Jeffrey H. Higgins

About Jeffrey H. Higgins

Steering procurement strategy, my role as Senior Procurement Manager and Director harnesses my expertise in vendor relations and manufacturing process improvement. Overseeing an $800M spend, my focus on driving bottom-line improvements has firmly established robust supplier management processes. With a mastery in Microsoft Dynamics 365, I contribute to a culture of excellence, underpinned by APICS CSCP and CPSM certifications.At the core of my professional ethos is the optimization of supplier partnerships. My strategic approach has led to the creation of comprehensive performance metrics and a classification system that bolsters compliance and risk mitigation. These initiatives are critical in maintaining supply chain resilience and delivering outstanding value to my clients. My leadership extends to cultivating collaborative relationships and fostering a proactive, hands-on management style that resonates across all levels of the organization.

Experience

1. Sr Procurement Manager Vendor Relationship Manager - Contract Position

   Sdi

   Jan 2021 — Present

   Position Overview:I was brought on to provide expert support of numerous initiatives within the Procurement Department while reporting directly to the VP of Procurement. Oversee $800M annual direct and indirect spend with a focus on bottom-line improvement. Develop and own SDI\'s supplier relationship management process, including supplier classification, balanced scorecards, compliance, and risk mitigation, by providing clear and concise direction to all suppliers of current and future expectations. Some of my key responsibilities and accomplishments include:• Created and generated supplier performance metrics based on supplier expectations and contract fulfillment.• Collaborated with all organization suppliers to successfully achieve a Portal Adoption rate above 90% within a 90-day rollout.• Identify sourcing risks and ensure effective mitigating strategies.• Oversee supplier relationship management team with a focus on building strong strategic relationships. • Communicate associated risks and opportunities with key stakeholders and recommend and implement appropriate risk mitigation strategies.• Achieve client loyalty through quality, productivity, service, and proactive management. • When beginning this project, there was no current way of measuring the current supplier\'s success rate. I developed a Scorecard with 5-Metric\'s, and in the beginning, the average score was below 50%. This was reviewed at only one hundred stores as we finalized the first one hundred stores. Upon completion of all Walmart locations across the country (4800) stores the scorecard today represents 634 suppliers with both local, regional, and national suppliers with an average score of 96%. This expectation was completed due to the ability to drive effective communication and establish achievable parameters within a range that was within the supplier\'s capabilities.

Education

• Kansas State University

  Bachelor's degree, Logistics, Materials, and Supply Chain Management

• Brown Mackie College

  Program Type: BSBA, Supply Chain Management, Inventory and Logistics

Skills

• Supply Management
• Negotiation
• Cross-Functional Team Leadership
• Logistics
• Forecasting
• Strategic Planning
• Purchasing
• Operations Management
• Sourcing
• Management
• Supply Chain Management
• Strategic Sourcing
• Procurement
• Supply Chain
• Contract Negotiation