Kent R. Vincent

1-630-***-**** ad19lt@r.postjobfree.com Chicago, IL linkedin.com/in/kentvincent

BUSINESS PROCESS IMPROVEMENT / OPERATIONS EXCELLENCE DIRECTOR

Profile: Operations • Lean Manufacturing • Quality / Process Improvement

Versatile professional with deep experience in leading operations and quality initiatives for manufacturing companies across diverse sectors including batch chemical, food, and automotive supply. Expert in diverse manufacturing methodologies used in the development and maintenance of continuous improvement programs, initiatives, and projects including lean, Six Sigma, and Quick Response. Strong background in industrial engineering, life and ag sciences R&D, and mid-sized task team management. Proficient in use and understanding of commercial systems and applications including MS Office Suite, ERP, MES, and manufacturing-related data acquisition and process control. Cert Six Sigma Master Black Belt, Lean Bronze, APICS CIRM, Supply Chain Analyst. Strong production and R&D liaison skills.

CORE LEADERSHIP QUALIFICATIONS

• Licensed Training in Six Sigma • Lean and Six Sigma Strategy/Training • Development & Training

• Process Control and MES Systems • Continuous Process Improvement • Supply Chain Integration

• Manufacturing Methods & Processes • Manufacturing Planning and Execution • Process Mapping

• Measurement Systems Analysis • Financial Costing for Manufacturing • Defect remediation

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

PANASONIC AMERICA, Buffalo Grove, IL December, 2022-July 2023

Contract Product Owner/ MES Requirements Development and Continuous Improvement Support

Generated functional requirements for new marketable MES system to the Electric Vehicle battery production market. Interface with prime beta customer in western US and Japan in addition to software development team. Emphasis on requirements collection and refinement for defect management and quality deviations in service to both QC and process improvement initiatives. Direct facing to customer end user and software development technical staff.

CSL BEHRING Kankakee, IL May-October, 2022

Contract Change Control Quality Delegate (Staff Augmentation role)/Improvement and Control

Monitor and execute regulatory and operational documentation changes to reflect the state of process improvement implementation for quality and production process improvement at a biotechnology based biotherapeutic production facility (blood and plasma bioproducts. Emphasis on Quality Management System updating and reporting as well making use of a Change Control discipline: modifying and enforcing elements of the Improve and Control phases in the Lean Six Sigma DMAIC physical process improvement cycle.

TECHWERKS LLC North Chicago, IL and San Antonio, TX August 2019- June 2021

Principal Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt and Consultant

Agency JA Lovell Federal Health Care Center, North Chicago, IL Supply Chain Modernization and Improvement Effort

Conducted and validated current and future state process mapping of 75 key processes in supply chain management and fulfillment for financial, pharmacy, and biomedical functional departments in support of

a) the readiness initiative in advance of a Department of Defense medical logistics software supply chain system migration and implementation and

b) a nascent pilot process Client: Veterans Health Adminstration improvement initiative for waste reduction streamlining and optimizing manual and automated processes and procedures.

Generated and co-authored a triad of documents for discovery, rank ordering, staging, and execution of supply chain oriented continuous process improvement projects within a single VA-DoD joint Medical Center that the VHA Procurement and Logistics Office would use as a model for 175 VA medical centers nationwide. Projected benefits to roll out estimated at $0.9M according to VHA projections. Complete business architecture, systems redesign, and business process improvement project implementation plans were supplied despite lack of senior project management level support or detailed client departmental input to project opportunity development.

Client: Veterans Benefits Administration San Antonio TX Veterans Records Remediation Effort

Identified and documented improvement paths for identifying and rectifying errors in veteran benefits records including process mapping, redesign of problem submission tickets, and work in process volume and pacing control

Industrial Systems and Re-engineering Services, Lisle,IL DBA sole proprietorship 08/2003 to 07/2019

Managing Principal

Provide contract-based consultation and training on quality and process improvement for a client base of small to mid-size manufacturers and service providers located primarily in the quad-state Lake Michigan area. Analyze client operations to develop and implement long-term strategic plans focusing on lean enterprise, Six Sigma processes, and quality assurance methodologies. Develop custom offerings for high mix/short run clients. Occasional project focused staff augmentation assignments with larger enterprises.

Selected Accomplishments and Project Highlights:

Guided supply chain management and plant operations improvement efforts at production and development facilities for Roquette North America. Concentration on rail logistics and co-product quality and cost reduction. Assisted in balancing rail fleet size and on-time-delivery requirements and in elevating product delivery rates.

Conducted green belt level lean six sigma training at Lakeview Energy LLC, a producer of corn bioethanol and animal nutrition end co-products. Achieved 8% improved yields and throughput by way of optimizing truck queue management for delivery and testing of incoming raw product and through optimizing reactor blending conditions and recipes

Identified means of accelerating throughput at a prominent mid-market cold rolling metalworking operation with emphasis on tool and die reconditioning practices, finite capacity scheduling use, and statistical work sampling. Initial 8% throughput rise for 3 mo.

Acting Quality Manager for bottled water producer in South Pacific for Mid-August- Mid-October, 2012. Launch LSS DMAIC and project structure concepts, supporting laboratory analysis practices for trace contaminant control. Developed two distinct protocols for Measurement Systems Analysis for laboratory and plant data to conform to professional association standards.

At Abbott Labs mapped and documented as-is processes for post-sales blood diagnostics systems implementation (2013)

At Kraft Foods, IA, optimized yields from meat slicing via Design of Experiments, recapturing $260,000 in 16 weeks. (2011)

Performed process and value stream current and future state mapping for Navistar military parts supply business, identifying savings and streamlining opportunities in the information and material flow.

