Jim's Resume

2009-04-02T14:46:00.000-07:00

James R. Eilers, CPIM

740 South Ardmore

Villa Park, IL 60181

Email James.Eilers@jreilers.org

Mobile 630/390-9342

http://jreilers.org

http://www.linkedin.com/in/jameseilers

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

“Can do” team player makes new ways and improved methods pay off. APICS certified professional with extensive manufacturing experience supports operations, manufacturing planning, materials management, and sales and operations planning. Proficient with computer systems to support manufacturing planning and supply chain activities including ERP systems, MRP, master scheduling, perpetual inventory, and forecasting. Proficient 'influencer' with extensive experience guiding those over whom I have little direct authority. Food Industry background also includes quality assurance, sanitation, regulatory affairs, and technical writing.

EMPLOYMENT

Sara Lee, Downers Grove, IL July 2005 – February 2009

Fortune 500 company manufacturing and marketing food brands including Ball Park, Douwe Egberts, Hillshire Farm, Jimmy Dean, Superior and many more

Demand Planner

Led cross-functional team to turn around struggling operations within the sauces and dressings business for Sara Lee Food Service. During this 2 ½ year effort, saw unit fill rate performance rise from approx 95% (vs a 98.65% target) until rate exceeded 99% for over 52 weeks running. Managed and controlled inventories to support fill rates while minimizing inventory excess. Facilitated weekly Operations (Pre-S&OP) review coordinating Manufacturing activity with Sales, Marketing, Customer Service and Quality Assurance.

Responsible for Advanced Planning and Scheduling activities within Sara Lee's Food Service division. Develop forecasts used to create production plans carried out at Sara Lee plants. Participate in monthly S&OP Category Reviews. Worked with coffee and tea plants, spices and sauces & dressings facilities.

Implemented planning system that calculates replenishment orders for stocked SKUs and provides 4-week projections for capacity and ingredient requirements. Executed ongoing planning within the live system.

Performed periodic system queries to provide reports needed for Demand Planning and ad hoc queries to provide guidance to Manufacturing, Distribution, and Customer Service.

Performed special projects as required such as supporting SKU Rationalization efforts and managing Sara Lee’s exit from Hills Brothers coffees. Acted as the APS lead to redistribute New Orleans coffee production to alternate facilities following Hurricane Katrina. Coordinated Operations activities during 6-month transition to new owners when Dressings business was sold.

ConAgra Foods, Naperville, IL August 2003 - May 2005

Fortune 500 food company manufacturing and marketing brands including Healthy Choice, Eckrich, Butterball and many more

Category Inventory Manager

Accountable for Distribution Requirements Planning for the weekly national distribution of 1.6 million pounds of perishable foods.

Managed inventories to support fulfillment of customer orders at the rate of 98.5% or greater.

Maintained stock rotation to achieve less than 1% product distress

Provided data and participated in monthly Sales and Operations Planning process

Supported roll out of SAP R/3 ERP system, provided coaching and mentoring of peers

Implemented "Logility MP" (manufacturing planning) software for scheduling at four plants

Alliance in Cyberspace, Villa Park, IL July 2002 - July 2003

Proprietorship providing PC and software services to small businesses

Proprietor

Developed and maintained company web pages

Provided system maintenance and technical support

Provided “Help Desk” services via telephone

Specified and installed small office network solutions

IFS North America, Schaumburg, IL January 2000 – July 2002

U.S. startup of a $350MM European mid-market ERP provider

Business Analyst

Provided implementation services to companies installing IFS Applications

Managed and resolved implementation issues, with appropriate attention to issue priority and project budget

Served on multiple implementation teams for numerous customer companies

Specialized in Forecasting, Material Requirements Planning, Master Production Scheduling, Capacity

Requirements Planning, Purchased-Parts Planning, Inventory, and Quality Assurance

Developed solutions to acquire material at the right cost, the right quantity, the right time

Established basic data: bills of materials, routings, work centers, inventory parts, etc.

Coached customers on improved business processes to support implementation goals

Provided training and implementation support to core implementation teams and end users

Supported companies using make-to-stock, make-to-order, and configure-to-order strategies

World's Finest Chocolate, Chicago, IL 1993 -1999

Manufacturer of chocolate and distributor of chocolate and gift items ($100MM)

Inventory Control Specialist (1995-1999)

Replaced manual materials management procedures with best practice methods using SAP/R3

Served as SAP “super user” for Materials Management, Inventory, and Production Planning

Implemented master production scheduling and material requirements planning (MRP)

Introduced and supported formal production planning disciplines

Trained and coached SAP end-users

Established and managed perpetual inventory system

Translated sales/budget into annual production forecasts; managed forecasts throughout year

Ordered production or acquisition of materials to support customer requirements

Served as acting Department Head for Materials Management Group; 4 direct reports

Recruited and managed staff for Materials Management Group, both salaried and hourly

Performed materials planning using make-to-forecast and make-to-order strategies

Served operations team overseeing cost reduction/cost avoidance

Production Supervisor (1994)

Supervised all aspects of quality and production for $20MM "Advance Order Program"

Managed year-round workforce of 20 plus seasonal crew up to 200

Implemented BPCS (AS-400) to support Advance Order Program

Applied principles of Total Quality Management to Advance Order Program

Utilized statistical process control to deliver program with over 99% pick accuracy

Lead company-wide team to develop manufacturing process documentation

Served on the Advance Order Operations team, planning and implementing program policies

Supervisor of Quality Assurance (1993)

Established and managed Quality Assurance system for Advance Order Program

Developed corporate Product Recall Policy

Developed PC-based methods for tracking product lots to support recall plan

Served on the Advance Order Operations team, planning and implementing program policies

Consultant/Technical Writer , Lombard, IL 1993

Food Processing Magazine, Chicago, IL 1990-1992

Indian Summer, Des Plaines, IL 1989

American Dairy Products Institute, Chicago, IL 1986-1989

Swiss Valley Farms Company, Bangor, WI 1979-1986

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

American Production and Inventory Control Society -- Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM)

Institute of Food Technologists – Professional Member

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Science, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 1976