of sales support processes while improving my efficiency and attention to detail.

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On 25 July 2025, Dr. Fadhilah visited Fastenal to follow up on our internship progress. During the visit, Dr. Fadhilah interviewed Mayy regarding my performance, progress, and overall working status at Fastenal. I would like to express my gratitude to Dr. Fadhilah for taking the time to visit us.

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After nearly four months of working at Fastenal, I am now able to handle customer accounts independently without requiring constant guidance from my senior. I am capable of managing and fulfilling customer requirements on my own.

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I am now able to clearly understand my tasks and determine the appropriate steps to take when encountering specific issues.

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This week, I continued performing my daily tasks as usual. As there were no ongoing projects to follow up at the moment, I focused on checking my emails regularly and addressing any customer issues as they arose. This allowed me to maintain smooth communication with customers and ensure that their requirements were met promptly.

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We guided Dr. Fadhilah on a tour of our warehouse, our products, and our vending machines, explaining how our company provides solutions to our customers.

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This week, my colleague and I completed a project at Schott Prai, where we were tasked with swapping two machines. Due to an increase in customer demand, we replaced the existing locker with a larger one to accommodate more items and ensure smoother usage for the customer.

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In this project, I learned how to assign and unassign items using WEBPOS, an application that allows us to monitor whether the locker is empty. This system helps us determine when top up is required, ensuring that the top-up process can be carried out promptly

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This week, we worked on another project, the revamp project at Teleflex Kulim. The customer requested a revamp of the current planogram due to increased demand. The project involved combining similar items into one locker and utilizing other empty lockers to accommodate new items for their warehouse operations.

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In this project, I learned how to connect an SAC to lockers. The SAC is used to control the motors on each locker’s door, allowing the corresponding door to open when the customer inputs the designated number.

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This week, Mr. Jurard assigned me to work at a different Fastenal branch in Sungai Lokan. Following this assignment, I was offered the opportunity to join Fastenal permanently at the Sungai Lokan branch.

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This week, I began working at the Sungai Lokan branch to familiarize myself with all operations there. Although the nature of the work is similar, the customers are different. This presented a significant challenge, as I had no senior to guide me and had to rely on my previous experience to manage all tasks independently.

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As a result, I began learning tasks that I had not performed at the previous branch, such as the billing process. This process was quite challenging, as accuracy is critical when billing customers based on their monthly usage of our items. After completing the billing, I needed to review it multiple times to ensure that it was correct and free of errors.

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This week, I initially continued to face challenges with the billing process. However, through persistent practice and careful review, I gradually became proficient and was eventually able to handle the process independently.

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In addition, I was assigned to manage several new customer accounts, including Teleflex Kulim, Watlow, Ferrotec, and Molex.

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This week, I was involved in a new project with a customer who expressed interest in our solution, Cincaria. They requested the implementation of a machine at their site to manage stationery items.

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This week, I focused on this project by reviewing the stationery parts list provided by the customer. I also began preparing the costing for the related items that we could supply to them.

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This week, our Fastenal Vice President from Mexico visited our branch. During his visit, we delivered a short presentation covering our monthly sales goals, future sales projections, and upcoming projects that are expected to contribute to increased sales.

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He showed great interest in our branch, as Penang is a small island yet has many industrial areas that provide significant opportunities to expand our sales. We also presented to him details about each of our customers and the specific solutions we provide to address their challenges.

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This week marks the final stage of my internship, as I am about to transition into a permanent role at Fastenal. There are still many aspects I want to learn, especially in handling new customers, so I continue to learn and adapt every day at the new branch to improve my capabilities and handle tasks more efficiently.

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Although I still make some mistakes while performing my tasks, I believe that these mistakes serve as valuable lessons that help me grow. They remind me to be more careful, and I am determined not to repeat the same mistakes in the future.

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This week, after the Malaysia Day holiday, I officially became a permanent employee at Fastenal. Moving forward, I will devote greater focus and take on more responsibilities in my role to contribute effectively to the company.