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Kathy Skala
Hi, I’m Kathy!
My expertise lies in procurement optimization, inventory management, contract negotiation, & dynamic leadership, making me an invaluable asset for consulting endeavors. During my recent tenure at Nuts.com, I scaled annual spend 3X, employing KPIs for strategic planning, cost savings, and managing 300+ suppliers. I love to create comprehensive reporting tools in Excel to showcase stock fluctuations, vendor scorecards, and contract dashboards.
Here's a quick overview of some of my recent major projects I've taken on in my full-time roles as well as a fractional operations advisor / consultant.
A new snack company needed help in creating its operations strategy. Without a clear strategy, they faced problems in choosing ingredients, setting prices, and managing the supply chain. The lack of a centralized system made decision-making difficult, causing missed opportunity for growth and efficiency.
I conducted market analysis to choose top ingredients aligned with trends then created a competitive pricing dashboard using real-time competitor insights. Next, I identified local commercial kitchens for cost effective, quality snack production with a focus on food safety. Once completed, I developed an efficient inventory system to track usage, lead times, and various other procurement needs.
Insights into competitive pricing and collaborations with local kitchens enhanced efficiency and quality, while the newly implemented inventory system reduced delays and waste. I was so happy to be able to give my client a full roadmap to success!
A client with over 200 vendors faced the challenge of effectively ranking and prioritizing these vendors based on data. The lack of a systematic approach made it difficult for them to identify which vendors were crucial for collaborative improvements and pinpoint specific areas that needed enhancement.
To address this challenge, I developed a specialized tool leveraging purchase order history. This tool intelligently assessed key performance indicators, including fill rate, on-time delivery, and freight costs, to generate individual ranks for each category. These category-specific ranks were then synthesized into a final comprehensive rank for each vendor, offering a clear and data-driven evaluation.
The implemented tool provided the client with a powerful solution to streamline vendor assessment. Armed with concrete data, the client could now communicate vendor rankings within the company, enabling transparent and constructive discussions with vendors about their performance. This facilitated targeted improvements by highlighting specific areas for refinement, ultimately leading to a more efficient and collaborative vendor management process.
The client faced challenges in effectively managing numerous open contracts and lacked a comprehensive understanding of their current status. They struggled to assess the health of each contract consistently and determine whether their existing pricing structure aligned with current market rates.
To address these issues, I developed a sophisticated system that integrated SKU and vendor information, lead times, forecasts, and contract terms. The system was designed to provide real-time insights into excesses or shortages on each contract. Additionally, I incorporated current market pricing data to evaluate the client’s cost savings and identify opportunities for contract renegotiation. The system’s capabilities extended to predicting future contract needs for the next 12 months.
The newly implemented dashboard not only offered the client a detailed overview of the health of each contract but also provided actionable insights into potential cost savings and strategic adjustments to pricing structures. With the ability to anticipate future contract needs, the client gained a proactive approach to contract management, ensuring they stayed ahead of market trends and maintained a favorable position in their negotiations.
The client faced challenges in their large and thriving business as they relied on visual assessments of low inventory in the warehouse for purchasing decisions. This manual approach led to inefficiencies, consistent inventory shortages, customer service issues, and an overall lack of strategic inventory management.
To address this issue, I developed a dynamic dashboard in Excel. This dashboard integrated SKU data, vendor information, lead times, safety stock, and sales forecasts that I had generated. The dashboard was designed to refresh daily, providing real-time insights into immediate shortages, forecasting future shortages, and highlighting orders that needed immediate placement based on current inventory.
The implementation of the new inventory management dashboard revolutionized the client’s approach to purchasing and warehouse management. With accurate and up-to-date information at their fingertips, the client could now make informed decisions, reducing the risk of shortages, optimizing stock levels, and increasing cash flow. This proactive approach not only enhanced operational efficiency but also contributed to overall cost savings and improved customer satisfaction.
My client faced supply chain challenges with their brownie mix ingredients. They enlisted my help to find alternative options for each ingredient, ensuring each met precise specifications.
I identified 4-5 options per ingredient with precise specs, analyzed pricing against competitors, showcased potential cost savings, and recommended consolidating purchases for reduced freight. Additionally, I arranged for my client to receive samples of each new alternative, allowing them to test and ensure the integrity of the original recipe.
I was able to successfully introduce the client to new suppliers and furthermore, provided advice on updated storage options for additional savings.
