AYA SAOTOME, CSCP

Cell: 619-***-**** • Email: adm36s@r.postjobfree.com

www.linkedin.com/in/ayasaotome

SUMMARY

Certified Supply Chain Processional with 20+ years of hands-on experience and a diverse background working within global manufacturing industries. Demonstrated ability to streamline a process and stay in compliance with regulations focused on customer satisfaction through continuous process improvement/Kaizen. Proven a high level of orchestration among different functional departments. Becoming a director would expand my role outside of my Supply Chain departmental responsibilities. Success has included:

Analytical to achieve goals, focus on resolving complex issues by leading cross-functional departments

Building a solid team and empowering team members to complete projects and achieve goals

Support Supply Chain Operation flow to develop both corporate and external policies, procedures, and objectives as ISO 9001 internal audit team

Adaptability and cross-functional leadership to improve process such as Kaizen/Lean process improvement projects

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE/ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Hochiki America- Buena Park, CA 2017-2020

Supply Chain Manager

Oversaw day-to-day Supply Chain operation flow. Effectively managed the end to end Purchasing for raw materials as well as resales products, and Warehouse teams, providing leadership, motivation, development, and training and discipline in order to promote quality performance and achievement including audit compliance.

Owned, monitored, and controlled total supply chain's operation flow. Directed Purchasing, Receiving, and Kitting team to ensure all raw materials were available on time to meet Production plans. Directed Receiving and Shipping team to ensure to ship products to Hochiki customers in timely manner.

Authorized and approved Purchasing activities in accordance with company’s financial policy.

Analyzed, identified, implemented, and drove preventive, corrective and continuous action plans for any issues raised to Supply Chain’s attention (CAPA and Supplier Corrective Action Report).

Reviewed and oversaw KPI activities for both Shipping (Shipping error and on-time delivery) and Purchasing (Supplier on-time delivery performance) departments. Informed Senior management of results and significant developments affecting the business.

Assisted Sales forecast requirements for 3rd party products for Purchasing to maintain a certain stock level in the inventory.

Project lead- 3PL inventory management for Dallas warehouse and Colombia warehouse. Ensured internal Distribution and 3PL Standard Operation Process and Working Instructions were current, effective and trained on.

Actively participated ISO9001:2015 internal audit and provided analytical results to ensure audit preparation and follow up takes place by working closely with Quality and R&D engineering teams. Recommended changes to practices and procedures to support compliance requirement.

Abbott Vascular- Temecula, CA 2006-2016

Supply Chain Support at Abbott West Distribution Center

Logistics, Inventory control and Distribution

Order management- Accustomed to managing Asian Pacific customer accounts

Facilitated the fulfillment of customer orders in SAP system. Ensured to review inventory level and product availability for each part number before releasing orders.

Logistics coordination

Interacted with Distribution and arranged a shipment pick-up with a proper carrier and prepared all necessary paperwork in accordance with import compliance for each country and adherence to export administration regulations.

Inventory management

Monitored DOH (days on hand) inventory level and released backorders weekly.

Managed and distributed a reserved location inventory report twice a month to ensure the products are reserved in correct inventory locations.

Assisted Inventory team to identify cycle count discrepancy by analyzing a lot movement in inventory.

Account management

Established working relationships with appropriate external or cross-functional contacts.

Understanding foreign regulations affecting the business, assured compliance with those regulations by communicating the need for Regulatory and Global marketing teams.

Analyzed root causes and suggested corrective actions for shipping errors that impacted our affiliate’s distribution center in the Netherlands and Japan.

Product Planning

Collaborated closely with Supply demand planners and coordinated new orders to ensure proper inventory builds.

Provided monthly forecast to Planners for their master planning.

Monitored Distribution’s and Addendum labeling team’s activities closely to ensure all orders are shipped out within a day.

Project management

Coordinated with Global marketing, Regulatory, Quality, and Supply& Demand departments for new product launches to meet our target launching date.

Hosted visitors from Japan and coordinated meetings with multi- departments such as manufacturing, quality, and distribution to assist their visit to be productive.

Process Improvement

Contributed a Kaizen project in accordance with LEAN principle to streamline our ordering process and eliminate unnecessary steps.

Recommended a couple of local process improvements ideas every quarter.

Customs and Trade Compliance support

Monitored return goods shipments and supported import custom& trade compliance team by providing information for US imports through a courier.

Prepared customs documentation for testing/evaluation sample shipments requested by Engineering and/or Regulatory.

Panasonic Battery Corporation of America- San Diego, CA 2004-2006

Supply Chain Management

Primary liaison between US Sales and Mexico Factory

Effectively managed monthly and weekly PSI (Production, Sales, and Inventory) meeting to analyze and determine any changes to going forward plan, monitoring the effectiveness of the total supply chain management process.

Managed for integrating production schedules with sales planning forecasts, and coordinated shipping schedules with Production planners and Purchasing to meet customers’ demands and requirements.

Reviewed EOL (end of life) models to minimize impact to profit and pushed U.S. sales team to accelerate sales and monitored material inventory levels not to carry excess inventory.

Led a new product launch meeting with Research and Developing Design Engineer team, Sourcing and Purchasing team, and Planner team to track milestones, and identify, evaluate and drive solutions for current issues.

EDUCATION & SKILLS

M.A. in Management, University of Redlands

B.A, Mass Communication/ Public Relations Emphasis, University of Southern Colorado

Certification of Logistics, Purchasing, and Supply Chain Management, University of Redlands

Bilingual (English-Japanese)/Abbott Certified Translator

Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint- intermediated level

SAP GUI 730

TRAINING / MANAGEMENT EDUCATION

Lean Manufacturing Principle (Nov. 2010) at Abbott internal training class

APICS Supply Chain Management Certificate class (completed in March, 2007)

APICS Detailed Scheduling and Planning/MRP class (completed in August, 2007)

Customs & Trade Compliance Post Entry Review (February, 2014)

Good Manufacturing Practice in Biopharmaceutical industry (September, 2016)

ISO9001: 2015 Internal Auditor Certificate (completed in September, 2019)

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