Customer Service Purchasing Specialist

YVONNE ALLEN

*** ***** ** ** *****, OR ***** 503-***-****

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

My mission is to provide excellent customer service for both internal and external customers, keeping the company’s and customer’s best interest at heart. Embedding equity in every aspect of my work ethic. I am looking for a new position in a company that is focused on equity and inclusion and outstanding customer service. Where we meet the customers where they are, to ensure the best potential outcomes.

EXPERIENCE

10/2017 – TO PRESENT

BUYER, Baxters North America (Truitt bros.)

In this position I am responsible procuring commodities for a contract manufacturer of shelf-stable food products. We are a manufacturing company where I purchase everything the company uses to manufacture, cook, store and package food products I procure these products for two plants - one in Oregon and one in Kentucky. This requires researching, analyzing, and negotiating with suppliers to procure the best possible rate as well as the ability to meet our high production demands. I write contractual agreements with the suppliers that can meet our demands while locking in prices of commodities. The business relies on me to ensure that they have products to continue to meet production goals. Staying organized and managing my time, tracking, projecting usage (supply/demand), and analyzing data helps me maintain the company’s manufacturing goals. Developing and fostering good relationships with diverse companies, and individuals helps ensure my success in this role. When the supplier has issues with meeting our demands, I must problem solve and find new sources or identify and procure potential substitution. I monitor the contract usage, working with accounting to ensure the agreed prices are what is billed for, ensuring compliance, resolving issues. I work with over a thousand different vendors, I personally manage about 20 contracts that include multiple items. I audit contracts, reviewing the usage, and project future usage, analyze that data and project needs, dispute resolution, invoice approval, costing, vendor set up, coordinating returns, trouble shooting customer calls and employer product needs. Monitor and make adjustments. Triages customer needs when they are short on products, helping identify their needs, and problem solve to get them the products they need. Uses various systems to track and monitor, ex. SAP, ORACLE, and Microsoft products like word, excel, etc. Coordinate and monitor shipping, contact shipping company, make arrangements, follow up, quoted prices. Food must meet specifications. Send to vendors to see if they can meet these. Sent to the quality assurance team and food scientist to check the quality. High level approval prior to QA. This position interprets technical data, and policy and regulatory information to plan and coordinate procurement and to provide guidance and interpretation to staff and external customers.

07/2014 – TO 09/2017

MISC. ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERIENCE, Express Employment

Worked for a temporary agency where I provided administrative assistance to multiple companies. Worked for a nonprofit, doctors office, cherry growers to name a few. Example of duties: filing, compiling packets, collections, Cancel and reschedule appointments, greeted, and checked in patients, coordinate and check on pharmacy orders, records management and transfers, answered and transferred phone calls, problem solving.

07/2013 – TO 06/2014

PURCHASING ASSISTANT, Mastercraft Furniture, Inc.

In this position I was responsible for purchasing commodities for a furniture manufacturing company. This company had multiple contracts with retailers that each had specific purchasing requirements. Some required that we purchased environmentally friendly products, no child labor was involved, equity-based companies, or companies owned by women, certain rating for equal pay, etc. These individual company requirements added a level of complexity to purchasing and contract management duties in this role. The company had a process of reviewing all potential supplies for approval before we could contract with them. It required a lot of research to ensure we were staying in compliance with their retailer contracts. I was responsible for purchasing, dispute resolution. I purchased products off of production forecasts and material lists compiled by the production planning, buying all of the items necessary to build furniture in bulk. Analysis and projecting supply vs demand to ensure the manufacturing factory can meet their production goals. I was Instrumental in standardizing building materials for each of their items. Using a system to identify the numbers needed for each furniture, production. Each project would potentially have thousands of items needed where I had to track, monitor, and oversee ordering/delivery.

06/2009 – TO 06/2013

PURCHASING ASSISTANT, Sanyo Solar of Oregon

Worked with a team of purchasers where I was responsible for purchasing miscellaneous supplies and was responsible for managing 20 sets of wire guides. This facility’s function was to grow silicone crystals, trim them into ingots and to slice them info wafers. The wire guides were the means by which ingots were sliced. Part of the care and maintenance of the wire guides was to ensure that there were always at least 6 – 8 good sets on the floor – ready to install on the slicing machines. Tracking and coordinating maintenance on wire guides. Had to track and coordinate services for guides, including flying parts to Germany for re-polyurethane. Then certify and inspect items upon return before they can be used. Anytime wire guides equipment malfunctioned was responsible to coordinate repair or replacement. The environment required a very clean production floor. Had to ensure supplies were brought in a timely fashion, to ensure strict “clean room” environment was maintained and they had the supplies to maintain production. Contracting duties included setting up vendor management inventory (VMI) for specific production supplies and equipment, and pre-reading contracts for discrepancies or anomalies prior to management signature. Also responsible for day to day outbound package shipments.

09/2005 – TO 03/2009

PURCHASING SPECIALIST, Sunwest Management

Primary job was to purchase IT supplies and equipment for both the corporate office and by up to 250 facilities all across 50 states, reconcile invoices and setting up for payment. When they acquired new facilities, or purchased them, each facility had to be sent a kit that included cabinets, cables, monitors – the kits assembled and shipped within 3 days, then were installed. The kits included Kronos timeclock for employees, network connectivity with the corporate office and telephone systems. I coordinated with installer’s travel schedules to ensure kits arrived on time. Buying kit parts, assembling and sending out. Reviewing and approving invoices and reconciling issues. Ensuring all items were received. Acquired IT and phone supplies. There were approx. 250 employees to assist with IT help items daily including printer issues and layman IT problems. Make sure employees got a phone, it got set up to coordinate with phone services to ensure they the programming competed for new hires. Assist with desktop computer set up for new hires. Assist with coordinating repairs of desktop and laptops of all employees – logging in when start of repair was begun. Coordinated printer repairs with outside service and ensured “loaner” printers were available.

EDUCATION

STEPTEMBER 1989 THRU AUGUST 1990

CERTIFICATION IN LEGAL OFFICE ADMINISTRATION, PIONEER PACIFIC COLLEGE

Graduated with a 3.88, education program to provide administrative support for legal professionals. Learned legal terminology, and how to write professional legal documents. 1 year accelerated program.

1987 - 1989

LOWER DIVISION TRANSFER/GENERAL EDUCATION, Chemeketa Community College

Took coursework towards a transfer degree, that included psychology, writing, English lit, and other general coursework. Had a 3.5 GPA, was just shy of completing my associates degree, went 5 of the 6 terms towards an associate degree.

2012

NATIONAL CAREER READINESS CERTIFICATION, Higher Education Coordinating Commission

The NCRC measures and certifies the essential work skills needed for success in jobs across industries and occupations. I received the Gold level certification. Only 19% of test takers reach gold or higher levels.

SKILLS

Purchasing various materials and commodities in large quantities, while managing inventory based on projected and actual supply/demand

Contract Review

Negotiation and conflict resolution

Data analysis, Research, Tracking

Customer Service

ACTIVITIES

My passion is quilting in many forms. I recently started making art quilts with a new technique called raw edge applique. I found the project I wanted to complete (as a photo of a stained-glass window) and basically taught myself how to do this skill. I entered this art quilt into the fair and won a prize in 2021. I like to make “memory” quilts for persons that have passed and also for kids starting college using all their high school uniforms, concert t-shirts and favorite places and event shirts.

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