Kevin Walton Email & Phone Number

Indianapolis, In, Us

Kevin manages Purdue MEP’s productivity services. He engages with companies throughout Indiana, identifying improvement areas, providing training and consulting that result in improved customer satisfaction, business growth, and bottom-line results. Kevin brings the resources of Purdue MEP and diverse skills of Purdue University’s faculty to implement break-through solutions that impact Indiana business’ success.

Founder and President of a small corporation + Management of Walton Works Operations, + Entrepreneurial Coordination of a start-up. Leading Business Development and Providing hands-on, real-world project based learning for rapid results. + Serving in an adjunct faculty capacity for the Ivy-Tech Workforce Development Organization.

Columbus, Indiana, Us

Led large-scale transformational innovation projects. Evaluated and recommended investments in advanced technology, tools, and processes based on my research and analysis of industry, economic, market, and social/geopolitical megatrends. + Coordinated corporate-wide innovation initiative to improve product innovation, a cross-functional effort featuring historical failure and success analysis, external benchmarking, and Six Sigma project teams. + Increased effectiveness of engineering knowledge management and reuse for all Technical employees - evaluated leading technical information repository management methods and search tools. Successfully piloted, justified global license, and implemented leading semantic research application ‘Goldfire’ by IHS-Markit.+ Championed implementation of enterprise level crowdsourcing ideation program (utilizing Mindjet/Spigit ‘Engage’).+ Developed scalable, behaviorally-based Innovation Maturity and Enabler Model for assessment and improvement.+ Led definition and deployed a Customer Insight Driven Innovation processes (including ethnographic research, persona and narrative development, customer experience mapping, and actionable opportunity identification).

Columbus, Indiana, Us

Defined Electronics Controls Business / Supply-Chain Strategy – Planned and executed details for new business start-up. Hands-on leadership of Quality, Reliability, Safety, Lean Six Sigma, New Product Development, Program Management, Intellectual Property, Manufacturing & Test Engineering, Health, Safety and Environmental functions. + Established critical systems and processes for the start-up operation of a global electronics controls business unit. + Program Manager (including APQP, PPAP, and production launch) for the new business’s initial product and supplier development team (high-volume, low-cost, after-treatment control module, coordinated globally distributed team).+ Deployed discipline to meet customer, financial operating and capital budgets, legal and regulatory requirements. + Implemented quality & reliability assurance, risk management, safety, facilities planning and renovation, Health and Environmental, (HSE) product and project management, production planning, intellectual property processes. + Automated test system development, qualification, verification and validation activities for globally distributed design, manufacturing, service/repair, re-manufacturing, and warranty management. + Conducted bench-marking and scenario analysis exploring various business models and finances (P&L / ROI) for the electronics industry. + Led comprehensive on-site evaluations of major global electronics suppliers - assemblers and design service providers.+ Optimized product development, supplier sourcing criteria, regional/trade policy leverage and make vs. buy decisions. + Deployed processes to manage business-level product planning, product portfolio architecture, technology roadmaps, customer demand forecasting, reliability demonstration, and obsolescence planning for electronics. + Identified, recruited, and cultivated program management, supplier development, manufacturing, and design talent.

Columbus, Indiana, Us

Quality and Six Sigma executive for the global research and development organization of a multi-billion dollar corporation (Fortune 150) with government regulated products. Led twelve direct reports and up to fifty indirect reports in improvement, audit and corrective/preventive action processes, strategic planning and management reviews, Baldrige Award Performance Excellence Criteria assessment and ISO 14001 (Environmental Management System). + Attained and maintained ISO 9001, QS-9000/TS-16949 registration of Quality Operating System. Led implementation of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) / DMAIC, Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) and Technology Development for Six Sigma (TDFSS), integrating R&D / New Product Development (NPD) policies, and engineering practices. + Consistently beat multi-million dollar annual savings targets. Championed Kaizen events, Continuous Improvement, and (World-Wide) Technical Functional Excellence programs. + Provided guidance and support for critical customer quality, design, reliability, and supplier improvement work.+ As a Master Blackbelt, provided classroom instruction, individual mentoring and coaching of LSS / DMAIC, DFSS, and TDFSS to Six Sigma Belts. Tools included: Portfolio Architecting, Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ), MiniTab ™ software, Value Stream Mapping, Design and Process FMEA, FTA, SPC, QFD, MSA/GR&R. + Recruited Master Black Belts,Black Belts, and Green Belts. + Drove global standardization and optimization as member of cross-organizational Corporate Quality Council.

Columbus, Indiana, Us

Improved electronics and software reliability. Led ISO / QS-9000 focused implementation effort for electronics organization. Applied ISO 9000-3 and SEI CMM to Embedded and Tools Software programs. + Performed supplier and internal process/system development audits resulting in over 50% annual reduction of field failure/OEM defect rate for highest-volume electronic control module. + Predicted new product design reliability based upon statistical analysis, parenting processes, MIL-STD-217F, test and field data, then recommended design changes to improve intrinsic reliability. + Conducted SEI Taxonomy Based Risk Assessments and Duane Reliability Growth modeling to optimize investments in regression, unit, and validation testing. + Developed and delivered training programs for quality and reliability improvement. Recognized by Corporate Functional Excellence group as "Most Improved Technical Organization" for 1998.

Friedrichshafen, Baden-Württemberg, De

Test Engineering Manager - Responsible for the Design, Fabrication, Implementation and continuous improvement of Stress Screening, Automated Functional Test and verification programs for Electronic Safety Systems (airbag diagnostic & control systems). + Managed the activities of 14 engineers and 10 technicians in the support of Concurrent Product and Process Development teams for software, hardware, manufacturing and predictive maintenance. Participated in customer and supplier interface activities requiring technical or quality systems expertise. + Recognized with the TRW Commitment to Excellence Award for 1995 for co-development of TRW Workmanship Standards for the prevention of defects. + Utilized process mapping and value optimization methods to reduce average design package release and technical change cycle-times by 50%.Technical Engineering Manager - Performed consultant role for Product Reliability, Design and Manufacturability issues. + Provided support in Military Industrial Based Pilot Program for avionics commercialization.+ Reviewed and approved all engineering releases as a member of the Configuration Control Board. Evaluated full product life-cycle costs to drive optimized designs and processes through operational and systems improvements. + Applied McKinsey Consulting’s wave-team methodology (Total Cost of Ownership). Defined Reliability Growth Strategies for SMT- electronic hardware, software and systems development. + Designed and deployed mathematical modeling tools and systems which predict product performance in both the Manufacturing Process and the Application Environments.

Bsee, Electronics Engineering

Master Of Business Administration (Mba), With Certificate Of Acedemic Excellence