APICS Florida West Coast Chapter Meeting
September 8, 2009

Speaker: Joseph Kirchner, CPIM

Tucsonís, Clearwater MAP

13563 Icot Blvd
Clearwater, FL 33760
5:30 - 6:30 Social Hour
6:30 - 8:00 Dinner and Speaker Presentation
RESERVATIONS

TOPIC: Supplier Partnership - A Supply Chain Management Success Story

When packaging inventory was exceeding available storage capacity, Biolab Inc. knew they had to do something. The first option considered was building another warehouse to store the extra components. Before any steps were taken in that direction, though, the Materials Management Department began to look at gaining control of the Forecasting and Production Planning processes to drive needed changes in Inventory Management, Customer Service, and Financial Performance.

This Case Study takes you through setting the stage for the critical need for change, the tentative initial steps toward change, the breakthroughs, and the metrics that were used to determine the value of the corrective actions. Finally, we will cover the very successful Supplier Partnership that would not have been possible without initially focusing on the opposite end of the Supply Chain.

During the presentation, the audience will have an opportunity to evaluate the situation and offer suggestions for improvement prior to seeing the conclusion of this Very Successful Supply Chain Management Case Study that was accomplished with the existing resources within the company. It is very likely that the audience will observe scenarios in this Case Study that closely resemble issues they are dealing with, or have dealt with in the past, and potential solutions to those same issues.

Speaker: Joseph Kirchner, CPIM

Joe Kirchner has over 30 years of experience in Supply Chain Management in a variety of industries, including Automotive, Chemical, Electronics, Food & Beverage, Pharmaceutical, and Consulting. Joe's areas of expertise include Production Planning & Control, Forecasting, Inventory Management, Purchasing, Logistics, Global Outsourcing, Project Management, and Sales & Operations Planning.

Joe's titles in industry have included Inventory Control Manager, Production Control Manager, Materials Manager, Director of Materials Management, and Director of Supply Chain Management. Joe has also worked as a Consultant in both Technical and Business Process disciplines, assisting companies in areas such as Supply Chain Management, Sales & Operations Planning, Strategic Sourcing, and Software Selection & Implementation.

In addition, Joe has been an active member of the American Production and Inventory Control Society (APICS) since 1976, achieving APICS certification in 1984, serving as the Atlanta chapter president for two years, and teaching over 500 hours of classes to individuals pursuing certification. Joe has also presented to multiple professional organizations and has published articles in industry publications.

Joe is currently an instructor for a distance learning company, teaching courses in Supply Chain Management in a program affiliated with the University of San Francisco, in addition to serving as the Materials Manager for Smith & Nephew Wound Management Division in Largo, FL.