*** ******** ***, ** **********, KY *****

502-***-**** – Home; 502-***-**** – Cell

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

Austin H. Echols Sr. MBA, CQM

Objective:

To secure a challenging position in an environment where I can utilize my leadership and training skills, academic

education, as well as my extensive experience with process improvement and control.

Experience:

September 2006 until present

Rawlings Company LaGrange, KY

File Control Specialist – 10/01/2007 to present

Complete reviews of analyst files to ensure adherence to file handling procedures. Score and track results. Trend errors to determine areas of deficiencies. Prepare training aids to correct those deficiencies

Provide feedback and scores results to team managers for use in performance management, as well as identify areas that need additional training resources

Work with client operations, training, and quality departments to ensure that collection processes are in compliance with company protocol

Re-Audit/Test Audit Specialist – 05/10/2007 to 09/30/2007

Developed ways of evaluating “old” processes to generate new and continued business

Performed quality reviews of previous completed audits to ensure proper protocol and processes were performed

Continued to perform test queries and test audits to look for potential company wide implementation and productivity

Commercial Team Specialist – 02/01/2007 to 05/10/2007

Worked as team training specialist on commercial pilot team

Developed training material and training aids to help new team members familiarize themselves with new protocols, processes, and compliance guidelines

Organized “best practices” training aids to increase efficiency and accuracy

Provided daily feedback to team members regarding incremental successes and learning opportunities

Claims Analyst/Auditor – 09/11/2006 to 01/31/2007

Maintained current working knowledge of commercial medical insurance rules and guidelines for coordination of benefits in medical claim billing & payment

Investigated client medical claims for all relevant insurance coverage and overlaps; this investigation process can include one or all of the following: contacting Medicare, another commercial insurance carrier, the subscriber of the policy, the employer of the subscriber

Initiated the recovery process by contacting the provider or facility and requesting the refund, explaining the coordination of benefits reasoning that supports the request

May 2006 until present

University of Phoenix – Louisville Campus Louisville, KY

Adjunct Professor – 05/2006 to present

Facilitated 11 classes in the past 18 months

Serve as adjunct faculty by facilitating classroom study and discussion relative to assigned coursework.

Assign coursework for class

Explain complex concepts relative to coursework under discussion

Share experience and examples from the business world that further clarify concepts being taught in the classroom

Grade oral presentations and written papers according to university guidelines. Offer encouragement and guidance in developing writing skills for business settings and roles.

Assist students in organizing written and oral presentations in accordance with assignment requirements

Approved to teach the following courses: Managing the Business Enterprise, Resource Optimization, Management: Theory, Practice and Application, Organizational Behavior, Corporate Culture and Organizational Climate, Global Business Strategies, Quality Management and Productivity, Operations Management, and Project Management in the Business Environment

August 2004 to May 2006

Bullitt Appliance, LLC Shepherdsville, KY

Entrepreneur/Owner

Entrepreneurial

Successfully registered business with all necessary Federal, state, and local registering entities.

Obtained Federal tax identification number.

Registered with Secretary of State

Set up all accounts for all payroll and corporate taxes.

Procured all required insurances which includes: Worker’s Compensation and property taxes

Chose proper site location based on business need and negotiated lease agreement

Executed functional business plan

Completed all strategic planning for business start-up

Operational

Procurement of inventory for both side of business: service and retail sales

Established account with parts distributors and retail wholesalers

Setting up service calls to customers homes

Maintaining retail sales floor

Scheduled in-home service calls and retail sales deliveries

Handling customer phone call requests for service, information concerning retail sales and specialty orders

Established business relationship with local finance company to facilitate more credit sales

Handled all daily banking operations

Created all sales and inventory tracking system with extensive use of Microsoft Excel spreadsheets

Maintained daily maintenance and housekeeping

Human Resources

Handled all weekly employee, payroll, and taxation responsibilities

Provided feedback to employee regarding quality of work completed

Requested employee feedback regarding type of work being performed to expand lines of business

Recruited expert repair technicians for service division

Business Accomplishment/Successes

Garnered contract with national manufacturer to complete warranty service work

Successfully established business within a two-year period and implemented an exit strategy in divesting the business profitably

