Lavanya Vedagiri

Handled a team of 9 buyers including NPI/Mass build for CISCO project.

• Led cross-functional teams to implement strategic initiatives and drive organizational growth.
• Developed and executed operational strategies enhancing efficiency in project delivery.
• Streamlined internal processes, resulting in improved resource allocation and project timelines.
• Mentored junior staff, fostering professional development and leadership skills within the team.

NPI / Mass build Procurement:

• Spearheaded the sourcing and purchasing of materials for new product launches, ensuring 100% material availability to meet aggressive production schedules.
• Collaborated closely with engineering teams during early design phases to define material requirements, influence design for manufacturability and select qualified suppliers.
• Managed RFQ processes, evaluated bids, and negotiated contracts with global suppliers, achieving an average cost reduction for NPI components.
• Proven expertise in collaborating with Engineering, R&D, and Production teams to ensure on-time delivery of components within budget and quality standards.
• Skilled in negotiation, supplier relationship, and risk mitigation,identifying cost-saving opportunities and improving supplier performance.
• Cultivated strong operational partnerships with key suppliers, which secured priority allocation during industry-wide shortages and ensured on-time delivery for product launches.
• Identified potential supply chain risks (timeline delays, quality issues) and developed/implemented risk mitigation strategies to ensure successful product launches with zero production delays.
• Conducted regular supplier performance evaluations and managed improvement plans, boosting overall supplier on-time delivery metrics.

Cost & Inventory Management

• Analyzing spending patterns for new products and identified consolidation opportunities, generating cost savings through improved volume leverage and contract renegotiations.
• Optimized inventory levels for NPI and prototype builds, while maintaining adequate material flow to meet production plans.
• Resolved complex purchase order and invoice issues quickly, ensuring timely supplier payments and preventing production interruptions.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Process Improvement

• Served as the primary liaison between NPI teams, engineering,quality, and suppliers to facilitate communication and resolve issues efficiently.
• Streamlined the purchase order workflow by collaborating with the IT department to automate approval routing, reducing processing time.
• Developed clear-to-build status reports and material coverage analysis for engineering builds, presenting recommendations to leadership for decision-making.

Obsolete Inventory Management:

Identifying slow-moving or obsolete items and recommending strategies for their disposal or return to optimize warehouse space and financial performance

• Applications used: SAP, MM
• KEY ROLE:
• Responsible for schedule preparation for Import/Intercompany direct materials for Electronics and Mechanical parts.
• Responsible for releasing annual purchase orders for all imported parts.
• To coordinate with the suppliers, production, engineering and internal planning to ensure that the service levels and project schedules are met on time to meet the customer requirements.
• Coordinating with Custom House Agents, C&F Agents, and other external agencies for ensuring timely clearances and cost-effective logistics solutions.
• Responsible for negotiating on price and making purchase agreements with global suppliers for timely procurement.
• Coordinating with PLM to ensure the parts serviceability to have parts active in SAP
• Conducting supplier call on weekly basis to ensure all the open orders are meet as per delivery date mentioned in PO.
• Monitoring delivery date performance of the suppliers, CHA, and freight forwarders
• Focusing on KPI’s (Buyer metrics – PR to PO, OTD , SOTD, Inventory, Past dues customer orders)

• Applications Used: Baan IV & V, Microstrategy, Kinaxis
• KEY ROLE:
• Master Data Management & Procurement & Reporting analytics.
• Manage South East Asia sites BaaN parameters/data maintenance to stay in compliance with Global Data Handbook & Master Data.
• Past due PO management, Work Order ageing management, Inventory Management.
• Handling corporate Bi-Weekly KOI forecast & reporting, ensuring timely submission of reports to management.
• Supporting sites on Supplier Payment Terms to stay in compliance with Global Finance policy of 60 days or greater terms.
• Management PPT package preparation for weekly, monthly & Qtrly Biz review, Ad-hoc review, new sites introduction review etc.
• Conducting Audits for the Buyers process.
• Creating and maintaining trends for all the reports.
• Follow-up with Buyers for Delivery / Rejection / Shortage/Cancellation of PO.
• Managing Seat allocation process.
• Build good rapport with site/customer, listen, clarify and manage conversational flow.
• Ability to recognize problems/issues faced by the customer/site and develop solutions to resolve them.
• PROCUREMENT
• Creating Purchase orders for required Item/ Parts in Baan
• Expedited all parts with suppliers as required, to ensure on time delivery, preventing stockouts, Production down-time, etc.
• Working with supplier to avoid early deliveries in-order to maintain Inventory.
• Work with suppliers to Cover the Shortage and maintaining within target levels.
• Negotiating with Suppliers for Delivery, Payment Terms, Under MOQ, Improvements, Order Confirmations, Etc.
• Work with AP team to avoid Overdue Payment.
• Finding alternate MPN’s for parts and sources who could offer better price with short leadtime.
• Sending RFQ for Open Market Purchases/ Distributor BUY.
• Achieving Pushouts & Cancellations as per the MRP.