Customer Service Manager
Resume:
Robert W. Harding
BEECHER, IL **401
**********@*****.***
BACKGROUND AN EXPERIENCED LEADER WITH DIVERSE MANUFACTURING OPERATIONS
SUMMARY EXPERIENCE WITH A CONSISTENTLY SUCCESSFUL TRACK RECORD OF REDUCING
COSTS, IMPROVING QUALITY AND INCREASING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION.
COMMITMENT TO GENERATE HIGH PERFORMANCE, REACH SET GOALS AND ACHIEVE
OUTSTANDING RESULTS. DEMONSTRATED EFFECTIVENESS IN:
STRATEGIC PLANNING & GOAL PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT & ASSESSMENT
ATTAINMENT STRONG COMMUNICATOR & TEAM BUILDER
LEAN MANUFACTURING TECHNIQUES SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT
INVENTORY & COST REDUCTION MS OFFICE / ERP APPLICATIONS
ISO 9001-2000 CERTIFICATION CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
LARGE SCALE PROJECT MANAGEMENT FINANCE/ACCOUNTING
BUDGETING AND COST CONTROL
EDUCATION
MBA, DESALES UNIVERSITY, CENTER VALLEY, PA
B.S. BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, PENNSYLVANIA COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY, WILLIAMSPORT, PA
(CUM LAUDE)
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
CLEVELAND STEEL CONTAINER CORP., PEOTONE, IL AND QUAKERTOWN, PA 1999 -
THE LEADER IN THE HIGH VOLUME STEEL CONTAINER MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY WITH PRESENT
SEVERAL DIVISIONS NATIONWIDE.
GENERAL MANAGER - PEOTONE, IL DIVISION 2004 - PRESENT
P/L ACCOUNTABILITY FOR ALL SITE ACTIVITIES INCLUDING SALES, MANUFACTURING (SEVERAL
PRODUCTION LINES), ENGINEERING, QUALITY, PURCHASING, LOGISTICS, CUSTOMER SERVICE,
FINANCE AND REGULATORY COMPLIANCE. LEAD 9 PROFESSIONALS AND 32 HOURLY EMPLOYEES.
MANAGE OPERATING BUDGET OF $7.5 M AND SALES OF $30M. REPORTING TO DIRECTOR OF
OPERATIONS LOCATED IN CLEVELAND, OHIO.
EXCELLENCE IN STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT/IMPLEMENTATION & TURNAROUND
DEVELOPED AND SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTED STRATEGIC TURN-AROUND PLAN FOR AN
UNDER-ACHIEVING DIVISION RESULTING IN PRE-TAX PROFIT IMPROVEMENT OF 720% WHILE SALES
INCREASED BY 26%.
EVALUATED THE ORIGINAL BUSINESS PLAN AGAINST ACTUAL CONDITIONS AND PROJECTED OUTCOMES.
REDESIGNED THE BUSINESS PLAN BY FOCUSING ON 4 CORE AREAS (CUSTOMERS, EMPLOYEES,
INTERNAL PROCESSES AND FINANCIALS). RESTRUCTURED OPERATIONS, ESTABLISHED VARIOUS COST
REDUCTION INITIATIVES, BUILT AND REPAIRED TEAMS AND PLACED EMPHASIS ON CUSTOMER
SATISFACTION.
EXCELLENCE IN CUSTOMER SATISFACTION & QUALITY IMPROVEMENT
ESTABLISHED A "CUSTOMERS FIRST" PHILOSOPHY THROUGHOUT THE OPERATION RESULTING IN
IMPROVED PRODUCT QUALITY AND KEY SERVICE METRICS SUCH AS ON-TIME DELIVERY, COMPLETE
ORDERS, LEAD TIME REDUCTION AND CUSTOMER COMPLAINT RESOLUTION TIME.
DECREASED CUSTOMER RETURNS & ALLOWANCES 94% OR AVERAGE OF $127,000 BY IMPROVING
OFFICE/SHOP PROCESS CONTROLS & PROCEDURES AND IMPLEMENTING A FORMALIZED ROOT CAUSE
ANALYSIS APPROACH TO RESOLVING CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS.
