Vishnu Pattel

Lead end-to-end Operations, Supply Chain, Logistics, Fulfillment, Quality & Continuous Improvement for Sonova Australia, managing a 45+ FTE multi-disciplinary team. Oversee demand & supply planning, S&OP governance, inventory management, and service level performance across wholesale, retail, and service operations. Direct national in-house logistics, warehousing, distribution, and customer fulfillment, ensuring accuracy, on-time delivery, and cost efficiency. Lead the Repairs & Service Operations, including warranty, returns, turnaround time optimisation, and enhancing overall customer experience. Own the Australia Quality Management System (QMS) ensuring compliance, internal audits, CAPA, regulatory alignment, and continuous improvement. Drive Lean and CI initiatives to lift operational efficiency, reduce waste, and align with global operations excellence frameworks. Collaborate closely with GM, Finance, HR, Operations VP, Corporate Quality, and Global/Regional Supply Chain to align strategy and deliver performance results. Improve forecast accuracy, supply reliability, and planning analytics through strong governance and collaboration with global planning teams. Optimise in-house warehouse operations, space utilisation, inbound/outbound flows, inventory accuracy, safety, and cost-to-serve metrics. Lead key operational and digital transformation projects, including system upgrades, logistics optimisation, and process enhancement initiatives. Build and develop team leaders, fostering a high-performance culture, capability growth, and leadership pipeline. Strengthen operational governance including KPI dashboards, budget management, resource planning, and risk controls. Improve customer experience by elevating service levels, reducing complaints, and improving fulfilment accuracy and turnaround times. Promote a culture of quality, safety, accountability, and continuous improvement across all operational functions.

Lead the end-to-end ANZ supply chain operations—including demand & supply planning, logistics, warehousing, inventory, and customer service—while owning and advancing the APAC S&OP process across multiple franchises and regions. Key Achievements & Responsibilities: APAC S&OP Ownership: Drive alignment across Commercial, Finance, Regulatory, and Operations functions through robust S&OP processes. Increased forecast accuracy to 85% and reduced forecast bias through data-driven demand reviews and collaborative planning. Customer Service & Delivery Excellence: Boosted On-Time-In-Full (OTIF) from 83% to 98% and maintained high DIFOT and Case Fill Rates by deploying analytics-led service reviews and proactive issue resolution with commercial teams. Cost Savings & Logistics Optimization: Delivered AUD $800K+ in annual cost savings through 3PL contract renegotiation, route optimization, and warehouse network review—while managing increased shipment volumes year over year. People Leadership & Development: Led a regional team of 10+ across planning, logistics, and customer service; successfully promoted three team members into expanded APAC-level roles. Drove team engagement, succession planning, and cross-functional learning. New Market Expansion: Spearheaded the successful launch of Game Ready Direct in Australia, contributing $5M+ in incremental revenue, coordinating regulatory, commercial, and supply functions. ERP & System Stabilization: Resolved S/4HANA transition and system interface issues by building structured visibility, escalation, and mitigation frameworks, ensuring planning accuracy and order fulfillment continuity. Process & Reporting Automation: Deployed automation tools and KPI dashboards across APAC, cutting manual reporting by 30% and enabling agile, insight-driven decisions across planning and logistics teams. Governance & Compliance: Developed and enforced SOPs, internal controls, and audit-compliant processes. Led readiness for internal reviews.

Directed end-to-end supply chain operations across 10+ APAC markets during a critical leadership transition, ensuring service continuity, regulatory compliance, and performance delivery. Led a 15-member regional team across Australia, India, and Japan, spanning supply planning, logistics, and customer operations. Developed and executed regional supply chain strategies aligned with global objectives, driving improvements in OTIF, forecast accuracy, and cost efficiency. Delivered $1.5M+ in savings, including $500K+ through Project Wagner and strategic mode shifts from air to ocean freight. Conducted network footprint validation and Singapore-centric service model optimization, unlocking structural cost advantages. Negotiated and embedded HCL commercial terms and KPIs, strengthening vendor governance and accountability. Implemented repackaging, sterilization, and tax-efficient trade models, reducing landed costs and regulatory risk. Improved APAC forecast accuracy to 73%, reviving S&OP cadence and enhancing commercial alignment across markets. Developed and deployed regional SLAs, improving cross-border lead time visibility and delivery consistency. Reduced emergency freight and inventory overexposure through proactive planning and scenario-based risk mitigation. Collaborated with commercial, finance, regulatory, and IT teams to enhance order flow, reduce lead times, and improve customer experience. Championed governance, compliance, and continuous improvement—standardizing root cause analysis and performance reviews region-wide. Stabilized the regional organization during transition, retaining key talent and ensuring knowledge continuity for permanent leadership.

