Viraj L.

Operations Associate

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States7 yrs 10 mos experience

Most Likely To SwitchHighly Stable

Key Highlights

Over a decade of expertise in supply chain and operations.
Led initiatives saving millions in operational costs.
Published 13 international research papers.

Stackforce AI infers this person is a Supply Chain and Operations Optimization expert with a focus on Manufacturing and Logistics.

Contact

Skills

Core Skills

Operations ManagementSupply Chain ManagementManufacturingProject Management

Other Skills

5S practicesAutoCADBusiness proposalsCAD/CAMCNC ManufacturingContinuous ImprovementEngineeringFinite Element AnalysisIndustrial DesignInventory ManagementJavaKaizenKanban cartsLean ManagementLogistics Management

About

A Distinguished Supply Chain professional with dual Master’s degrees and over a decade of academic and professional expertise across manufacturing, supply chain, and operations research. A Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and Penn State graduate, I specialize in driving operational excellence, logistics optimization, and productivity improvement. At DHL Supply Chain, I lead initiatives that enhance distribution efficiency, reduce costs, and build high-performance cultures through Lean practices and data-driven process improvements. My work spans warehouse operations, inventory, transportation, and cross-functional collaboration—delivering measurable results across North America. With 13 international research publications, I bring a research-backed, practical approach to problem-solving. I’m passionate about continuous improvement and committed to advancing supply chain performance through innovation and collaboration. Let’s connect if you’re interested in building smarter, faster, and more efficient supply chains.

Experience

7 yrs 10 mos

Total Experience

1 yr 11 mos

Average Tenure

4 yrs 7 mos

Current Experience

Dhl supply chain

3 roles

Operational Performance Manager- Operations Excellence

Promoted

Jun 2025 – Present · 1 yr · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Industrial Engineer & Business Unit Advisor

Jun 2024 – Jun 2025 · 1 yr · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

▪ Managed SKU slotting optimization in a high-volume region, driving pick rate improvements to 75+ Cases/hour and increasing overall productivity by over 50%.
▪ Drove a sustained increase in case pick productivity by facilitating weekly 1:1 performance coaching sessions with Operations Managers, resulting in consistent productivity exceeding 75 Cases/hour.
▪ Implemented finger scanner technology for case pickers, eliminating excess motion and enhancing picking efficiency—resulting in $120,000 in annual savings.
▪ Directed the installation of pull cords on wrapper machines, significantly improving safety protocols and reducing equipment idling by 50 minutes per day, saving $10,000 annually.
▪ Optimized picking efficiency by introducing bulk SKU picking at the start of pick runs, eliminating unnecessary pallet restacking and reducing product rehandling by 20%, leading to faster, leaner operations.
▪ Led the successful confirmation of 10+ U.S. and Canadian sites across Operations Management Systems -OMS Gates 1, 2, and 3, independently driving the review process and ensuring alignment with DHL’s Operational Management Standards within a span of 6 months.
▪ Directed targeted coaching and training to site champions, enabling smooth transitions from Gate 0 to Gate 3 and accelerating site readiness for OMS deployment.
▪ Managed an Industrial Engineering intern, providing structured project assignments across Operations and Transportation, while conducting weekly review sessions to ensure consistent progress and impactful contributions.

SKU slotting optimizationperformance coachingfinger scanner technologysafety protocolsbulk SKU pickingcoaching and training+3

Industrial Engineer

Jan 2021 – Aug 2024 · 3 yrs 7 mos · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

▪ Implemented line balancing in wrap staging operations, reducing process time by 125 minutes per shift and delivering $35,000 in annual savings.
▪ Optimized SKU slotting using Heat Map Tool and Manhattan Associates, resulting in a 50% increase in case pick productivity.
▪ Established 5S practices and restructured runner/stager assignments, saving 1 hour of operational time per day, translating to an annual savings of $46,000.
▪ Managed cross-functional teams of 200+ associates and supervisors, driving continuous improvement projects across replenishment, case picking, wrap staging, and loading—achieving $50,000 in cost savings.
▪ Redesigned the facility layout to support business expansion, optimizing a 465,000 sq. ft. distribution center to cater the Northeast and Central Pennsylvania regions.
▪ Spearheaded slotting strategy to reduce replenishment workload to less than 0.5% of daily picks, eliminating delays and overtime—delivering $1M in annual savings.
▪ Accomplished dispatch staging signage using brick scanners, replacing manual cone staging—streamlining pallet flow and saving $10,000 annually.
▪ Developed and managed a New Hire Training module to eliminate attrition rate and turnover saving $1M in workforce retention.
▪ Acted as interim operations manager to lead customer-facing delivery execution and CI project delivery—driving $3M in cumulative cost savings through strategic improvements and service excellence.

