Meg Bauer Email & Phone Number

Burnaby, Bc, Ca

Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada

•Analyze, anticipate and forecast product demand to maintain optimal stock levels for two product categories, more than 6,000 SKUs and $70m+ of inventory •Reduced obsolete inventory to a record low of 6.7% in 1 year •Consolidated and reduced number of vendors by 37% in 3 years to maximize buying power and efficiency•Reset planograms for 3 of the largest vendors at 29 branches to refresh, refocus and provide reliable and competitive supply of core items to customers increasing sales 21% in less than 6 months•Point of contact for over 40 vendors and 29 branches regarding inventory, line reviews and pricing•Work closely with Branch Managers to ensure optimal inventory levels, support sales growth and problem solve•Strategize with Marketing on product promotions to proactively manage product life-cycle growth and decline•Manage inventory returns, clearance, write downs and write offs for end-of-life products

Delta, Bc

Key Responsibilities & Achievements:• Increased the gross margin for the hardware category by 13.4% in Canada and maintained the gross margin in the USA despite a 25% tariff on China imports by negotiating price reductions with suppliers, re-sourcing products, divesting of unprofitable items and launching higher margin products• Reduced the number of SKU’s by 44% in Canada and 51.5% in the US while increasing sales by 8.1% over 4 years• Reduced the number of overseas suppliers from 17 to 8 to improve buying power and product quality• Initiated and developed a procurement process and Supplier Handbook to reduce inherent risks of buying from a new supplier, provide transparency, improve communication and efficiency, mitigate unforeseen expectations, costs and delays, and to help ensure high quality standards and processes are realized• Maintain positive relationships with suppliers/vendors, negotiate pricing and terms, manage RFIs/RFQs and forecasting, new product specifications and configurations, as well as resolution of quality complaints and supply issues • Regularly analyze sales history to manage product lifecycles, monitor margin changes and to recommend sales forecasts for new product launches • Research and develop pricing strategies for new products and analyze pricing of existing products bi-annually • Develop and present business cases monthly to senior management for product development projects including cost analyses, pricing strategy, market analysis and position plan, sales forecast, budget, and risk analysis• Lead multiple projects and work collaboratively with sales, operations, finance, marketing, and senior management to ensure new customer-driven products are launched on schedule and on budget• Work with buyers to minimize inventory of declining items and with Sales to expedite sell through of stale stock• Create and maintain detailed product specifications, installation instructions and packaging copy for 500+ SKU’s

Vancouver, Bc

Key Responsibilities:• Initiated the reorganization of the warehouse (approx. 5,000 sqft) and stock locations to maximize efficiency and to expedite order fulfilment • Established a new safety stock and blanket order process to ensure minimum stock levels were maintained, minimize expedited shipments and negotiate lower pricing with suppliers• Coordinated with the production, quality control and quality assurance departments to ensure shipping schedules and customer expectations were achieved and non-conformance issues were addressed promptly• Managed three employees: Buyer, Order Management Specialist, and Shipper/Receiver

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Key Responsibilities:• Managed the full order-to-cash process including export documentation and shipping schedules • Managed customer complaints and worked closely with the quality department on NCR processing• Tracked inventory availability, allocated Inventory for customer orders, collaborated with the production department on customer priorities and escalated any potential delays

Burnaby, Bc

Key Responsibilities:• Planned and coordinated the logistics, field resources and training for installation of thermal plate-setters, workflow equipment and software in 12 U.S. states for up to 100 orders of varying scopes and complexities • Communicated all installation activities, requirements, schedule changes and outstanding action items with clients, regional directors, managers, field resources, senior management, production and logistics • Facilitated the efficient resolution of integration concerns, exceptions and delays with internal and external resources to ensure a smooth installation and with minimal or no impact to the client

Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

Key Responsibilities:• Managed the order-to-cash process for USA contracts in SAP ensuring technical documentation, approvals and deposits were received and scheduled on time • Worked closely with project planners, sales, finance, manufacturing, and regional resources to ensure all contract booking requirements were processed efficiently • Collaborated with various levels of management to facilitate quick and efficient resolutions to contract and documentation deficiencies and exceptions • Issued credit and return requests and worked closely with finance to quickly resolve customer complaints regarding invoicing

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Key Responsibilities:• Negotiated pricing and terms with office supply sources and delivery carriers. Accepted the Human Resources Coordinator position after 4 months as Office Manager due to cut-backs• Implemented a new competitive and comprehensive health benefits package for employees in the USA• Managed a human resources system integration project as well as all benefits administration

Vancouver, Bc

Key Responsibilities:• Managed credit insurance for $500m of receivables and facilitated annual contract negotiations that reduced annual costs by $120k and facilitated sales to new markets• Worked closely with agents and customers in over 40 countries to mitigate credit risks and provide creative solutions for sensitive payment issues• Implemented a new ERP system as the Team Lead for 5 agent offices and 2 warehouse facilities in Europe that necessitated updated foreign trade documentation, reporting, comprehensive training, and procedures • Worked with the paper mill and off-site warehouses in Europe and North America to resolve warehouse and shipping damage claims, reconcile inventory, reduce stale inventory, and oversee annual inventory counts

Vancouver, Bc

Key Responsibilities:• Planned and forecasted production for the paper mill (350k ton annual capacity) and managed monthly sales quotas and order deadlines for export sales• Coordinated production with logistics, sales, warehouses and customer service and prepared subsequent weekly reports and schedules • Booked and scheduled container shipments and coordinated production schedules with breakbulk vessel carriers, barge carriers and local third-party warehouses• Worked with the paper mill and off-site warehouses in Europe and North America to resolve warehouse and shipping damage claims, reconcile inventory, reduce stale inventory, and oversee annual inventory counts

Vancouver, Bc

Key Responsibilities:• Worked closely with sales agents in Europe, The Middle East, and Latin America regarding all aspects of customer orders including export documentation, delivery delays and customer complaints• Prepared export documentation for letters of credit and bid bonds • Booked trucks and rail cars, tracked shipments and managed customer inventory for shipments to Mexico• Collaborated with sales managers, the paper mill and onsite and offsite warehouses to ensure orders were accurately filled and prepared in time for shipment

Certified Supply Chain Professional, Cscp, Supply Chain

Six Sigma

Introduction To Canadian Customs & Border Procedures, Importing And Exporting

Fundamentals for customs and border procedures in Canada, including the main Acts, regulations, and policies related to international trade.

Certified Product Manager (Cpm), Business Administration And Management, General

Project Management, Business Cases & Plans, Market & Operations Planning, Competitive Analysis and Market Research, Product Lifecycle.

Certified International Trade Professional (Citp), International Trade & Market Entry

Activities and Societies: Forum for International Trade Training (FITT)Global Value Chain, Market Entry, Research, Finance and Marketing..

Certified International Credit Professional (Cicp), International Credit & Risk Management

Activities and Societies: FCIB GlobalAn in-depth online course that provided hands-on experience to manage and mitigate the credit risks.