Email

Crystal Bailey
nu2f5r@r.postjobfree.com
(M) 678-***-****

• Process • Research •Observations • Compliance • Unique • Requirements • Emerging

SOURCING SPECIALIST - RFP WRITER - PROJECT COORDINATOR - TECHNICAL WRITER - ANALYST

LOWE’S COMPANIES, INC.; SOURCING SPECIALIST (Finance) Mooresville, NC; June 2009 – September 2011

Responsible for supporting Shared Services team with the execution of strategic sourcing events for a wide range of indirect services to maximize company profitability by analyzing proposals to minimize risk and reduce operational expenses. Responsibilities include vendor communication and analysis of vendor proposals with recommendations to Business Unit.

Impact: Analysis of proposals and recommendations has projected saving or cost avoidance.

• RFI/RFP – Proposal Management
Obtain confidentiality agreements; Promote inclusion of diverse suppliers in the RFx process; Review timelines and RFP requirements by reviewing statements of work, decision criteria and supporting documents to gain understanding of business processes and strategic objectives; Issue Requests for Proposals (RFP) and Information (RFI) to support department cost savings initiatives; Work with internal business units for internal vendor assessments; Perform financial reviews and SWOT value analysis, identify risks, perform comparative pricing summaries and total cost of ownership reviews; Communicate weekly project status updates; Build PowerPoint presentations; Maintain historical information for audit purposes. Assisted with creation of procedural manuals for the Business Units to support strategic sourcing standards.

• Manage vendor communication
Serve as liaison to the vendor community to ensure bidders receive fair and equitable treatment; Responsibilities include vendor on-boarding set-up in PeopleSoft, bid deployment; responding to clarification questions; vendor conferences, site visits, vendor updates and acceptance and rejection notifications; responsible for reviewing contract requirements and assisting in the preparation of negotiation strategies for services.

• Prepare spend and total cost of ownership analysis
Compile and analyze data from vendor responses. Differentiate vendors via SWOT analysis and scorecard results to consider total cost of ownership, quality and deliverables to meet company demands that effectively satisfy requirements and achieve cost saving goals. Document specifications and discoveries that may enhance scopes of work. Perform analysis of vendor’s financial health using corporate approved models and information supplied by vendors.

• Recommend vendors
Build presentations to present to Business Units along with recommendation memo and project analysis for vendor selection; Background in Audit, Corporate Affairs, Finance, Human Resources and Marketing & Advertising.

WACHOVIA CORPORATION, Charlotte, NC 2004-2008
EVERGREEN INVESTMENTS, SENIOR REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) WRITER - June 2007-July 2008
Worked closely with Consultant Relations in the sales/marketing process by researching and gathering relevant information and data for questionnaires, requests for information and proposals for new and repeat business opportunities. My role involved project management of each document upon approval to bid all the way through to submission of the document to include: writing and editing of content, review and revision of additional content from key stakeholders and subject matter experts to strategically positioning information, communicate project timelines, ensuring documentation met client guidelines, company standards and content style guide. Obtaining final approval and production of the document. This position functioned internally collaborating with Product Management, Account Management, Analytics, Legal, and other stakeholders to ensure required deliverables were met. My position also required use and update of Proposal Management and Production System (PMAPS) database, for rewrites ensuring information matched company website/whitepapers, maintaining compliance files and quality control review of data and documents.
Impact: Won first proposal for a multiple product bid and completed over 50 proposals and due diligence requests within 12 months, that contributed to brand driving and revenue growth; improved writing and communication skills. Organized and re-categorized filing and storage systems to gain control of three-year backlog of information to improve efficiency. Project managed response from start to finish.
• Contributed to client service
Developed and maintained a basic understanding of investments by analyzing, creating and writing about core capabilities, services and products in order to ensure responses met both client and corporate guidelines and compliance while managing multiple deadlines.

• Cut average draft time spent on proposals by 50%
Improved quality of content that corresponded to customer’s request for need and efficiency of proposal efforts by updating pre-written content to increase speed and reduce time.

• Cut average days to complete a proposal by 70%
Partnered with internal resources to improved response effectiveness by creating and maintaining information that gave maximum clarity of meaning, accuracy and relevance. Became familiar with and kept track of formatting conventions, style guides and templates.

• High utilization - 75% of content pulled from database for many responses
Reduced risk with new submissions by drawing from approved content and maintaining compliance files to include: source information, financial data and working documentation for each response

WACHOVIA BANK N.A., EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT/PROJECT COORDINATOR – September 2006 to June 2007
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT (Corporate CIO Group - OTE) –Sept 2006 to Feb 2007
Provided individual executive support for the Operations, Technology and eCommerce Corporate executive team to include, Martin Davis, Gloria Chance, Ginny Hartsema, as well as Card Services President, Steve Boehm by coordinating multiple prioritized and non-prioritized requests and issues from various directions both within and outside of the bank. Working for high profile executives my main priority was to be organized, consistent and focused on true priorities, importance and corporate initiatives and standards while working closely with HR business partners. Maintained daily contact with managers, peers, executive assistants and subordinates as well as outside customers. Perform research, compose and edit corporate memos and documentation, review content and forward content for corporate approval. Gather data, collect status reports, prepare staff agendas, manage calendar, schedule executive meetings, conferences and off-site functions, book travel arrangements, managed special projects independently, submitted expenses and maintained confidential data. Worked closely with corporate communications on executive presentations and press releases, for corporate compliance.

