Executive level IT professional with deep experience
Resume:
IRWIN GAFEN
Northbrook, IL ***62
*******@*****.***
EXPERIENCE
present - Director Wholesale and Fulfillment Systems
- Lead IT Executive responsible for overall Information Technology needs for Higher Education Group Distribution &
Wholesale Division of multi billion dollar private corporation
- Responsible for building, enhancing and supporting eCommerce Order Processing and Fulfillment systems processing
over $350m in Sales, covering both B2B and B2C business channels. Integrated marketplace fulfillment with
Amazon.com, Half.com, Abebooks.com, and ebay.com using a variety of webservices including AWS, and MWS
- Directed IT acquisition integration of Varsity Books internet based "virtual bookstore"business, increasing sales by $45m
- Responsible for $35m design and integration of Kiva Systems warehouse automation system into the FHEG infrastructure,
consolidating multiple warehouses into one 500,000 sq ft automated facility, upgrading Warehouse Management System
(WMS) functionality, and integrating these with conveyer, packaging automation, and manifesting/shipping systems,
resulting in significant operational benefits and labor savings
- Designed roadmap and executed migration of legacy business operation from mainframe to .Net SQL technology, creating
new functionality to support evolving legacy B2B business and support new B2C internet business resulted in building
$70m of new business and sustaining and growing legacy business.
- Implemented data warehouse for reporting, integrated customer database, and inventory pricing and allocation
management system, redefining key functionality to support a quickly evolving industry including digital media.
- Responsible for supporting and expanding EDI trading for the Enterprise. Migrated and upgraded electronic B2B trading
partner processing to IBM Websphere Sterling Integrator (SI 5.2.4) from Gentran 6.0 and Gentran Integration Suite (GIS)
4.3
- Successfully and efficiently implemented PCC DSS compliant Data Key Encryption solution for tier 1 Enterprise
- Responsible for identifying, negotiating implementing and managing various vendor support service relationships across
the Division using focused SLAs
1997 - CVS Health
2006 - Director Supply Chain Logistics Systems
- Key IS Executive managing business relationship with the CVS Retail Supply Chain Logistics organization
- Successfully planned, designed and implemented new multi-site state of the art award winning automated Witron
Distribution Warehouse Management and Control System – “Dexma” project. First system of its kind delivers product
orders in unique per store, aisle location sequence, resulting in both significant operational cost reductions over
conventional facilities (1/2 the size and 1/3 of the labor) and store labor efficiency benefits.
- IS Lead on cross-functional team developing and executing multi-year new distribution center network strategy
continuation of project “DeXma”, with responsibility for coordinating all needed IS support for its execution
- Responsible for supporting systems in 14 Distribution Centers, processing Pharmacy and General Merchandise including
Health and Beauty Aids thru 5.5m+ sqft space, delivering to 5,200 stores with annual sales of $34B+.
- Managed conversion, integration, and took over support of 10 Distribution Centers Systems from 3 acquisitions (Revco,
Arbor, and Eckerd). Resulting overall corporate synergies achieved goal of more than $60m savings.
- Directed Warehouse Management System implementation (EXE) in 850,000 sqft facility to improve productivity,
throughput, and accuracy with labor standards tracking using RF equipment. Resulted in reduced facility processing cost
of $3m per year.
- Implemented various other automation equipment including picking dispenser (A-Frame), Pick-to-Light, Pick-to-Voice
and Sortation Equipment, resulting in increased processing productivity and order accuracy.
