Supply Chain Operations Manager

Logistics, Shipping & Operations

High-performing Supply Chain and Operations Leader with a proven record of leading teams, advising executive leadership and leading projects in support of complex and high priority projects and programs
• Supply Chain Leader - Experienced in leading, analyzing, forecasting and determining how to coach, mentor and help employees, suppliers and stakeholders understand future requirements to support build rates while maintaining first time quality.
• Team First Mentality - Always striving to be the best teammate I can by volunteering to help others, being consistent and putting the Company's goals and initiatives first.
• Operations Project Manager - Flow leadership initiatives across the teams by explaining the importance of the mission and objectives and how success can be achieved. Support fabrication and airplane programs by helping to prioritize and execute urgent issues.
• Communications Expert - Robust and highly articulate written and oral communication skills.  Versed in communication up and down the chain of command to effectively convey a clear message and objective.
Duties include assessing supplier rate readiness, communicating with production, scheduling supplier events, analyzing supplier financial data, helping to prioritize and execute with manufacturing leadership, leading other functional support groups in a cohesive manner along the various supply chain activities, leading successful and mutually beneficial negotiations with suppliers and internal customers to support long term business goals and objectives.

Lead a team of employees in the forecasting, planning, logistics and management of suppliers and purchasing of fasteners all Boeing Commercial Airplane programs and Fabrication sites. Statement of work includes direct oversight of 42 suppliers who manufacture more than 45,000 different part numbers. Annual spend is approximate $900M.  Adhere and lead within Boeing quality management system guidelines.  Eliminate barriers and road blocks, investigate issues to drive process improvement and implement team based problem solving techniques.

• Train, manage and coach employees to be effective working level leaders by enabling personal and professional growth.
• Interview and hire a full up new team.  Remove road blocks for employees so that operational effectiveness can be maximized thus increasing business success and sustainability.
• Lead partnering activities with key business partners to reduce cost and maximize effectiveness.  Worked with transportation and logistics leadership to establish best practices for expedited shipping, implementation reduced organization shipping expenses by $419K in Q1 and Q2 2020.
• Emphasize professional growth and direct ownership amongst direct reports, create an environment of trust, integrity, safety and respect.  Prioritize group needs and take ownership of employee needs.
• Create strategic logistic plans with 3PL's, suppliers and freight forwarders to support multiple programs and customers reliant upon just in time deliveries.  Partner with logistical companies to maximize effectiveness and cost efficiency.
• Support Boeing Company affordability goals by working with other supporting procurement, manufacturing and finance groups.  Lead multiple strategic sourcing initiatives ensuring stability and cost savings. Strategic work placement will lead to approx. $11M in savings over the course of 2021-2025 contract lifecycle.
• Partnered with warehouse and fulfillment team to reduce on hand inventory; sold $13M excess inventory; reduced IOH from $161M (Jan 20') to $150M (Sept 20')
• Build lasting relationships with all teammates and supplier leadership teams.
• Monitor business health by reviewing key performance indicators for weekly senior leader business plan reviews.  Create tangible goals and objectives for the team to help prioritize and execute.
• Lead substantial supplier recoveries focused on triage, immediate implementations to ensure stability and then long term sustainment.
• Mitigate production risk through dual sourcing and spot buy efforts. Partner with engineering functions to identify opportunity for part standardization.
• Communicate, prepare reports, provided detailed recommendations and metric planning for Boeing and supplier executive leaders.

Support the 737 Production Line as an airplane captain on behalf of the VSI team.  Lead 737 Supply Chain VSI team within 737 Systems and Propulsion Integrated Production Teams.  Work closely to drive cost out of the end product either through value engineering or contract settlements. Work collaboratively with the shop to support manufacturing however necessary.