TRANSITIONAL EXPERIENCE - WACHOVIA CORPORATION; Charlotte, NC –Feb 2007 to June 2007
A leveraged resource to the Retail Project Management team for the credit card conversion from MBNA onto TSYS, coordinating verification mapping data efforts. Assisted the project team from client mock to dress rehearsal all the way through to conversion In addition, also worked as a leverage resource with IT Communications with the IT calendar site move to SharePoint.

OPERATIONS: In an effort to learn more about financial operations, shadowed a GBG operations consultant supporting financial branches to perform training and conduct unexpected tracking to determine compliance of corporate policy. Reviewed wire transfers and corporate deposits. Documented errors and non-compliance to update database and reported results to management while recommending corrective action along with a 25-day follow-up for re-evaluation.

PROJECT SUPPORT Wachovia Direct Access (WDA) –Aug/Sept 2006
Supported various projects needing additional assistance to include: Updating and tracking of WDA Channel Review Recommendations; Performed quantitative analysis research of customer surveys for Customer Support Service Planning Team.
Coordinated and facilitated kick-off of a (CRISS) project; a contact reason/case type documentation project utilizing DirectNet. Organized meeting to begin project, assigned sections and follow-up session to ensure deadline for manager to present findings.

SR. ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT (Enterprise Contact Center Technology) Nov 2004 – Sept 2006

AMERICAN MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS, INC. (AMS); SALES SUPPORT PROPOSAL ASSOCIATE (Financial Services) Charlotte, NC; October 2001-June 2004
Working with various levels of executives, lead proposal teams and supported engagements for all marketed financial products for AMS, in a structured development process. Managed proposals and engagements by coordinating & scheduling kick-off meetings, developing proposal plans, assigning proposal sections and hands-on assembly, formatting, and writing sections of content, monitoring workflow and priorities, organizing internal and executive reviews for proposal and engagement teams and ensuring deadlines were met. Collaborated with senior managers and assigned subject matter experts to develop strategies. Worked closely with legal and participated in risk reviews. Stayed abreast of company products, services and collateral for accuracy of information into RFP answers and for internal and external distribution and marketing databases

Impact: Standardized and simplified proposal process by developing a common set of information collected at every opportunity as guidance for future responses

• Designed customer-driven presentation and proposals that generated interesting and reader-friendly submissions
Responsible for ensuring response captured customer intended need, and addressed intended solution. From initiation to production delivered timely, error-free, content specific information for hard, soft or via web bid/sourcing systems.

• Gained understanding of the liability associated with the use of certain words for responses
Partnered with legal for accuracy around descriptive summaries/references, non-disclosure statements, and terms and conditions in order to verify compliance with standards/methodologies.

• Built and utilized a process on lessons learned to be more efficient
Developed process to communicate timelines and managed the development of the response that consistently and powerfully communicated the desired message using the appropriate voice and tone.

BEARINGPOINT (Formerly KPMG Consulting); QUOTE CENTER/PROCUREMENT COORDINATOR Enterprise Integration Services (EIS) Atlanta, GA; January 2000-July 2001
Promoted and joined KPMG. Working for a value-added reseller of technological solutions, served as the focal point for communication to and from the product services Configuration Center. This involved supporting a configuration team with preparing requests for proposals for hardware, software, support services and purchase orders from the KPMG field team. This included maintaining customer logs, delivering equipment quotes at competitive prices and working with vendors and suppliers to negotiate and compete with current market prices utilizing QuoteDesk. Prepared purchasing orders. Analyzed purchasing data. Assisted with invoicing for equipment. Performed customer service/account follow-up and vendor relations. Resolved issues related to the configuration process including inventory. Preparing department and alliance financial reports regarding generated revenue, profit margins, resale and referral fees-concentrating on targeted alliance and line of business revenue generated.
PERSONAL ACCOMPLISHMENT Submitted and awarded City of Charlotte Matching Grant and Managed Project for Neighborhood Improvement Project

EARLY CAREER:

AMERICAN EXPRESS GROUP TRAVEL; (KPMG Consulting Account) Norcross, GA; February 1998-January 2000
AMERICAN AIRLINES; RESERVATIONS SALES AGENT Cary, NC; November 1991-February 1998
UNITED STATES ARMY RESERVES; OPERATING ROOM SPECIALIST 350th MASH Greenville and Fayetteville, NC; May 89-May 96
EDUCATION Bachelor of Arts, English (1993) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
SOFTWARE APPLICATIONS PeopleSoft Word Publisher Visio PowerPoint Lotus Notes Excel Goldmine PMAPS DataExpress QuarterMaster Adobe