Rachel Russell
South Windsor,Object:849
Summary
Ambitious Category Manager experienced in driving profitability and margin expansion with vision and e-commerce strategies. A systematic approach in building strong vendor relationships and driving negotiations. Attentive to dynamics of different markets and trends affecting clients.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Category Manager Electronics
Access and Egress Hardware Group a division Assa Abloy
New Haven, CT
01.2013 - Current
- Managed 120 Electronic Suppliers with a total Annual spend of $29 million.
- Supplier Cost Downs average of 3.61%.
- Evaluate suppliers’ capabilities.
- Developed Supplier Capability Matrix.
- Devised long-term development strategies for product categories, including Harness, Motor, and PCBA strategies.
- Manage New Product projects. Developed sourcing plan template used to manage and track key sourcing activities for projects. Drive project timelines with suppliers. Negotiate best price and terms for new product. Coordinate transition from development to production
- Implemented various stocking programs with suppliers to improve lead time and reduce inventory. Including Consignment Agreements, Kanban Agreements, Component Stocking Agreements, and Forecast Ordering Agreements.
- Work on implementing Purchasing Agreements with key partner suppliers
- Part of the Global Electronics Council.
- Negotiated agreements with suppliers to manage inventory, quality and cost.
- Coordinated with internal teams such as operations, finance, and legal regarding category strategy implementation.
- Conducted regular reviews of inventory levels and adjusted purchasing plans accordingly.
- Prepared reports summarizing current market conditions and their impact on assigned categories.
- Collaborated with suppliers to determine strategies for improving performance.
- Maintained relationships with key suppliers while managing supplier performance. Leading Business Reviews with suppliers, to discuss and monitor supplier performance in key areas of Quality, Price, and Delivery.
- Maintained open communication with team members and stakeholders, resulting in successful project outcomes.
- Negotiated pricing and contracts with suppliers.
- Developed exit strategies to quickly remove under performing suppliers.
- Implemented strategies for streamlining procurement processes resulting in improved efficiency.
Buyer/Planner
ASSA ABLOY SARGENT Manufacturing
New Haven, CT
- Tracked product and supply inventories and reported findings to supervisors.
- Reduced production material inventory levels.
- Monitored inventory levels to ensure the availability of products for customers.
- Evaluated and right-sized safety stock levels.
- Corrected BOM Errors.
- Worked with JDE team, to improve the ERP system and identify problems that impact purchasing activities.
- Created new forecasting tools for long lead time vendors.
- Created and implemented inter-company inventory movement controls.
- Evaluated vendor proposals based on price competitiveness, quality standards, service level agreements, and reliability.
- Managed inventory control systems to track stock levels, deliveries, and related information. Implementing Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) and Kanban.
- Evaluated quotations received from prospective suppliers to award purchase orders.
- Worked with suppliers to expedite open purchase orders and shipments in transit.
- Reviewed purchase orders and invoices to ensure accuracy.
- Implemented strategies for streamlining procurement processes resulting in improved efficiency.
Production Supervisor and Buyer/Planner – Aftermarket
JACOBS VEHICLE SYSTEMS
Bloomfield, CT
01.2012 - 01.2013
- Promoted to Production Supervisor from Buyer/Planner
- Responsible for supervising hourly associates in multiple departments of the company
- Implemented various Danaher Business System (DBS) tools to help improve daily production, such as Pac-Charts, Standard work, and visual management
- Used Danaher Business System (DBS) tools to identify opportunities for improvement on production to ensure all customer requirements were satisfied
- Identified safety concerns and worked with the Safety Team to correct
- Work with other internal production teams to ensure that quality product produced on time to meet aftermarket requirements
- Worked with external suppliers on delivery and minimum order requirements to help reduce inventory
- Reduced overtime to below 5%
- Through production opportunities maintained 93% delivery to customer original promise delivery date
- Took over sales forecasting for Aftermarket
- Developed Pac-Charts for the diverse activities of an aftermarket department
- Developed Kanban for internal suppliers
- Maintained inventory accuracy to .5%.