Led APAC supply chain transformation projects, including VOC-driven redesign and APAC Hub strategy deployment. Delivered $300K+ in freight and inventory savings through strategic mode shifts, planning improvements, and 4PL integration. Assessed regional supply chain models ('As-Is' vs. APAC Hub) to support cost-to-serve optimization and executive decision-making. Consolidated commercial and statistical demand inputs to improve forecast accuracy and planning reliability. Directed cross-functional vendor tenders for regional warehousing and freight, ensuring scalable, cost-effective logistics networks. Built a high-engagement culture across a 15-member cross-country project team spanning operations, planning, and logistics. Collaborated with Global SC, Finance, QARA, and IT to ensure compliant, cross-functional execution of the regional hub transition.

Led the end-to-end S&OP process across ANZ, aligning Sales, Marketing, Planning, and Global Ops to balance supply and demand, optimize inventory, and drive service continuity. Managed a cross-functional team of 7 across demand planning, logistics, and customer experience; developed succession plans that led to 3 internal promotions. Improved forecast accuracy from 60% to 80% by enhancing collaboration and analytics-led reviews. Maintained 99% OTIF post-COVID through proactive planning, stakeholder alignment, and strong execution. Delivered $250K+ in freight cost savings through transportation optimization and 3PL performance improvements. Achieved $800K+ in total supply chain savings by redesigning routes, reducing emergency freight, and renegotiating contracts. Reduced Salesforce case duplication by 95% and resolution time by 90% through automation and streamlined workflows. Oversaw inventory deployment and working capital, minimizing slow and obsolete stock across the network. Developed and enforced SOPs ensuring audit compliance, process standardization, and data accuracy. Led B2B digital platform integration, SAP (ECC) process execution, and user training across the region. Built strong relationships with strategic customers to improve visibility, reduce lead times, and support business growth

🔹 Demand Planning Summary: Led the S&OP process using a collaborative approach across Sales, Marketing, and Finance. Developed and maintained 24-month forecasts in SAP APO, combining statistical models and business insights. Drove forecast accuracy through root-cause analysis and led improvements. Partnered with global teams in monthly reviews to align demand with strategic plans. 🔹 Supply Planning Summary: Owned supply planning within S&OP, aligning inventory strategies, safety stock, and material policies. Monitored stock levels, resolved supply shortages, and optimized FG inventory parameters. Led reviews with global and local stakeholders to ensure supply continuity and performance alignment.

Built SKU-level demand plans in SAP APO using Promax and historical trends. Drove 80% forecast accuracy on a 3-month horizon under the IBP framework. Collaborated with Coles & Woolworths in CPFR and state-level forecast reviews. Aligned with Customer Managers and Network Planners on forecast uplifts and changes. Led monthly Demand Review to finalize consensus forecasts with Account Managers.

Managed end-to-end supply planning and inventory optimization in SAP APO/ERP, including safety stock, lead times, and transportation parameters. Developed short- and long-term supply plans across global/local suppliers and CMOs. Led shelf-life, phase-in/out, and substitution planning. Conducted root cause analysis on supply variances, mitigated stock-outs, and addressed slow-moving inventory risks. Collaborated cross-functionally with Sales, Marketing, and Global Supply to ensure forecast accuracy, on-time procurement, and continuous S&OP alignment.

🔹 Process Improvement & Supply Execution Summary: Supported supply planning process improvements, including batch management, product allocations, and substitutions. Led testing, documentation, and knowledge sharing for SAP APO/ERP enhancements. Collaborated with DCs and transport teams to improve deployment efficiency and reduce costs. Managed product rollovers, obsolete stock clearance, and parameter maintenance. Conducted root cause analysis on deployment issues and drove corrective actions to improve supply execution and inventory control.

🔹 Supply Planning & Inventory Control Summary: Managed short- and long-term supply plans, replenishment (DRP), and inventory strategies in SAP ERP/APO. Maintained accurate planning master data, including PIRs and source lists. Coordinated timeslot planning with DCs, vendors, and carriers. Led root cause analysis and corrective actions for supply issues. Supported allocation systems, product substitutions, and data accuracy. Regularly reviewed performance with cross-functional teams to ensure stock availability and optimize inventory parameters.