INSTILLED A CULTURAL CHANGE TO INDIVIDUAL "PROCESS OWNERSHIP" THROUGHOUT THE FACILITY
RESULTING IN SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER LEVELS OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT IN PRODUCT QUALITY
FOR BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL CUSTOMERS.
EXCELLENCE IN COST REDUCTION & PROCESS IMPROVEMENT
EXPERIENCED IN DRIVING MANUFACTURING COST REDUCTION. INITIATIVES HAVE LED TO AVERAGE
ANNUAL SAVINGS OF $220,000.
INCREASED INVENTORY TURNS 51% THROUGH IMPLEMENTATION OF DEMAND FLOW PRINCIPALS.
FACILITATED A SIX SIGMA PROGRAM IN THE DECORATING DEPT. RESULTING IN AVERAGE MONTHLY
PAINT SAVINGS OF $8,300.
DEVELOPED/IMPLEMENTED A CROSS-FUNCTIONAL TEAM TO IMPROVE AND SUSTAIN INVENTORY ITEM
ACCURACY FROM 62% TO 93% (AVERAGE ANNUAL WRITE-OFF REDUCTION OF $85,000). BECAME THE
FIRST DIVISION TO ELIMINATE MONTHLY PLANT PHYSICALS.
REDUCED PLANT WIDE PRODUCTION SCRAP 22% THROUGH PROCESS/EQUIPMENT IMPROVEMENTS AND
TEAM BUILDING.
REORGANIZED THE PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE PROGRAM DECREASING UNPLANNED DOWNTIME TO LESS
THAN 1.4% OF MAINTENANCE HRS.
INCREASED PRODUCTION CAPACITY 20% WHILE DECREASING LABOR COST 24% BY IMPROVING
SCHEDULING TECHNIQUES, PRODUCTION UP-TIME INITIATIVES, INCLUDING QUICK CHANGE-OVER
PROGRAMS.
SELECTED BY SENIOR MANAGEMENT TO MANAGE THE TRANSFER OF ALL CUSTOMER
ACCOUNTS/SPECIFICATIONS AND THE CONSUMPTION OF ALL PLANT INVENTORY DUE TO THE CLOSURE
OF OUR OAKLAND, CA MANUFACTURING DIVISION.
CREATED AN OBJECTIVE PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM THAT LINKED VARIOUS OPERATING
METRICS TO POSITION PERFORMANCE.
ROBERT W. HARDING
PAGE TWO
PLANT OPERATIONS MANAGER - QUAKERTOWN, PA DIVISION 2002 - 2004
DIRECTED THE OPERATION OF ALL ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS AND TWO COMPONENT MANUFACTURING
DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING A FOUR-COLOR PROCESS TANDEM LITHOGRAPHY PRESS. P/L
ACCOUNTABILITY FOR MATERIALS MANAGEMENT AND LOGISTICS. LED 4 PROFESSIONALS AND 6
HOURLY EMPLOYEES. REPORTED TO PLANT GENERAL MANAGER.
DESIGNED AND SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTED CROSS TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR ALL ADMINISTRATIVE
FUNCTIONS.
Improved working capital utilization 25% by eliminating non-value added safety stock
positions and incorporating lean principals to material requirements.
Improved Lithography department machine up-time 10% and labor utilization 8% through
application of Kaizen and quick-change-over events.
Developed and successfully implemented program to train component departments to
schedule work-in-process and report production independently utilizing MRP system.
DIRECTED PLANT OPERATIONS IN THE ABSENCE OF THE GENERAL MANAGER.
APPOINTED BY CORPORATE TO TRAIN OTHER DIVISIONS ON LEAN SCHEDULING TECHNIQUES
UTILIZING OUR ERP SYSTEM.
DEVELOPED WORK PROCEDURES AND PROCESS FLOW CHARTING FOR ALL FRONT-OFFICE JOB FUNCTIONS
TO ELIMINATE WASTE.