- Responsible for Chain wide Supply Chain Execution initiatives including Sunrise 2005 GTIN compliance, Global Data
Synchronization with the World Wide Retail Exchange / UCCNET
- Other responsibilities include:
o Implemented web-based quality assurance system to track accuracy of shipments from Distribution Centers to
facilitate assumed receipt of product in stores. Resulted in store labor savings of 336,000 hours annually.
o Implemented inbound transportation program with annual savings of $4m, and improved control on inbound
product
o Implemented Supply Chain tool providing full visibility to inbound shipments from suppliers, resulting in
reduced lead times and safety stock
o Upgraded hardware, operating systems, databases, application software and tools for all warehouse systems,
resulting in significant processing time and throughput improvements
o Facilitated all Y2k changes needed for Distribution/Logistics Systems in the organization
o Developed and implemented strategic logistics plan to support order fulfillment for CVS.com. Resulted in
integration of dot com fulfillment into existing facility and the elimination of redundant operation.
o Developed and directed system management and staff team supporting 7 different warehouse systems and all
associated corporate ordering and billing systems.
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IRWIN GAFEN
Charming Shoppes
- Associate Director Sourcing and Distribution Systems
- Responsible for corporate-wide application development and systems support of Distribution and International Sourcing
business areas.
- Managed staff of 14 and 6 suppliers implementing systems as part of $26m distribution center expansion providing
automated material handling, workflow control, sortation, storage, retrieval, receiving and shipping. Resulted in higher
productivity, throughput, faster movement of product to the stores and the elimination of another distribution facility
- Developed strategy to consolidate Worldwide Sourcing. Responsible for implementing the changes, resulting in more
efficient ordering and tracking processes with shorter lead-times, improved co-ordination and lower costs
- Other responsibilities included:
o Managed Information Engineering Project focusing on Product Development, Merchandise Planning,
Procurement, and Letter of Credit processing.
o Participated in the process reengineering and restructuring of the Product Development department.
Resulted in an organization that was able to reduce in half the concept-to-customer life cycle.
o Redesigned existing processes using information technology to facilitate print strike offs and sample production.
Resulted in positioning the company to be more efficient and responsive to its customers’ needs.
o Consultant to CEO on critical decisions affecting IS Department
o Developed information strategy plan for Domestic Inbound and Outbound Transportation with staff of 3. Created
a new chargeback process and increasing revenue by $1m annually. Created new shipping lanes with a
standardized tariff schedule. Implemented a new freight payment service, improving financial control and
providing more accurate and detailed information to the payment processor. Established a transportation
database of every shipment within the company. Resulted in annual savings from Outbound Transportation of
more than $4m
o Managed team development project for International Operations Division to implementing systems covering
landed cost accounting, international shipment tracking, and accounting three-way match with variance
tolerances. Resulted in better management information and more accurate profitability information and
accounting cutoffs.
o Managed project re-engineer software applications portfolio. Resulted in 40-50% software maintenance cost
savings for affected areas and programs.
o Managed team implementing enterprise-wide client-server and imaging applications. Converted VB/Access
product development application prototype to production grade system running with Informix.
Charming Shoppes,
- Manager Financial Systems, Finance Department
- Reported to Corporate Controller, defining requirements for new systems and enhancements to existing systems and
presented them to IS. Monitored progress on all Finance Department projects and open maintenance logs.
- Consultant for setup of $30m Wholesale Importation and Distribution business, providing system functionality and support
for Sales, Order Entry, Inventory Control, A/R, and A/P.
- Key advisor to CFO and Controller on Systems issues and completed special projects for them.
- Other Achievements include:
o Identified opportunity to reduce over shipments of product from manufacturers and resolved situation, resulting
in more than $10m annual savings.
o Analyzed Concentration of Funds and Bank Account Reconciliation processes, redesigning banking
relationships by consolidating 450 store accounts down to 16. Identified and implemented System to manage
this process. Resulted in $300,000 annual savings from reduced account and ACH fees.
o Created business plan and implemented in sourced Bad Check Collection Operation including POS
Authorization. Ran pilot, monitored performance baseline against other check insurance operations and staffed
chain-wide rollout.
o Identified changes for improved financial control in POS system including Petty Cash and Payroll processing.
