Auburn ISE alumna drives process improvement at Home Depot

Auburn University industrial and systems engineering alumna Scottie Barre is helping optimize supply chain operations for one of the largest retailers in the country.

Barre, who earned her bachelor’s degree in industrial and systems engineering from Auburn in 2018, serves as a distribution center engineer at Home Depot, leading efforts to improve efficiency and streamline operations.

“I conduct time studies, statistical analysis and other supply chain-related analyses,” Barre said. “I identify process improvement opportunities and support or lead cross-functional strategic or process improvement projects leveraging Lean Six Sigma.”

Her work also includes managing reporting structures, developing standard operating procedures and supporting Home Depot’s distribution facilities in capacity planning and transportation functions.

One of Barre’s proudest career moments came when she was named project lead for the company’s Operational Excellence assessments, which evaluate how well distribution centers adhere to standardized processes.

“It has been incredible to see how our facilities have been improving year over year on process adherence and how they continue to improve every single day,” she said.

Barre’s passion for process improvement started at Auburn, where she discovered industrial and systems engineering through an academic advisor.

“I’ve always been a process-driven person,” she said. “Once I began my classes, I knew that was going to be exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.”

Among her favorite courses was Lean Manufacturing, which she says continues to influence her daily work.

“We learned so many applicable and relevant topics in that class that I have carried with me my entire career,” Barre said.

She credits Auburn’s industrial and systems engineering program with giving her a strong foundation for success.

“I truly believe the knowledge we gather during our time in ISE at Auburn sets you up for success in your career,” she said. “I still apply topics that I learned in my classes to my everyday life in our distribution centers.”

Her time in the classroom was meaningful, but Barre’s most unforgettable Auburn moment came under the lights of Jordan-Hare Stadium.

“My favorite memory is beating Alabama my senior year, on my birthday, when I got to storm the field for the last time as a student,” she said. “As a lifelong Auburn fan, that was the best birthday present I could have ever asked for.”