Jeffrey Small

Apparel Wholesaler and Retailer with revenues of $7 Billion.  Company brands include Lee, Wrangler, JanSport, The North Face, Reef, Nautica, Kipling, John Varvatos, Napapijri, and Lucy.

Directed systems development and support for all VF owned retail companies including Nautica, Vans, The North Face, John Varvatos, Kipling, Napapijri and VF Outlets.  Total of >400 stores with revenues of ~$800 million.  Managed internal staff of 25 managers, business analysts, programmers, and external software package providers.

• Developed VF's retail systems strategy and roadmap to move four major autonomous retail companies with disparate systems, reporting structures, and priorities to common platforms, overcoming suspicion of standardization and gaining support for a defined systems platform.
  • Spent time in the stores and retail offices, including unloading trucks and ringing sales, getting to know the people and processes and earning credibility.
  • Built matrix for each high level business function with my team that showed multiple systems performing same functions - in some cases there were four different major systems doing the same function across different parts of the organization.
  • Built consensus with companies and VF corporate to develop strategy for common systems, working directly with each organization to determine individual priorities within context of larger organization.
  • Created retail system standard incorporating current best elements and allowing for on-going transition to enhance or replace existing applications.
  • Served as "bridge" between each effort, establishing project teams and steering committees for each initiative to ensure consistency, reduce redundancy, and leverage commonality.

• Implemented CRS Retail POS, Arthur Sales Planning, and Buyer's WorkMate Assortment Planning at multiple VF retail companies. CRS Retail POS laid groundwork for multichannel integration, returns management system which is estimated to reduce fraudulent return rate by 50% and Enterprise selling system designed to reduce lost sales by finding and delivering product to customers not available in stores.

• Strategically realigned retail support organization from individual company focus to functional focus leveraging skills and building consistency throughout the organization.

• Coordinated IT Governance for all VF retail companies, serving on VF Retail Steering Committee to ensure the IS retail strategy remained aligned with overall VF retail strategy. Managed all budgeting, vendor contract negations, Sarbanes Oxley (SOx), and Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance within the retail organizations.

$200 Million Consumer Products Services Division of $2 Billion Company which provides consumer product testing, factory inspection and social accountability services to retail companies in 140 countries that includes 600 offices and laboratories.

Led global IT group including Hong Kong based Director and team in development of new systems and business processes to support newly acquired and merged consumer product service companies.  Position includes global oversight for all IT issues, planning, and deployment.

• Developed requirements for improved web based portal to enable clients access to all data regarding their programs with fully integrated decision support/business intelligence tools to facilitate their decision making process.

• Made decision and established roll out schedule to install Laboratory Information Management System in all locations in all countries.

• Reorganized global IT staff to facilitate communication, improve product development, and enable outsourcing.

Specialty Software Company that services the retail tire industry.

Worked with owner to restructure pricing model, redesign web site, and recommend changes to training and implementation procedures.

Discount Retailer with >$38 billion revenue and 2100 stores.

2001- 2002

Led staff of 200 in development and delivery of new systems and business processes.  Managed Supply Chain systems and processes as well as large cross-functional initiatives.  Managed budgets of $50-70 million.

• Successfully led $38 Million Systems Consolidation (Internal ERP) project to overcome disparities between multiple IT solutions and create consistency in systems, processes, and distribution centers, reduced complexity, opening up the distribution network for all products, and laying the groundwork to simplify all future endeavors.
  • Built business case and sold proposal to key executive stakeholders from all functional business areas including Merchandising, Logistics, Stores, Finance, and Human Resources.
  • Chaired project steering committee of high-level executives from all areas of the business. Project incorporated 30 projects and 400 associates in all business areas including Merchandising, Finance, Logistics, and Stores.
  • Performed gap analysis and picked the best existing internal solution, enhancing for must-have functionality and migrating all users to that solution.
  • Delivered functionality over life of project to speed benefit to business and ensure continued business support.

Reduced production support charges with the ability to obsolete over 8.5M lines of code.

Reduced lead-time for apparel merchandise replenishment orders from 30 to 7 days.

Delivered complete initiative six months early and significantly under budget.

Decreased training expenses and better capability to move people within organization.

Standardized EDI with all vendors.

Provided ability to base payment terms on receipt of product instead of invoice date.

