Kirk Knudsen

Provided process leadership and drove process improvement to meet and beat the metrics goals set forth by Outset. •Demand/Supply Matching processes, forecast and supply commits alignment. •Drive collaboration and alignment with other Supply Chain functions such as Commodity Planning, Cycle Planning, NPI, PDM, Factory Operations, Sales and Field Service demand. •Managed Contract Manufacturing relationships and electronic component procurement to ensure successful launch of NPI projects and ramp-up to mass production. •Managed Field Service/FRU Management to ensure that the material supply matched the demand from the field. •Created auto-release and safety stock programs to ensure parts were in the right location and in the hands of the Field Service Engineers. •Created programs to support International growth.

Managed a team consisting of several Commodity Managers locally and in Penang, Malaysia. •Our responsibilities included consolidation and management of each commodity and fostering and maintaining solid relationships with our suppliers. •Monitored supplier’s capacity, financial strength, and quality as well as on-time performance. •Communicated EOL and LTB opportunities to our customers and managed risk mitigation for each customer. Identified Country of Origin, Product Lifespan, channel inventory and monitored lead-time and market conditions for each commodity. •Worked on cost improvement opportunities and the transfer of production of parts to low cost regions. •Worked with each customer with their forecasts, demand planning and inventory management. •Worked closely with sales on new customer opportunities, quoting and establishing the supply chain before their products are launched to production or transferred.

Managed a team consisting of Program Managers, Buyers, Document Control Assistants, Planners and Engineers who were responsible for supporting the production needs of 10 OEM customers. •Brought on three new accounts in first 6 months and quickly ramped up production by developing and maintaining a steady material supply chain to keep up with their growing demand. •Served as the direct contact for each customer’s management team. Conducted ongoing customer satisfaction surveys to highlight areas of improvement. Addressed complex customer requests and held quarterly business reviews. •Led the team while introducing and managing new products for autonomous robotic companies such as Omron/Adept and Bossa Nova Robotics. •Worked with Medical companies such as Intuitive Surgical, ICU Medical and ICAD/Xoft to introduce and provide ongoing management of new products and ramp up to production.

Helped to create a new EMS company. Selected and helped roll-out an ERP/MRP system for the factory while building a new Supply Chain and purchasing team. •Helped grow the annual revenue from $0 to $11M over 21 months. •Managed Purchasing, Document Control, Tool Crib, Quoting Department, Stockroom, Shipping, Receiving, Planning and Scheduling and eventually ran 2 full production lines on the manufacturing floor.

Helped establish an industry leading EMS company. Helped grow net income from $1.1M to $60M+ directly from the Materials Department over a 5 years period. •Managed Purchasing, Document Control, Tool Crib, Quoting Department, Stockroom, Shipping, Receiving, Planning and Scheduling and then eventually ran 5 full production lines on the manufacturing floor with a total of 300+ employees from all departments. •Directed procurement and supply chain development to profitably meeting the demands of a diverse customer base including medical device, pharmaceutical, military, and telecommunications companies, enabling growth of client base to 50+ clients (up from 3 during the first year). •Negotiated and managed contracts with 10+ key customers, bringing in over $25M in new business. •Developed and instituted guidelines and performance metrics for team of Program Managers, Buyers, Document Control, Stockroom and logistics personnel (45 employees).

Streamlined supplier base over 50% and trimmed the vendor base from 123 to 36. Reduced costs in 2003, through consolidation and volume contract agreements, by $3.8M. •Lead procurement and supply chain development to meet the demands of five extensive product lines, including new product development projects. Managed the demand for over 5600 line items. •Managed $55.2M of finished goods and component inventory. Reduced Zhone’s inventory position by $6.7M in the first 6 months of employment, by negotiating returns with vendors, selling components to independent distributors and by negotiating stocking agreements with suppliers. •Established a global supply chain to facilitate Zhone’s customer growth overseas.