Quality Assurance Supply Chain

WILLIAM N. ROBERTS

**** ******* *****

Grayslake, Illinois 60030

(847) 548 - 7442

***********@*******.***

PRODUCT ENGINEERING & GLOBAL SOURCING EXECUTIVE

Driving Profitability through Product & Supplier Development ~ Global Product Quality and Compliance

Manufacturing Excellence ~ Supply Chain Management

Cross-functional leadership in product innovation & development, quality, compliance, process engineering,

global sourcing and manufacturing. Expertise in creating and launching new products for diverse industrial

and consumer markets, managing multiple business portfolios and creating productive engineering and

product support teams throughout the world. Subject matter expert in a wide array of industrial and consumer

product categories such as motors, pumps, wire assemblies, tools, plastics, metals, lighting, electro-

mechanical devices, HVAC, coatings, material handling, and plumbing. Skilled in product innovation, RCA &

CAPA problem solving methods, product quality, safety and compliance, and supply chain management.

Skills enhanced by MBA.

Product Lifecycle Management Global Supplier Management

Product Compliance & Integrity Multi-Facility Leadership

Global Quality Management Team Creation & Leader Development

Continuous Improvement & Cost Reduction Innovation- Awarded 9 Patents

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

AFX LIGHTING INCORPORATED, Waukegan, IL

A supplier of commercial and residential energy efficient lighting systems.

Director, Engineering 2011 – 2013

Led the product development, design, manufacturing engineering, sourcing, quality assurance,

technical support and product compliance activities engaged in providing energy efficient lighting

systems for commercial and residential applications.

• Established technical roadmap and product development strategies that increased Solid State (LED)

lighting product revenue by 150%.

• Authored and implemented engineering and global supplier management processes to fuel revenue

growth by 300%.

• Achieved annual cost reduction target of $200,000 through application of continuous improvement

methodologies including VSM, 5S, Kaizen and meaningful value-engineering initiatives.

• Instituted TQM supplier quality management systems such as RCA, CAPA, scorecards, pre-shipment

audits, conformance certifications, success metrics and weekly communication which have lowered

incoming quality rejects by 15% and customer returns by 10%.

• Authored and implemented cross-functional new product development processes which decreased

time-to-market by 40%.

• Managed the product health, safety, energy and environmental compliance certification processes for

such retail customers as Home Depot, Costco, Menards and HD Supply.

• Developed global partnerships with key certification and support agencies such as UL, CSA, FCC,

CE, Intertek, ALA and Energy Star to improve speed to market without jeopardizing safety or

reliability.

• Implemented CI and ISO processes including supplier scorecards, RACI charts, process-mapping,

product technical and quality specifications, ECO/ECR process, KPIs, CAD file management,

technical customer service, replacement part rationalization and design standardization.

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NISSAN FORK-LIFT CORPORATION, Marengo, IL

Fork-Lift truck manufacturing and service Division of Nissan Motor Corp. a Fortune 50 manufacturer.

Senior Manager, Supplier Management 2010 – 2011

Directed all supplier management activities overseeing $200 million of production and after-market spend

for tier 1 automotive parts: hydraulics, electro-mechanical, steel plate, wire harnesses, iron castings,

forgings, electronics and engines.

• Devised and implemented continuous improvement and cost reduction activities by

leveraging expertise in product and process development, strategic global sourcing and project

management to drive successful results in a cross functional team environment. International travel

and daily communication with overseas executives.

• Created and implemented the culture and tools which allowed the supplier management

team to meet and exceed all corporate cost reduction goals which had not been met for the previous

five years. Implemented $2.5 million in annual spend savings.

• Provided prototypes and mock-ups, assisted in all pre-production builds and coordinated the

PPAP process for the development of several new engines and lift truck vehicles.

• Prepared and negotiated pricing, VMI and purchasing agreements. Created unique

methodologies and partnerships to mitigate extraordinary commodity price increases in steel and

rubber.

• Provided strategy and systems to source, evaluate, standardize, and prototype over 900

unique parts for a new truck line in a tight 6 month timeline.

• Applied value-stream mapping activities to re-structure staff processes thus enabling the

current staff level to support a 45% increase in production demand without adding headcount.

• Introduced global sourcing program and initiated company’s first globally-sourced material

handling equipment project. Potential annual revenues of $10 million.

• Consolidated and standardized components across global supply chain delivering $150,000

in annual savings.

• Created a Design for Manufacturability program for suppliers and engineers to collaboratively

analyze and improve product designs to improve quality, cost and delivery.

WW GRAINGER, Lake Forest, IL

$8 billion dollar distributor of facilities maintenance products. Global Sourcing Division provided

high margin products sourced from over 20 countries and sold under private label.

Engineering Manager, Global Sourcing Division 2003 – 2009

Directed all international product engineering and supplier quality management. Responsible for the

product development, sourcing, evaluation, testing, specification, certification, contract manufacturing,

patent protection, compliance and quality assurance of over 30,000 globally-sourced products.

• Created and led elite domestic and international engineering teams comprised of 30 degreed

engineers and 3 departmental managers with operating budget of $5 million.

• Reduced product launch time by 26% which allowed a 33% increase in new product sales

over prior year.

• Expanded US lab facility and constructed a new technical facility in Shanghai, China.