Removed systematic limitation on number of distribution centers in network.

• Developed and implemented integration plan to allow 3rd party warehouses to be integrated into Kmart network.
  • Served as key coordinator with major grocery supplier and led all projects related to Kmart's decision to outsource and consolidate grocery distribution. Projects spanned all areas of business and IT including Merchandising, Logistics, Finance, and Stores.
  • Served as owner and key responsible executive for all systems related to Kmart's grocery business (Super K) including POS and Merchandising.

• Served on IT Executive Committee - worked with IT and business executives to develop Kmart Strategic Plan and reorganize IT in partnership with business to achieve plan. Worked with key client executives to develop and refine business plans, offering IT solution opportunities. Prepared capital and expense budgets in consultation with business leaders to maximize benefit for organization.

Director - Information Technology1998-2001

Directed staff of 60+ managers, programmers, analysts, technical specialists, and business partners in development and implementation of new systems and business processes for Kmart.

• Developed young, very technical management team, shifting focus from day- to- day systems support to understanding and meeting business needs.

• Appointed as key executive on cross-functional project to outsource distribution of $3.9 billion of pantry merchandise to two 3rd party vendors with 22 servicing warehouses. Met extremely aggressive timelines and deliverables, improving store in-stock levels and relieving overcapacity Distribution Centers.

• Implemented rate of sale markdown system that increased gross margin by selling higher percentage of products in prime selling season.

• Developed systems to automate Distribution Center ordering. Used Inforem parameters to create exception reporting and allow planners to effectively manage business.

• Supervised acquisition, modification, and installation of profiling system enabling item profiles to be established at any level for any item or group of items.

• Directed development of new Inforem parameter manager to better control replenishment parameters and increase in stock and inventory turns.

Specialty Tire and Auto Service Retailer with >450 Franchised Locations

Recruited to manage all company-owned stores in disparate geographical areas including full P&L accountability.  These stores were company owned because of the franchisees inability to successfully operate.

• Visited and worked at all stores to determine issues and develop plan to turn around failing stores.

• Trained and counseled store management teams on expectations for customer service, people management, merchandising, recruitment, and other store requirements. Recruited and trained new staff to replace managers as needed.

• Initiated new management training program to build bench for future expansion that combined classroom training with subject experts and field training to accelerate development.

• Designed programs which improved customer phone and counter service including new telephone outline procedures. Established phone shopping program to evaluate progress and reward improvement in phone scores.

• Performed competitive analysis in all markets to evaluate product and service pricing and warranties. Modified advertising in each market to better match up to competition as result of analysis.

• Automated communications between stores and corporate office to facilitate month end close and allow development of management sales reporting which enabled management to respond quicker to negative trends in sales, margin, and expenses.

• Developed new inventory procedures and store auditing process to reduce inventory variances. Implemented new check approval and Accounts Receivable policies to decrease bad debt.

Sears Tire Group Division (Specialty Retailer with >$2.1 billion revenue and 1100 stores)

1995-1997

Key manager of business leader team responsible for developing world-class business processes for the newly formed Sears Tire Group (STG). 

• Developed requirements for Point Of Sale system to support new business policies and philosophies of Sears Tire Group to accommodate needs of three disparate organizations. Designed requirements matrix that led to development of new best-of-class POS system.

• Led design and development of new common in-store selling and operations system for STG.

Received Chairman's IS Showcase Teamwork Award November 1996.

• Directed ongoing store support functions for NTW and Tire America including system training and replenishment management.

Awarded STG President's Award March 1997 for role in acquisition of NTW franchises

 and transition to Sears's systems.

Received Sears Logistics Team Award July 1997 for effort in transition of all 1100 STG locations to new distribution network.

Sears subsidiary - Western Auto, Kansas City, Missouri                                                             

Tire Warehouse Stores Division (Specialty Retailer with >$600 million revenue and 300 stores)

Director of Store Systems & Inventory Management - TWS                          1994 - 1995

Director of Inventory Control -TWS                                                                       1991 - 1994

Sears subsidiary - National Tire Wholesale (NTW), Woodbridge, Virginia                                 

Originally family owned and then Subsidiary of Western Auto

District Manager                                                                                                        1988 - 1991

Various Store Management Roles1983 - 1988