• Work closely to understand end customer (shop floor) needs for Propulsion, Systems and Core Supply Chain groups. Use shop floor tools and systems such as Shipside Action Tracker system, Smart Factory, etc. to support manufacturing.
• Lead production centered cost reduction projects. Projects support Propulsion and Systems divisions.  Projects for systems and propulsion resulted in year over year, unit to unit savings exceeding $3.2M annually.
• Directly communicate key data with Supply Chain, Engineering and Manufacturing Executive leadership to provide key information while taking actions to help drive efficiency into our production lines.
• Effectively communicate with leaders at all levels to ensure priority action items are monitored and tracked for success and reporting.
• Support the multiple functions within 737 Fulfillment while providing oversight and approval of technical approaches.
• Supply Chain Operations Airplane Captain for very unique Combi aircraft (US Navy Customer). Uniqueness of aircraft and sensitivity created complex challenges. Reported directly to VP/GM of 737 program while leading supply chain efforts for on time, first quality goods. Aircraft delivered on time.
• Attend 737 Tier 3 and Tier 4 manufacturing meetings and communicate program and leadership expectations and actions to team members.
• Assist in the acquiring of resources for projects and process, provide technical management of suppliers and lead process improvement
• Lead 737 and 737 Propulsion business plan reviews.  Screen for action items, communicate meeting minutes back to VSI leadership and take action to close priority issues.
• Attend and present status and guidance at 737 VP of Manufacturing Rate Readiness to 737 and BCA executive leaders.

Value Stream Integration Manager

Multi-role leader for FLIR Surveillance, tasked with effectively planning, purchasing and managing the delivery and stocking of mechanical parts for FLIR laser ranger finder and designator products.  Manage buyers and vendor performance for on time delivery and quality products.  Act as a financial analyst lead to ensure products and services are being procured at a fair and reasonable price.

• Make purchasing recommendations to the site General Manager along with key forecasting figures.
• Partnered with shipping and logistics companies to receive and facilitate the shipping of goods as quickly as possible. Help to receive parts and get parts issued to correct manufacturing points.
• Be accountable for the shipping and receiving of finish goods as well as incoming parts and subassemblies.  Manage logistics vendors for accountability and information flow (UPS, FEDEX, etc.)
• Help with the continuous flow of information from customers to vendors while ensuring Senior leadership has the important details and information at hand to make critical business decisions.
• Utilize SAP to effectively manage inventory and demand, place orders and execute other business processes.
• Established new procurement plan procedures and negotiation playbook at a site level. Lead to 2018 Q3 to Q4 savings by reducing ship set cost by 13%. Playbook then implemented throughout purchasing teams.

Materials Manager - Procurement

As an authorized Agent of The Boeing Company, effectively managed multiple different Machined Parts, Systems, Capital Equipment and Assemblies suppliers. Operated as a contracts and operations Procurement Agent, not only managed the day to day operations and dealings with suppliers but also manage all contract negotiations (pricing and terms and conditions).  This included creating strategies with suppliers to support Boeing cost reduction initiatives, Lean process improvements, driving first time quality, assessing applicable labor rates and factors and implementing process improvements throughout the supply chain.


• Led negotiations with the supplier Cox Machine to reevaluate the cost of two brackets used on 777, 777x and 767.  Notably, 777-300ER used the same bracket multiple times per aircraft.  Was able to help the supplier lean out their cost from $125 to $25.16 and $250 to $20.08.  Saving $8,262 per 777-300. Approx. $600K in savings.
• Led rate readiness assessment with 3 separate suppliers in 2017.  Each supplier required quality improvement plans (QIP) and regular reporting to management as part of the improvement plan.  With the help of industrial engineering and field ops, was able to lead each supplier back to their quality objective.
• Understand government contracting requirements including Federal Acquisition Regulations (specifically FAR part 12 and FAR part 15) & Truth in Negotiations Act.
• Acted as mentor for 2014-2016 interns.  All interns were from various parts of the country. Goal was to help introduce them to the company, make them feel welcome, valued and help build a lasting relationship to retain them after graduation as Boeing employees.
• Act as project manager for capital equipment procurements. Lead the project through its natural life cycle of idea generation, estimate building, defining scope, obtaining stakeholder buy in and delivering the project deliverables.
• Schedule bidder conferences on-site and at remote locations - allows engineering and potential suppliers to meet face to face, develop SOW and best value solutions to complex engineering requirements.
• Led complex, successful negotiations resulting $10+million dollars in savings over various programs.

Procurement Agent, Supplier Management

Find out detailed information about Matt Burrows, Supply Chain Operations Manager in Renton, WA

Matt Burrows: Supply Chain Operations Manager in Renton, WA

Matt Burrows

Washington State University