line balancingSKU slotting5S practicesfacility layout redesigndispatch staging signageNew Hire Training module+2

Thermo fisher scientific

Manufacturing Process Associate (Contract)

Jul 2020 – Dec 2020 · 5 mos · Millersburg, Pennsylvania, United States

 Objective: Implement Process improvements in a cGMP environment for assembly and packaging of medical bags (50ml-2500L) for Biotechnology industry.
 Performed Time and Motion studies for Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Packaging (Foam press Seal/Vacuum seal) of components reducing material handling and processing time by 2hrs .
 Updated Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), improving efficiency of Medical kit manufacturing by 40%
 Results: Achieved proficiency while working in a cGMP environment, Successful manufacturing of COVID-19 test kits meeting demands of customers: GSK, Pfizer, J&J and other Pharma companies.

Process improvementsTime and Motion studiesStandard Operating ProcedurescGMP environmentManufacturing

Kohler co.

Operations and Manufacturing Co-op

Jan 2020 – Apr 2020 · 3 mos · Bristol, Pennsylvania

 Objective: Creating optimized layouts for new product launch and designing models for profiles and mirrors
 Established Kanban carts for storing components serially, reducing material handling and traveltime from 1.5 to 0.5 hrs
 Developed fixture (using Solidworks) for mirror alignment based on ergonomics improving efficiency
 Designed optimized layout for profiles and mirrors (using Solidworks and SAP) to reduce lead time in cabinet making.
Developed working procedures communicating manufacturing requirements to production personnel.
Resolved inventory and warehouse receiving issues for internal customer support groups. Conducted tolerance and design assessments of high quality cabinets
 Results: * Lead time reduced by 2 mins/cabinet,
Approval of Ergonomically designed fixture improved efficiency by 30%,
Approval of profile and mirror layout for new product launch.
Finalizing negotiation and sourcing deals with vendors saving shipping lead time by 4weeks.

optimized layoutsKanban cartsSolidworksSAPtolerance and design assessmentsManufacturing

Penn state university

Graduate Instructional/Teaching Assistant and Grader

Aug 2017 – Dec 2019 · 2 yrs 4 mos · State College, Pennsylvania, United States

 Instructed students on concepts in Operations Research and Process Quality Engineering.
 Tutored and demonstrated lab experiments on concepts in Product design and manufacturing processes.

Param consulting services, inc.

Project Management Intern

Jun 2016 – Aug 2016 · 2 mos · Iselin, New Jersey

 Objective: To create Business proposals and cost analysis of Point of Sale (POS) systems.
 Designed inventory management plans for retail stores reducing the holding cost by $15000.
 Forecasted workload & performance results to meet Logistics demand, ensured customer concerns are resolved. Managed system parameters & meeting target inventory, service level goals; minimizing costs and obsolescence.
 Results: Launch of company’s own POS system 1 week prior of the desired date.

L&t technology services limited

Production Engineering Intern

Oct 2013 – Apr 2014 · 6 mos · Mumbai Area, India

 Objective: To learn and optimize Industrial processes and Manufacturing Operations.
 Optimized productivity, process and quality goals by performing DFMEA wrt ACB manufacturing.
 Designed a new fixture involving GD&T (using Autocad), thereby increasing the production rate twice.
 Performed Root Cause Analysis of defective fixtures and designed 3 new fixtures.
 Trained and managed manufacturing associates to accomplish production (creating SOP) based on new models.
 Results: *50%less cycle time in producing components,
Saved $10,000 by making fixture design changes,
Effective machine bed usage doubled production rate.
Implementation of LEAN concepts.

Business proposalscost analysisinventory management plansProject Management