Douglas Phelps Email & Phone Number

Richmond, Virginia, United States

Architect of Kaiser Aluminum’s Intelligent Factory Solution, a configurable Manufacturing Execution System (MES). Established a rapidly no-code architecture to serve as the operational technology (OT) backbone across 10 sites in North America. This system configurable platform – designed by me –reduced installation and setup time on any machine to a few hours, from what previously required three to six months of custom coding.Consolidated over 150 legacy disparate, unique islands of one-off automation into a unified MES deployment that has revolutionized operations and democratized data access. In collaboration with stakeholders, I set the vision, destination, and priorities for the department. What began as a software and instrumentation challenge is now a process engineering collaboration between operational teams.Authored web service contracts that extend Microsoft Dynamics 365 (D365) to manage machine-specific instructions. Web services render augmented functionality to be ERP agnostic. This platform’s machine-specific instructions are served up by Microsoft SQL Server. Operational execution is transacted with D365 to post fabrication progress and inventory updates. Platform services leverage Telit-IOT, Mongo DB NoSQL document database, while Fabric and Alteryx blend relational and document data for analysis and visualization. Ignition with python serves up the browser-based user interface.

Richmond, Virginia Area

Founded custom software development and integration services department to advance corporate-wide process improvement initiatives. My development model favors an agile continuous improvement process, where functionality is broadened with incremental releases. Extensions are prioritized on features with highest business impact. Technique expedites adoption and its return on investment. Software development lifecycle is managed through Azure DevOps to capture user stories, track progress, and source control code. System architectural designs are authored in sysML through Visual Paradigm. I architected and established a configurable digital twin simulation for beta testing, user acceptance, regression and load testing.Lead teams (up to 15 engineers) to design and construct recipe and data collection system where completed systems integrate ERP, factory equipment, and their automation. Incorporated ability to leverage knowledge aggregated from manufacturing processes to reduce product and process variability, while continuing to increase overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). Responsible for educational curriculum, resource development, staffing and recruitment.

Richmond, Virginia Area

Created process control software securing introduction of specialty aluminum products for niche markets. Established software to manage standard workflows, machine set-up, exception alerts drive KPIs. Developed corporate-wide decision support system (DSS) to identify and monitor waste reduction and behavioral patterns. Instituted ticketing system to report faulty equipment, track root-cause analysis, and verify disposition, or remedy. Reduced failures from 35% to 2%. Chartered collaborative team for rollout across company. Founded team to determine root-cause of dimensional variation with lean management techniques. Established KPIs to track progress. Variation dropped by 400%. Led five-plant electrical and software system upgrade. Modeled capabilities to meet need of all locations. Negotiated volume agreement with software and hardware vendors. Devised control algorithms to improve product and process quality.

Sherman/Denison, Texas Area

Team member defining and implementing corporate-wide process improvement initiatives for die formed extruded products. Established shift metrics and reports to identify continuous improvement opportunities based upon machine event-driven process data streams. Systems include Windows, Rockwell Software middleware, MS-SQL, and Crystal Reports.

Fort Worth, Texas

Paint finishing systems manufacturer. Responsible for customer contact, integration schedules, resource recruiting, field service, system design, and programming. Team of six technicians, four panel builders, and an engineering team of four configured system architecture for process control of ovens, air handling and surface treatment systems. Broadened electrical engineering department's capability to meet demands of incrementally lager customers. Fabricated and engineered 200 control panels in eighteen months.

Greater Detroit Area

Systems integrator for automotive and chemical manufacturing. Responsible for customer contact, resource recruiting, site integration, system design, automation programming, and training. ​Integration Manager for start-up of new GM paintshop in Rosario, ARGENTINA. Automation project Includes conveying, painting, oven-curing, and HVAC. Responsible for recruiting and managing local team of seven engineers to design seventy electrical panels, program thirty PLCs, and sixty HMIs. ​Automated combustion control and burner management on six steam boilers for Nebraska Boiler, Babcox & Wilcox and Cleaver Brooks including three in Rayong, THAILAND. ​Developed controls for robotic painting booths for Chrysler, Newark, DE Intrepid-Model assembly plant and Chrysler/GM/Ford evaluation laboratory in Wixom, MI. System fully automates low-emissions, environmentally-friendly powder painting process using PLCs, servo motion control, Wonderware HMIs, and statistical reporting.

Master'S Degree, Natural Resources Management And Policy, 4.0

Capstone Project: Emerging Constraints on Mineral Fertilizers for Subsistence Agriculture in Developing Nations

Graduate Certificate, Geographic Information Science And Cartography, 4.0

Field of study: Environmental Applications

Master'S Degree, Information Technology, 4.0

Field of study: Software Development; Decision Support Systems; Business Information Systems

Executive Education Certificate, Lean Management

Lean Sigma theory and 4-month practicum

Bachelor Of Science - Bs, Mechanical Engineering