• Identified requirements and drove/coordinated efforts to ensure domestic and international

product compliance to numerous health, safety, environmental and energy savings certification

agencies such as: UL, ETL, CE, ISO, EnergyStar, cGMP, FDA, EPA, TUV, CSA, REACH, CPSC,

RoHS, DOT, Prop65, NSF and ANSI resulting in 100% compliance with no field findings or product

recalls.

• Provided strategic and technical leadership in procuring and leveraging intellectual property,

trademark and trade dress assets and in performing due diligence for several acquisitions and

mergers.

• Authored a comprehensive library of technical and quality specifications for over 8,000

products.

• Launched product quality RCA and CAPA initiatives that reduced product return levels from

6% to 1.9% in first year equating to bottom-line savings of >$5 million.

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• Leader of business team to acquire ISO9001:2008 which was awarded on first attempt. The

Global Sourcing division was the only Grainger division to achieve this certification.

• Authored a comprehensive Supplier Handbook to provide standardization across the supply

chain. Handbook is currently used by >300 global suppliers, to identify business requirements and

help ensure compliance to all operational and logistical requirements.

ITW PASLODE, Vernon Hills, IL

A division of ITW, a Fortune 200 manufacturer of advanced technology.

Manager, Research & Development 2000 – 2003

Directed all product development activities including product design, specification, patent documentation,

strategic planning, capital procurement, prototyping, tooling, facility management and supplier

development related to the development of contractor-grade cordless nailing products.

• Drove successful development, production and market introduction of Paslode cordless 18-

gauge pneumatic nail gun, completing production 6 months ahead of schedule. Awarded Popular

Mechanics “Product of the Year” in 2001.

• Initiated the use of focus groups and VoC as a tool to provide expert end-user guidance

during the product development process.

• Secured funding and directed a $4 million project to develop a new cordless high-power

nailing tool. Chosen technology resulted in 12 patent applications.

• Managed all facility requirements for two 100K square foot manufacturing plants (HVAC, fire

prevention, security, permits, expansion, plumbing, electrical, codes, and maintenance contracts).

LEARNING CURVE INTERNATIONAL, Chicago, IL

A designer and manufacturer of educational toys.

Director, Product Engineering 1999 - 2000

Directed engineering teams in US and China in the product development, manufacturing,

compliance and quality assurance of licensed educational toy products such as Lionel, Thomas

the Tank Engine, Lamaze, KidClassics, and Robotix.

• Brought over 200 products to market on-time and under budget, increasing sales revenue from $36

million to $85 million in one year.

• Decreased product development cycle time by 60% and increased globally-sourced content by 80%.

ZENITH ELECTRONICS CORP., Glenview, IL

A Fortune 500 leading manufacturer of consumer electronics.

Manager, Manufacturing Engineering 1984 - 1999

Directed the electro/mechanical product design, development and high volume manufacturing of

television sets and printed circuit assemblies. Supervised the Chemistry and Analytical labs.

• Sourced, evaluated, drafted purchasing agreements and installed high speed SMT, reflow,

auto-insert and wave soldering equipment for high volume PCB manufacturing at multiple sites.

• Developed, built and launched the industry’s first high definition television (HDTV) set top

box.

• Conceived and launched product and process improvement initiatives, created contract

manufacturing partnerships and maintained development schedules, BOMs, inventory positions, and

engineering changes at multiple supplier sites.

• Founded and directed the Corporate Materials Development Group.

• Formulated various solvent and water-based coatings and designed large volume scale-up

processes.

• Designed and patented various products in the areas of coatings, heat dissipation, optics,

films and metal joining which resulted in cost savings exceeding $3M annually.

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DEGREES AWARDED

Masters of Business Administration (MBA), Marketing

DePaul University, Chicago, IL

Master of Science (MS), Organic Chemistry

Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL

Bachelor of Science (BS), Chemistry,

Loyola University, Chicago, IL

CERTIFICATIONS

Design for Manufacturability; Motorola University

Six Sigma Quality, Productivity and Competitive Position, Motorola University

APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional (Mods 1 & 2), WWGrainger

Manufacturing Cycle Management; Motorola University

Juran Quality Improvement Process Dr. Juran

PATENTS

US Patent # 6796478, Fuel Cell Adapter System, 2004

US Patent # 6626344, Fuel Cell Adapter System, 2003

US Patent # 5060114, Thermally Conductive Conformal Pad, 1991

US Patent # 5017170, Brazing Method for CRT, 1991

US Patent # 50223507, CRT Tension Mask, 1991

US Patent # 4710820, Optical CRT Coupler, 1987

US Patent # 4672089, Retroreflective Sheeting, 1987

US Patent # 4601861, Method for Embossing Precision Optical Pattern, 1986

US Patent # 4618518, Retroreflective Sheeting Fabrication, 1986

PUBLICATIONS

Journal of Organic Chemistry jo01309a042: Constraints on Long Range Aryl Migration.

Journal of Organic Chemistry jo00395a043: Implication for Orbital Control of 1,3 Diplolar Cycloadditions

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES

Illinois Junior Academy of Science, Judge

Regional and State Level

Police Pension Board, Trustee

Village of Grayslake, Mayoral Appointee

Youth Athletics Coach,

Park District Softball, Soccer; Basketball

Chairman, LEEDS Architectural Design and Aesthetics Team

Prairie Crossing Conservation Community

Chairman

United Way Campaign

Adjunct Instructor, Pre-Med Organic Chemistry

Oakton Community College

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