PRODUCT & proJEct MANAGEMENT

Although I deployed projects during most of my career, I first became a project manager by title in 2012 with CEVA Logistics. Since then I have worked as a Senior Project Manager with Ingram Micro from 2013 until 2018, and as a Senior Product Manager at Crane Worldwide Logistics from 2018 until the end of 2020. Most recently I held the same title at ArgonDigital from 2021 through 2023, and throughout various contracts with clients such as Walmart/Sam’s Club.

This work has been an incredible experience.  I have been fortunate enough to travel and see many different operations, meet many gifted and wonderful people, and learn from all of those experiences. There are more details about these roles below.

GLOBAL KNOWLEDGE

One of the best things about my career is that it's given me the opportunity to travel to many different places and learn about how operations and workflows differ in different countries around the world.  Over the course of my career I’ve been fortunate to work in a variety of countries and see operations in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.  Every country has it's own unique environment, not just in terms of legalities but also work culture.  Learning these things, although frustrating at times, is always fascinating to me.

A quick note about data…

I am not a data scientist, data architect, or data analyst, but without specifically focusing on the topic, data has been at the heart of my work. I have experience collecting data, organizing and cleaning data, and building products that leverage data to help management and end-users alike.

• Created Bid Management System to collect data from multiple internal/external sources and provide key details to generate competitive bids, as well as provide useful post-mortem data

• Responsible for delivering Client Portal providing more than 1000 data points, KPIs, and scorecards for more than 400,000 global transactions

And because of this passion for data and information, I’m currently studying programming with a focus on data science, as well as data for AI/ML at Northwestern University.

API and edi integrations

If there has been a repeating theme in my career, it has been integrations. My first exposure came at CEVA through building my own automations to ingest flat files from various applications and website and transform them into functional work plans. I was drawn into EDI integrations throughout my time in logistics, until my time at Crane where we set out to shift to APIs.

• Integrated 40+ applications to centralize data and form basis of proprietary business intelligence platform

• Architected API service layer engine to drive data transformation and automation

• Experience with: JSON, XML, REST, SOAP, Webhook, WebSocket, and Postman testing

APPLICATION and Process DESIGN

In today’s world, the bedrock of nearly every industry is technology. For most people, the thinking of technology is limited to the applications they use on a daily basis. The most challenging questions we face today are how to be more efficient, how to automate, and how to design a flexible environment while limiting technical debt. My projects have spanned an array of topics:

• Data movement between environments

• Application Development

• Process Evaluation & Automation

TRANSPORTATION & WAREHOUSING

Most of my early project experience came within the Logistics and Supply Chain industries.  It's been wonderful learning about so many things.  I've worked with products ranging from clothing to computers to pharmaceuticals to food.  Highlights have including exposure to the following:

• Temp-controlled

• Time Sensitive

• High-Value

• New Product Introduction

• B2B and B2C

• Air, Ocean, and OTR

REPAIRS & RECYCLING

One of the most fascinating experiences I've had in recent years has been learning about the lifecycle services industry.  In particular, I have learned about creating repair centers that worked on mobile, communications, and computer systems.  The work is time-critical and requires a tight process and metrics tracking.  The projects covered:

• Spare Parts Distribution & Forecasting

• Visual Mechanical Inspection

• Defect Analysis & Warranty Management

• Parts Harvesting & Recycling

• Level I, II, III, and IV Repairs

Project Methodology

Over the past 15 years I’ve worked to deploy projects using Agile and Waterfall methodology, as well as many hybrid variations to accommodate specific needs. There are benefits with each method, but I feel the happy medium is being in concert with the needs of the stakeholders and project contributors.

When I first became a project manager, my company was just beginning it's PMO.  Our methodology was a modified version of the PMI standard.  Yes, there are countless ways to manage projects, but they all boil down the same basic phases:

1. Initiation

2. Definition & Planning

3. Execution

4. Monitoring & Stabilization

5. Closure

Some companies or project managers will group these slightly differently to suit their needs.  For example, typically in the companies I have worked in, Initiation and Definition go together and Planning follows. Some have a strict process for Closure, others will roll a project into becoming a product or the framework for a program.

In the end, the resulting goals are/should be the same: delivering a sustainable solution to the business problem.

Because of the “sustainable solution” portion, my preferred style is Agile. Understanding that the most common business problems revolve around communication dependent on technology, I find the most important trait to be staying flexible and open to new things, tools, services, apps, and platforms.

WORK HISTORY

ArgonDigital - Senior Product Manager

I loved my time with this team of people and found it to be eye-opening in several ways. What I appreciated most was the focus on methodology, especially leveraging a collection of models to understand, organize/prioritize, and design solutions. The primary focus of the business has been Product Management with an emphasis and expertise on requirements.

Requirements Management:

• Used models-based approach to understand client needs from multiple perspectives, including: Objectives, Systems, People, and Data

• Organized and facilitation of elicitation sessions in various formats, including: direct/technical walk-through, small group, large group, brainstorming & ideation

• Prioritization and linking of features to business objectives and business problems

• Full development cycle leadership from release planning to development to testing & training to release, adoption, and support

Roadmapping & Software Selection:

• Understand business models, assess business needs, and define tacit and implicit parameters

• Define a feasible and flexible technology roadmap

• Explore the modern landscape of technologies and applications to establish a shortlist

• Product and vendor vetting at high and/or in-depth level for solution recommendations

Crane Worldwide Logistics - Senior Product Manager

My time at Crane offered me a new and unique opportunity to stretch my experience and knowledge in various ways.

New View on Technology:

• Analyze original technology stack and work with small team to define best direction and guidelines for new vision and future

• Modernize the use of technology within the organization, including transition to API-driven connectivity, data organization, and process automation

New View on Business:

• Lead the integration of a foreign acquisition, including the configuration and localization of enterprise OS to account for many complex requirements including local-, national-, and EU-level legal and accounting requirements

• Build a Technology PMO and reframe methodology from Waterfall to Agile

Project Software/Tools

I'll be writing about the project tools and softwares I most enjoy using.  But for the sake of simplicity, I generally work with the applications listed below, but will also use others as needed.

Apart from all the noise of applications intended to make life easier, my favorite tools for managing things are very concrete. There’s nothing I love more than a dry erase board and a team of people who enjoy a good design session. Sticky notes, sketches of process flows, and artistically-challenged wireframes are common starting points for me.

General Office Applications

Project & Ticket Management

Project Planning & Solution Design

Collaboration & Communications

UI/UX and Graphic Design