Sysco LABS’ Nilupa Kiringoda shares insights on balance, pursuing passions and leading by example

In conversation with Sysco LABS Senior Director, Delivery Nilupa Kiringoda, on work-life harmony and the digitisation opportunities to disrupt the trillion-dollar foodservice industry.

Q: What were your initial reasons for joining Sysco LABS?

Sysco LABS is incredibly well-known within the industry as one of the best organisations to work for in addition to attractive pay, culture and scope of work. However, what I was most drawn to was the opportunity to disrupt the trillion-dollar foodservice industry ripe for digitisation. I believe through innovation, the degree of value that can be generated in this area is immense.

Many are unaware of the expansive scope of the foodservice industry and its myriad operations. At Sysco LABS we employ a multi-pronged approach to build technologies that create enormous value along every aspect of the foodservice journey – from warehousing and logistics, merchandising, pricing, and enterprise technologies, to customer facing tech. 

I find it extremely exciting that it places the organisation and those within it in a position of accelerating growth and opportunity.

Sysco LABS also provides a high level of work autonomy that is a key cornerstone of innovation. Our culture encourages curiosity and enables independent thinking, provides an environment in which teams can experiment and test new problem-solving approaches with minimal fear of failure. 

Q: With nearly two decades’ experience in project implementation, what continues to drive you?

Being a program manager means you must balance both the interests and stresses of so many different stakeholders to bring major work to fruition. Every day you face new challenges, and need to find solutions, not for yourself but for your team; it is a job where you make others shine. We also see major pieces of technology go to market and transform businesses. That is ultimately the biggest motivation. 

Q: How do you feel Sysco LABS encourages cultivating a work-life balance? 

I think Sysco LABS promotes work-life harmony over work-life balance where you don’t have to sacrifice your life for work, rather allowing your work to be a part of your life in a way that promotes happiness both at home and in the office. 

One of the most effective ways to achieve work-life harmony is to really enjoy what you do. Sysco LABS has a large variety of technology stacks and career paths to choose from and fosters a culture of innovation. You can find a position that remunerates you for pursuing your passion. 

Sysco LABS also provides a flexible working environment where everybody can adjust their work schedules in a way where they can achieve both work and personal commitments. Cultivating balance is also encouraged through initiatives such as the ‘Ministry of Fun’ and employee-led clubs that organise social and cultural events ensuring teams mingle and have fun. 

Q: How did your love for cycling emerge?

 I spent long hours cycling as a kid and loved it. Though for some time I have given it up, the pandemic brought back the cyclist in me. I really needed a positive distraction when I was stuck at home and decided to repair my old mountain bike, taking it to the roads again. I was able to ride and train with an engaging bunch of professional cyclists. A few months in, I just fell in love with the sport and realised that cycling can be taken to the next level which led me to performance and long-distance cycling. I also wanted to push myself and see how far I could take it, which resulted in my riding from Point Pedro to Point Dondra – 600 km in 28hrs!

Q: Has your experience in IT and agile environments helped in the cycling challenge ‘Race the Pearl’?

Absolutely. Race the Pearl is a cycling challenge that pushes all known physical and mental boundaries in attempting to ride a bicycle across Sri Lanka. The experience I gained as a project management professional really helped me. To tackle this challenge, it is vital that in pre-race preparation you must know your weaknesses to focus more on training and know your strengths to gain a competitive advantage during the race. 

We practice agility daily at work which requires the ability to understand, adapt, and change quickly in an ever-evolving environment. It is about taking huge, seemingly insurmountable tasks and breaking them down into small manageable chunks. Race the Pearl takes you through a varied terrain of straight-arrow roads, uphill and downhills, green and barren land, all while riding through day and night, rain and shine. Cycling is not that different from a complex software project, once you are clear about what you want to achieve, you take it leg by leg, mile by mile, focus on what is in front of you and in no time, you have done something that seemed impossible. 

Q: Do you believe a combination of software and data can help professional sports teams gain a competitive advantage?

 Today, competitive sports have evolved to a level where the athletes or the teams cannot live without data and software. Computing technology has become so advanced that it can be woven into the fabric of athletes’ jerseys, installed in sports equipment such as balls, bats, or even shoes. 

Specifically in cycling, we use advanced cycling computers and smart cycling trainers. This includes different sensors such as heart rate monitors, power, speed and cadence sensors to collect various data related to the riders and bikes’ performance. 

Modern coaching makes use of performance data collected through athletes’ bodies, through their sportswear or equipment to create winning strategies to be competitive in their game. 

In the industry we use the term ‘Internet of Things’ (IOT) where physical objects with sensors, processing ability, software, and other technologies connect and exchange data with other devices and systems over communication networks. The data we collect from these devices can then be compared with the data of all other athletes using different software, ensuring the most effective game strategies to be isolated and recommended, as well as to optimise performance and prevent potential injuries.