Abhijit B. Lakhe

A $4.12 Bn company l 6th rank in world l Material Handling Equipment (MHE)l 1T-52T

• Developing Supplier Quality Engineering Leadership, strategies, short term & long term vision/goals.
• Leading supplier quality activities supporting New Product Introduction (NPI), ensuring robust APQP and PPAP execution, launch readiness, and defect prevention
• Developing & leading Quality strategies formulation & implementation, risk assessments, business criticalities etc.
• Support category and sourcing strategies through supplier capability assessments, quality risk analysis, and supply base improvement roadmaps.
• Partnering with Global Procurement, Engineering, Manufacturing, Product Integrity, and Regional Quality teams to improve supplier performance and support strategic sourcing initiatives.
• Leading Project management & tracking for developments to launch on time flawless product.
• Leading APQP kick offs, technical discussions, manufacturing feasibility & new product launch.
• Lead Critical Supplier issues resolution through 7 Steps / 8D /DOE/Six Sigma, implementation of CAPA.
• Led and educated SQE team and suppliers on quality tools, SPC, PPAP, PFMEA, and control plans to enhance quality management.
• Developing VAVE culture within SQE function.
• Leading cost reduction projects through negotiation & localization drive.
• Developing & encouraging team by giving motivation/trainings/opportunities to leading from front/exposure to foreign countries.
• Leading various Business Meetings with International Cross Functional Team & Co-ordination.
• Leading strategic supplier improvement initiatives focused on quality, reliability, process capability, and operational performance.
• Upgraded quality systems in New Product Development Process to enhance efficiency and compliance. in New Product Development Process while continuously benchmarking best practices in industries.
• Assured consistent quality of production by implementing and enforcing automated practice systems.
• Scheduled and chaired quality review meetings to review effectiveness of performance mitigating risk, improving throughput, and achieving customer satisfaction.
• Established and tracked quality department goals and objectives to align with organizational quality standards.
• Used critical thinking to break down problems, evaluate solutions and make decisions.
• Leading & Driving Six Sigma culture by promoting yellow belt & Green belt projects

A $12.4Bn company l #1 IC school bus l #2 class 6-8 trucks l #8 in class 8 in USA.

• Benchmarked global supplier best practices and implemented them at Indian suppliers to enhance quality standards.
• Led on Development of flawless launch of 49 & more parts with actualized Spend of $ 20 Mn.
• Established supplier quality and development systems to ensure consistent compliance with industry standards.
• Engaged in strategic supplier development meetings at Navistar World HQ, Lisle, Illinois, USA. in Navistar World HQ, Lisle, Illinois, USA.

Fortune 500 l $34Bn company l Power Technology Leader

• Six Sigma green belt project “Analyze” phase is rewarded as “Best Practice.” in Cummins Inc.
• Earned the “Delivering Superior Results” award for resolving supplier issues and leading kaizen initiatives that enhanced operational efficiency.
• Earned the “Delivering Superior Results” award for dedication and teamwork that facilitated a critical phase.
• Received appreciation certificate from Vice President of Cummins for dedication in providing exceptional support to teams and suppliers.
• Earned the Star of the Month award for excelling in the “Delivering Superior Results” category through a thorough supplier audit.
• Achieved targeted TCO in engine ACE project (team focused).
• Achieved two promotions for consistently exceeding performance expectations in role at Cummins India Ltd.

A $16 Bn Global l Industry Technology Leader

• Secured ISO 9001:2000 certification for two suppliers/subcontractors, enhancing quality assurance standards.
• Executed 23+ kaizen initiatives at supplier end, fostering continuous improvement.
• Maintained supplier PPM below 100 for one year, ensuring high quality and reliability.

€91B Global Technology & Mobility Leader l World's #1 Automotive Component Supplier

• Established quality system and controls for manufacturing and assembly processes, enhancing product reliability.
• Implemented 10 Kaizens & 4 poka-yoke in booster assembly & final inspection of brake calipers.
• Implementation of Kaizen Breakthrough in m/c shop resulted in improving productivity by 20%.

Leading Automotive Brake System manufacturer

• Inspected components for compliance with quality standards.
• Conducted audits on production processes and materials.
• Collaborated with production teams to resolve quality issues.