Conducted Six Sigma Green Belt training and mentoring for Stanadyne, a Tier-1 automotive component manufacturer at two flagship plants; created plan for implementation of specific process improvements generating more than $3,000,000 in cumulative cost savings. Implemented process changes leading to the retention and expansion of business with Chrysler.

Conducted Lean Six Sigma training for exiting employees at General Motors and other mid-sized manufacturers such as Prent Corp. in SE Wisconsin. Some received new certifications or redeployment.

Aided in the start-up of a firm that developed laboratory software information systems (LIMS) and helped them secure several key pilot accounts including Abbott Laboratories. Co-authored specifications for large active drug screening lab.

Conducted lean site audit for a high variety, low volume sewing manufacturer, Juki Holdings, in preparation for a comprehensive ERP / business system upgrade; utilized multi-route capacity-driven kanbans to shorten the timeframe for implementing a lean enterprise system.

Performed IT applications based paper industry consulting for Greycon Software Ltd (UK/US) to optimize plant scheduling.

Clients included Stora-Enso, International Paper, and Votaratim (Brazil). Optimized capable-to-promise product allocation plus rework time and trim loss savings at key rolled paper and textile clients. Co-authored procedural documentation at UK HQ.

Provided operations and business development support to a biotech-based water treatment start-up, now Enzymes-Inc. that secured pilot contracts with food, metals, and large vehicle fleet based express delivery companies such as UPS.

Manufacturing Extension Partnership, Chicago, IL, US Govt/NIST small bus center 01/1995 to 03/1999

Senior Program Manager / Business Advisor

Led assessment teams of 4 to 6 professionals in conducting process improvement projects for a wide range of manufacturer clients that enabled them to compete globally, support greater supply chain integration, and access technologies that enhanced their productivity. Recruited, reviewed, and contracted with approximately 50 providers supplying diverse technical support that included computer technology, environmental health and safety, and environmental engineering.

Directed multi-faceted project for fish packing plant, Vita Foods, entailing the implementation of lean, quality improvements and HACCP compliance; reduced costs associated with compliance and water-based assessment, clean up, and consumption by $250,000 annually.

Conducted ERP software selection project for Kay Manufacturing, IL, a Tier-2 supplier of transmission hubs and gearing for GM, Northstar, and other OEMs.

Industrial Systems Integrators, La Grange, IL, contract automation integrator 6/1993 to 12/1994

Vice President / Engagement Coordinator

Provided engineering and systems integration for clients in the packaging and metal products sector located in the Great Lakes area. Charged with oversight of requirements analysis for implementation engagements including engineering, electrical, and IT resources. W-2 based consulting assignments for Cap Gemini for warehouse management and software and automotive supply chain software search at Keystone Steel, IL and Wizdom Systems, IL a manufacturing and government agency process analytics software provider.

I.B.M. Corp., Rolling Meadows, IL, established information technology & services firm 1987 to 1993

Advisory Systems Engineer / Industrial Specialist

Served as branch office and regional specialist for early phase implementation of less conventional IT applications utilized in automation, process control, process industry MRP, data collection, and internal logistics. Built and led action teams of 8 to10 comprised of IBM sales and systems engineers and client department heads.

Selected Accomplishments:

Recipient of IBM National Process Industry Sector Outstanding Performance Award for pre-sales and post-sales support of plant applications primarily in process consumer goods.

Analyzed needs and implemented innovative system for two major food processors that increased business volumes on the vendor side by $3M per year while cutting customer material losses by $250,000 annually.

Set up pilot program for food processing plant that analyzed ingredient consumption with a combined MRP and MES system (PRISM and POMS) for accurate work-in-process reporting and production costing enabling them to implement efficiencies that saved more that $180,000 per year for duration of the plant operation (1990 – 2004).

Collaborated with IBM’s industrial products support center in construction of a pilot MES demonstration system for the food batch process industry that resulted in multiple trial sales for clients in northeast Illinois.

EARLY CAREER EMPLOYMENT:

Early career experience includes positions as R&D Scientist, Laboratory Manager, and Senior Project Leader for major companies including IBM Instruments, Getty Oil Co. (polymer resin) and Beatrice Foods. Focus on analytical methods, colorants and sweeteners, polymers.

EDUCATION

M.B.A., Operations / Marketing – Kellogg School of Business, Northwestern University

M.S., Agricultural and Life Sciences & Engineering – Cornell University

B.A., Chemistry – Lawrence University

Phi Beta Kappa honors, graduated cum laude

Numerous professional certification and development training programs with Lean Enterprise Institute, Quick

Response Manufacturing Center (WI), APICS, ProModel, Minitab, McElrath Associates (quality for

agribusiness), Benedictine University (organizational development), Argonne Laboratories (bio-materials).

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS / CERTIFICATIONS

Six Sigma Master Black Belt – American Society of Quality Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt—SSI, Inc. Cert. Supply Chain Analyst- ISCEA

Lean Bronze level certified – Assoc. of Mfg. Excellence, CIRM- APICS/ASCM

Pubs: “Resolving the Tug of War between Lean, Six Sigma, and Compliance in the Chemical and BioPharma Environment”

“Beyond the Job Shop Supply Chain Information Systems for the Smaller Manufacturer”

Addenda: advanced proficiency in Minitab, MS Office, Visio, Project, stat tools ANOVA, DOE, Regression, SPC

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