Resulted in additional controls and better accountability.
o Identified and implemented Federal/State Tax and Sales/Use Tax Packages for filing returns for 1,400
corporations. Resulted in the elimination of manual filing errors, and reduced total staffing area needs from 8 to
4.
o Identified requirements and implemented system to track store leases and generate payments directly into
Accounts Payable System. Resulted in tighter controls on company’s third largest expense.
o Selected and implemented Fixed Assets and Purchasing Systems, conducted Payroll conversion feasibility study,
created incentive-based Attendance Tracking System and developing a Cutting Ticket System for manufacturing
division.
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IRWIN GAFEN
Charming Shoppes
- Programmer/Analyst
- Managed staff of 4 implementing JDA Arthur Merchandise Planning System.
- Developed company's first PC-based application on a LAN, improving gross margin planning.
- Designed and implemented mainframe applications for Payroll, Distribution Center Inventory Management, Shipping,
Store Retail Inventory, and Manufacturing Accounting System.
- Other accomplishments:
o Developed PC based method to improve efficiency mainframe-based COBOL and CICS development. Resulted
rollout of methodology with 30-50% saving in coding and testing.
o Developed applications for Drop ship System and Three-Way Match Accounting System.
TECHNOLOGY
- Applications:
o Warehouse Management Systems: Witron LBS
WMS, Infor WMS, EXE Technologies WMS,
Exeter WMS, Lucasware Voice Systems, Kiva
Systems warehouse robotic automation, Vocollect
voice
o Order Management Systems: Exacta OMS, IBM
Sterling OMS
o Transportation systems: JDA Manugistics TMS,
Descartes, Roadshow,
o Merchandising systems: JDA Arthur, Trans-
analysis bill payment system,
o Financial systems: Global/UCC GL, AP, FA, CA-
Accpac Plus, Lawson AP, AR, GL, FA, D&B,
Peoplesoft, Tax Director, Fastax, JDA UAR, Target
Imaging,,, ADP Taxware Enterprise,,
o EDI systems: IBM Sterling Integrator (SI/GIS),
Gentran
- Web:
o IIS, ASP, Sun Iplanet, J2EE, JSP, HTML, XML,
SSRS, AWS, MWS, MS WSDL
- Operating Systems:
o HP-UX, AIX, Solaris. Intel x86, IBM MVS, TSO,
DOS/VSE, Windows, OS/2, VAX,
- Databases:
o Informix, Oracle, MS SQL 2014, MS Access,
ODBC, Sybase, MDI Gateway, Rbase, Foxpro,
DB2, VSAM, DB2
- Dev Tools:
o Visual Studio, VB, C#, Webdeveloper, Forms, .Net,
TFS, Informix 4GL, SQLForms Developer,,
Micro Focus COBOL, CICS, C, Dylakor, FOCUS,
Fortran, ADA, Lisp, Pascal, VB, C++, Java,
SSIS/SSAS/SSRS
- Mobile:
o Motorola/Symbol, Psion/Teklogix, Telxon,
Vocollect Talkman, 802.11x, Wi-Fi
- Networking:
o TCP/IP, Ethernet, HTTP/S, Telnet,SSH, FTP,
sFTP, FTPs, PGP, Netware, Token-Ring, WAN
- Methodology:
o RUP, Method 1, Intersolv Excellerator II, System
Architect, First CASE, Knowledgeware Inspector,
Pinpoint, and Recoder. James Martin Information
Engineering. Scrum, Agile
- Encryption:
o AES128/256, 3DES, RSA, HSM, nCipher, Thales,
PCI/DSS Compliance
EDUCATION
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IRWIN GAFEN
University of Michigan Business School, Ann Arbor,
Michigan.
- Management and Project Management Courses in the
Business School Executive Program.
Dale Carnegie Institute, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.
- “Effective Public Speaking and Human Relations” Course.
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South
Africa.
- Post-Graduate “B.Sc Honors” degree (Masters equivalent) in
Computer Science.
- Thesis: A Packet-Switching Network Computer Simulation.
University of Natal, Durban, South Africa.
- B.Sc Information Systems majoring in Computer Science,
Math, and Business Data Processing.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
US Citizen
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