Jennifer Ash Email & Phone Number

Downers Grove, Illinois, United States

Englewood, Co, Us

Rise Broadband is a leading fixed wireless and fiber internet provider with service available to around 6% of rural US households. Coverage spans 16 states, with Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Texas and Utah having the highest serviceability.As a key member of Strategic Sourcing, I provide company-wide strategy, contract management, strategic sourcing, & supplier management services for my assigned regions & categories. In my position, I report to the Director of Finance/Fiber-Procurement & Supply Chain.Key Procurement Categories:CPE Install & Network Equipment: cables, fiber, connectors, mounts, power supply, radio, routers, electrical, batteries, enclosures, cabinets, transceivers, antennas, consumables, conduit, safety gear, tool kits, annual access, IT Software licenses, network hardware & software, contract consult services, phones, computers, Prepaid Service Contracts, Structural Analysis & Fees, Building Permits, Employee Training & DevelopmentKey successes:Ensures continuous process improvement & innovation to further enhance the company-supplier relationship: Systemized weekly Supplier Open Order Report that monitors past due & current open purchase orders that requires supplier confirmed delivery date. RESULT= 100% improvement in supplier commit datesDeveloped & maintain effective relationship to build collaborative partnership between Sourcing & internal customers: Designed Project Management Order report that provides delivery dates. Project Managers can accurately plan construction based on delivery. RESULT= Sourcing provides Project Managers with delivery dates for 60% or more of project related equipment.Drive collaborative efforts that maximize efficiency: Developed reporting for missing goods receipts that keeps tighter controls on posting goods receipts: RESULTS=An 88% improvement in the number of missing goods receipts.Authored 35+ Strategic Sourcing/Procurement Modules; documented Strategic Sourcing processes.

Due to COVID 19, the business was forced to endure a partial shutdown and reduction in workforce. My position was eliminated. But instead of seeing this as a closed door, I saw an open window. During this time, I was able make my LinkedIn profile robust with just a few changes. I took the opportunity to modernize my resume. I found my "brand". I made some profound changes in my life including relocating from Illinois to Colorado. In only a few short weeks, I was going on interviews and was hired full time by a local company.

Chicago, Il, Us

Global, family-owned, manufacturer of industrial food processing equipment. Headquartered in Chicago, the Mokena USA location specialized in manufacturing of Forming and Slicing equipment. I was promoted to Senior Buyer after my first year at Provisur Technologies, and excited to continue adding value in my role to the company. Continuing in Strategic Sourcing, I supported aftermarket sales, Slicing and Forming equipment, handling more vendor accounts with focus on supplier strategy, continuous improvement, and life-cycle of items. Key successes included a six month lead time reduction on Poly Bags; eliminated labor costs by executing GPS self-monitor and auto keep-full program on bulk oil tanks; contracts for 15 items reducing lead time from 70 days to seven days achieving consistent availability.I received a nomination for outstanding contributor, having led two Supplier Quality Initiative teams and serving on the Global SOP Standardization team.

Chicago, Il, Us

As key member of Strategic Sourcing, I was on a team of seven, who were split between the 'commercial side' and 'machining side'. I was on the Commercial Team and supported aftermarket, Slicing and Forming equipment. I was responsible for MRO indirect purchases. I maintained sourcing strategies including Replenishment, Vendor Managed Inventory, Blanket Orders, and Contracts.My first role at Provisur Technologies allowed me to introduce process improvements, moving from paper form into PeopleSoft with intelligent routing/processing. Realizing the improved efficiency, I eliminated other paper forms, saving the company time and money. This began my journey of out with the old, in with the new, and continued to work on additional process, equipment, and building improvements.

Hickory, North Carolina, Us

(Contractor)I was selected for a project supporting a Global Master Data initiative, which offered the chance to learn something new and continue my skill development and sharpening my mastery of Excel Pivots. I was nominated to serve as a 'Change Champion' for a business integration effort, acknowledging my deep knowledge of processes and systems pertaining to Purchasing and Planning, my ability to function as ‘trainer’ for my colleagues, and my willingness to support change initiatives.

Due to a corporate restructure in 2014, the factory in Joliet, IL. was closed, 200+ positions were eliminated including mine. During this career break, I was called back for a 12-month contract position during 2015-2016 serving as a Supply Chain Systems and Strategies Coordinator to assist during a business integration effort. I was able to keep my skills sharp and continue my learning path.

Hickory, North Carolina, Us

Commscope is a Global Telecommunications Equipment Manufacturer. In June 2007, Andrew Corporation merged with CommScope, relocating from the Orland Park facility to Joliet IL. Now HQ in North Carolina, the employees doubled to 20K worldwide. I was awarded several promotions, placing me in different business units, which allowed me to continuously expand my knowledge of the products, and further my skills in planning and purchasingIn my role supporting Global Ops & Manufacturing for Broadband, Enterprise, and Cable, I was responsible for 400+ materials in a diverse range of products. I applied my planning and purchasing knowledge and developed plans to make sure customer service levels and inventory objectives were achieved. Key accomplishments I achieved were setting up automatic PO for 80% of active purchased parts; identified high turn materials and executed Vendor Managed Inventory program for 135 materials-resulting in reduced lead time from 60 days to stock on hand; training suppliers to use web-based portal for reporting response, which allowed more efficient sales order scheduling for planners.I enjoyed being part of user acceptance testing groups for SAP, and always being able to interact with other planners at other locations around the world

In this role I shifted from a production planner to a planner/buyer for finished goods and components. I was now responsible for machined parts and other components for the Connectors and Surge Arrestors business unit. I joined this group during somewhat of challenging but exciting time – as KanBan was just about to be introduced. I was on a core team that tested and implemented KanBan in SAP, and then trained other users. I successfully added my top 80% suppliers to KanBan.I focused on inventory levels and turns to achieve turn goals and upgraded Top 15 suppliers to a web-based supplier report card system.

My next advancement I found myself in a new business unit, Base Station Antenna Systems, as Production Planner II. I was now utilizing the newly implemented SAP platform, which made a large scale of planning and purchasing tools and reports available. Tasks like MRP, Capacity Planning, and Production Scheduling were now more efficient. Now a planner for a much more sophisticated, made to order product, I often needed to collaborate with Engineering to resolve production delays due to testing issues. I also prepared daily status reports and led customer shipment meetings with Operations and Coordinators.My key take away from working in this department was to be agile. Situations for our customer could change daily and I needed to be able to alter production schedules accordingly to best meet customer demands.

My next move forward was in the Heliax® Cable Production business unit. This unit was more of a ‘cable cut to length’ department than production. In this role as Production Planner, I was responsible for keeping the Cable Cutting lines and Fitting Stations going. I established the first shift production schedule for the day. I released “cutting orders” for customer specific lengths of cable that needed to be cut, and if so required, the ends fit with connectors, and reels delivered to the shipping area in time to be put on a freight truck. The department was extremely busy, and I would often need to prepare forward load reports and recommend overtime or staffing levels. I was most proud that through all the efforts and planning, the department succesfully achieved meeting a 96% customer request date four years in a row.

In my position as production and inventory clerk for the Broadcast Antennas unit, I was exposed to such a wide variety of duties that there was never a dull moment. I assisted the Production Planner, pulled blueprints and learned the basics of blueprint reading. I coordinated purchase requisitions, performed data entry, and composed over 40 work instructions for CRT computer transactions. I spent countless hours in the stockroom counting materials and on the production floor assisting the welders and assemblers.