SELECTED TO BE PART OF A FIVE MEMBER SWAT TEAM (INCLUDED PRESIDENT, CFO, VP OPERATIONS
AND A PLANT GM) TO IMPROVE THE OPERATION AND PROFITABILITY OF A RECENTLY ACQUIRED
COMPETITOR'S UNION FACILITY. PROJECT RESPONSIBILITY INCLUDED MATERIALS MANAGEMENT,
SCHEDULING AND TWO PRODUCTION LINES.
REDUCED TRANSPORTATION VARIANCE FROM 40% TO LESS THAN 5% WHILE REDUCING ANNUAL FREIGHT
EXPENSE BY $105,000 THROUGH IMPROVING PRODUCT PACKAGING CONFIGURATION AND FREIGHT
CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS.
CUSTOMER SERVICE / SCHEDULING MANAGER - QUAKERTOWN, PA DIVISION 1999 - 2002
RESPONSIBLE FOR MANAGING CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND PLANT-WIDE PRODUCTION
SCHEDULING. REPORTED TO PLANT GENERAL MANAGER.
DESIGNED AND IMPLEMENTED AN ELECTRONIC SCHEDULING SYSTEM IN LITHOGRAPHY DEPARTMENT TO
ENHANCE BATCH SCHEDULING AND DECREASE LENGTHY MACHINE CHANGEOVERS.
Selected by senior management as the project manager for implementation of Oracle
manufacturing software at the Quakertown facility. Selected as first division to "go
live" based on plant readiness.
REDUCED TRANSPORTATION VARIANCE BY 18% BY ENSURING PROPER FREIGHT TO BILL-OF-MATERIAL
ALLOCATION, TRAILER MAXIMIZATION PRINCIPALS AND PARTNERING WITH CUSTOMERS TO MAXIMIZE
THEIR PACKAGING CONFIGURATIONS.
OTHER LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE
RIEGELSVILLE VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY., RIEGELSVILLE, PA 1991 - 2004
MEMBER OF A NOT-FOR-PROFIT VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION RESPONSIBLE FOR
FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY.
FIRE CHIEF 2002-2004
DIRECTED THE OVERALL OPERATION OF A 35 ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP ROSTER. RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL
ASPECTS OF FIRE OPERATIONS INCLUDING MEMBERSHIP, TRAINING, BUDGETING, MAINTENANCE AND
ACTIVE EMERGENCY CALL MANAGEMENT.
DEVELOPED AND IMPLEMENTED STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINES FOR ALL FACETS OF THE
ORGANIZATION.
LAUNCHED A FIRE FIGHTER ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM TO ENHANCE SAFETY OF PERSONNEL AT THE
SCENE OF ACTIVE EMERGENCIES.
IMPROVED PERSONNEL SAFETY BY DEVELOPING IN-HOUSE TRAINING PROGRAMS/REQUIREMENTS FOR
VARIOUS JOB RESPONSIBILITIES.
SECURED TWO STATE LOANS OF $200,000 FOR THE PURCHASE OF NEW FIRE APPARATUS.
WORKED CLOSELY WITH BOROUGH AND TOWNSHIP OFFICIALS TO ENSURE COMMUNITY NEEDS WERE
SATISFIED.
DEVELOPED CONTINGENCY PLANS AND PRE-PLAN FOR LARGE SCALE EMERGENCY INCIDENTS.
RE-DESIGNED APPARATUS EQUIPMENT LAYOUT TO BETTER MATCH DEPARTMENT CAPABILITIES WITH
THE EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT.
HELD VARIOUS OTHER POSITIONS DURING TENURE INCLUDING: DEPUTY FIRE CHIEF (2000-2002)
BATTALION FIRE CHIEF (1999-2000) AND LIEUTENANT (1993-1999).
NATIONALLY CERTIFIED FIRE INSTRUCTOR THROUGH BUCKS COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE. TAUGHT A
100-HOUR NATIONALLY CERTIFIED COURSE UTILIZING BOTH LECTURE AND PRACTICAL EVOLUTIONS
WITH CLASS SIZE OF 40-50 STUDENTS.
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