February 1998 to March 2004

Alliance Calibration Cincinnati, OH

Quality Manager

• Utilized “kanban” and Statistical Process Control (SPC) for critical customer processes: this included establishing standard operating procedures for the receipt, processing, and storage of client equipment, scheduling calibration of same equipment for efficient flow-through, and tracking various components of the work for statistical analysis aimed at continuous improvement of processes

• Served as point of contact for all supplier/vendor relations – both as purchaser from suppliers and as vendor for company clients: this included negotiating contract language and evaluating quality system capabilities, maintaining weekly/monthly reports between participants, completing on-site audits of suppliers and addressing deficiencies and areas for improvement, assisting clients in their audits of our supplier program and correcting non-conformances, and communicating all needs/concerns to business owner and client management

• Served as project manager for customer satisfaction improvement process. This consisted of interviewing clients for pertinent needs, determining our baseline, establishing desired direction of and parameters for measuring improvement, evaluating improvements against the baseline per statistical analysis, and communicating results to both internal and external stakeholders

• Authored a quality manual that was used by dimensional and mechanical segment of the company

• Worked hand-in-hand with the third-party accrediting bodies to develop a quality manual that would align with ISO/IEC 17025 international standards; served as a point of contact with A2LA accrediting agency

• Responsible for addressing all critical elements and deficiencies found during 17025 accreditation audits and making required changes within the designated period allowed

• Fielded all client technical, quality, and operational questions and/or concerns, and exchanged critical supplier-buyer information

• Communicated operational and quality needs to owner and advised on options for meeting them

• Established and chaired a cross functional quality council to look for continuous quality improvements that would cross all business functions

• Scheduled and conducted inter- and intra-laboratory testing of equipment

• Conducted quarterly audits of company quality management system

• Drove sales and revenue growth through kaizen implementation in all departments and increased production efficiencies by process improvements

• Formulated and maintained quality assurance objectives

Laboratory Manager/Operations Manager

• Worked closely with aerospace, automotive, manufacturing, and medical companies to provide calibration services for their tools and equipment [clients included GE Aircraft Engines, Ethicon, Ford, Parker Hannifin, Electrolux, Meritor, Gates Rubber, Apex Tools, Campbell Hausfeld, Franklin Brazing]

• Trained and supervised all personnel on quality assurance directives and calibration procedures

• Utilized lean manufacturing tools and principles to generate annual revenue growth of 12% - 30% increasingly year over year, exceeding both company and more aggressive personal goals

• Responsible for calibration of tools and instruments received by customers in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025, ANSI/NCSL Z540, Mil Std 45662, ASTM, and ISO 9001/2000 requirements

• Conducted “first piece” product calibrations/testing per client specifications, blueprints, special process requirements, etc. At times this necessitated ingenuity in adapting our equipment and standard processes to address these client specific needs

• Maintained extensive database of client service records and accounts

• Maintained internal records for keeping company’s equipment traceable to NIST

• Conducted training seminars at customer’s facilities to educate the end users on technical calibration processes

• Attended various manufacturing and equipment trade shows to stay abreast of the newest technologies available

• Advised owner on the procurement of technologically advanced equipment as it became available

• Responsible for verifying QA Technicians' performance and outputs were accurate and complete

Education:

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky (Fall 1995 to Fall 2003)

Graduated December 2003, Master of Business Administration

Major in Project Management, with emphasis on quality and operations Graduate GPA – 3.85 / 4.00

Graduated December 2000, Bachelor of Science in Management

Major in management and minor in business administration

Concentration in communication and operations management

Undergraduate GPA – 3.60 / 4.00

Certification:

Certified Quality Manager by American Society for Quality

Other Skills and Abilities:

Keen organizational skills

Knowledge and skill in applying analytical and evaluative techniques to the identification consideration or problems concerning efficiency and effectiveness of Process Redesign and Performance Measurement

Skill in advising management on controversial or sensitive complex and difficult programmatic issues

Skill in conducting interviews with supervisors and employees to obtain information about organizational mission functions and work procedures

Ability to gather, assemble and analyze facts, draw conclusions, conduct analysis, devise recommended solutions and package the entire process in briefings, papers or reports suitable for top management use and decisions-making

Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing; negotiates complex issues; and manages simultaneous tasking in team-orientated environment

Proficient in Microsoft Office programs

Familiar with Microsoft Project

Educated and Practiced in Six Sigma concepts regarding quality management

Typing Speed - 40 WPM

References:

Available Upon Request

Contact this candidate