Typical assignments in Supply Chain Operations:

· Developed one of the first collaborative VMI (Vendor Managed Inventory) systems with a major retailer – where inventory on the retailer’s shelf was automatically monitored and replenished as needed. In addition, extensive reports provided much greater visibility over inventory problems and the needed solutions. This system enabled substantial improvements in communications, in-stock positions, fill-rates and the retailer’s service to their customers.

· Consulted with a high-tech ceramics company to help them to develop their initial production processes for the manufacture of very high quality oxygen

· For a $3 billion chain of retail drugstores. Conducted a sourcing alternative study for over-the-counter pharmaceuticals, health and beauty care items, food, beverage, liquor, and other general merchandise product categories. The alternative sourcing methods examined included direct-store delivery, various wholesalers, and self-distribution through both current warehouses and alternative warehouse scenarios. The impact on cost-of-goods was calculated and the reductions in cost-of-goods-sold ranged from 0.6% to 1.5% depending upon the category of items.

· For a $5 billion computer hardware distributor, acted as a retained consultant (on retainer of approximately 5 days a month plus phone consultations) to both the President of the Logistics Company and the Group Vice President of Products and Purchasing. Specific projects included (1) helping to select their new DRP system, and (2) being a member of their Sourcing 2000 steering committee.

· Performed a distribution network design study for a $1 billion Farm Chemical company. The study answered such questions as:

(1) How many plants should they have?

(2) What products should be manufactured at each plant?

(3) How many warehouses should they have?

(4) Where (i.e., from which plants) should each warehouse get its products?

(5) Which customers each warehouse should serve?

The primary tool for the network design was a large mixed-integer linear programming model, which was created to mirror the network alternatives. This model could be optimized or used to evaluate various “what-if” scenarios. Based on the recommendations, the number of plants was reduced from 7 to 2 while the number of warehouses was reduced from 43 to 17. The first year after implementation of the recommendations, sales increased by 25% while plant and warehouse-operating costs were reduced by approximately a third.

· For a $10 billion distributor of pharmaceuticals, helped them develop a “multi-echelon” inventory stocking approach with all of the necessary support systems. At the top tier/echelon, all generic drugs and difficult-to-manage and expensive items (like biotech drugs) were stocked with subsequent redistribution to lower level tiers in the network. Overall costs of distribution were lowered while end-user customer service was improved.