Buyer/Planner - DAF and Exhaust Brake
01.2011 - 01.2012
- Promoted to Production Buyer/Planner from Aftermarket Buyer/Planner
- Responsible for management of 2 engine OEM accounts, domestic and international, with annual sales of $9 million
- Managed all aspects of production planning, purchasing and inventory control for 2 production lines and two offsite warehouses
- Worked with suppliers to ensure quality, delivery and cost objectives are met
- Use of MRP and Kanban to signal when to purchase parts and maintain inventory levels
- Responsible for expediting product from suppliers as needed
- Daily management of inventory to maintain inventory levels and meet inventory turn goals
- Maintain accuracy of inventory through cycle counts, daily completions of finished goods, and timely disposition of scrapped parts
- Responsible for Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and daily communications with customers to fully understand demand
- Develop and maintain a production plan based on customer requirements
- Worked with Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable to resolve discrepancies
- Trained new buyer/planners
- Implemented and trained JD Edwards at off site warehouse
- Set up Consignment/VMI (Vendor Managed Inventory) at offsite warehouse
- Reduced inventory by $300,000
- Reduced $400,000 in inventory, increasing inventory turns by 2.0
- Maintained inventory accuracy to .06% at offsite warehouse
- Took over sales forecasting for Exhaust Brake.
Buyer/Planner – Aftermarket
01.2009 - 01.2011
- Promoted to Buyer/Planner from Maintenance Coordinator
- Handled all Buyer/Planner functions for 3 teams, annual sales of 7 million dollars – approximately 1500 purchased parts
- Managed 10 aftermarket customers and intercompany sales to China
- Developed and implemented a Kanban process for packaged and assembled items
- Kaizen team member to create pocket margin strategy/implemented process to charge customers for expediting or drop shipping orders
- Trained Customer Service Representative
- Increased Inventory turns from 2.2 to 3.4.
Maintenance Coordinator
01.2008 - 01.2009
- Managed Somax a Maintenance Management Information System, managed KPI Board and develop counter measures based on these matrices
- Assisted with maintenance work order distribution
- Performed JSA Audits and Safety Compliance Audits
- Analyzed maintenance performance, developed reports from Crystal Reports for use in Somax, updated DPR for maintenance downtime, maintain the Preventative Maintenance System
- Maintained the integrity of the Somax Data
- Developed a new Maintenance Work Order, to better track maintenance data
- Developed a report that tracks trends of maintenance activities by team, to show where focus needs to be directed
- Eliminated unnecessary PM’s based on analytical review of various reports, which gave maintenance a better focus.
Buyer/Planner – Electrical Mechanical Sargent
- Promoted to Buyer/Planner from Materials Analyst
- Implemented Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) with vendor
- Implemented kanban
- Inventory Reduction
- Created new forecasting tool for high dollar long lead time vendor
- Evaluated and right sized safety stock levels
- EM Variance Reduction
- Identified and Fix BOM Errors
- Identified receiving errors and work with receiving to develop new processes to handle receipt issues
- Implemented inter-company inventory movement controls
- Work with internal quality to team to improve vendor quality
- Work with new product buyer/planner on sourcing new projects
- Developed tools to track part shortages
- Worked with JDE team, to improve the ERP system and identify problems that impact purchasing activities.
Materials Analyst Consultant
- Use inventory control knowledge to work with Buyer/Planners to identify opportunities to reduce inventory
- Assist to improve the use of Kanban tools, increase frequency of Kanban review, develop visual tools to better identify the Kanban, and proper Kanban level.
Education
Bachlors of science in management with a Concentration in marketing -
CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY
05.2007
Skills
- JDEdwards
- Microsoft Office
- Kanban Systems
- Apics Certification
- Data Analytics
- Data Review
- Cost-Reduction Strategies
- Pricing Strategies
- Process Development
- Demand Forecasting
- Vendor Relations
- Strategic Sourcing
Accomplishments
- ASSA ABLOY People Making A Difference award winner
Affiliations
- ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions Americas Leadership Development Program
- ASSA ABLOY Prokura Supply Chain Training
- Karass Negotiation Training
Certification
- APICS Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM)
Timeline
Category Manager Electronics
Access and Egress Hardware Group a division Assa Abloy
01.2013 - Current
Production Supervisor and Buyer/Planner – Aftermarket
JACOBS VEHICLE SYSTEMS
01.2012 - 01.2013
Buyer/Planner - DAF and Exhaust Brake
01.2011 - 01.2012
Buyer/Planner – Aftermarket
01.2009 - 01.2011
Maintenance Coordinator
01.2008 - 01.2009
Buyer/Planner
ASSA ABLOY SARGENT Manufacturing
Buyer/Planner – Electrical Mechanical Sargent
Materials Analyst Consultant
Bachlors of science in management with a Concentration in marketing -
CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY
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