Consultant, Kevin Kennedy Associates Inc.
Providing expertise in product development process and product lifecycle management PLM, product integration and product launch, portfolio / program / project management office (PMO), supply chain management and outsourcing, and related expertise to a wide variety of clients.
Managing Director, engineering systems consulting firm
Focused on executing consulting engagements, business development, expanding network of associates, and forming alliances and partnerships. Offered competency in Lean Six Sigma, Operations Management, and Project Management through consulting, teaching, and training. Sold and executed significant consulting engagements and engineering services engagements. Developed knowledge and network in the orthopedics industry. Developed associates in Medical Devices, Orthopedics, and Automotive industries.
Manager, PAC Management Consulting Center of Excellence, Troy, MI
Managed a consulting team to deliver several DTE Energy (Detroit, MI) engagements. Established the Project Controls Group for Capital Projects Management Organization. Managed the Corporate Services SAP Migration and Risk Management PMO. Established and managed a cost savings portfolio delivering $9M saving (130% of $7M target). Established the Center of Excellence (COE) organization within Fossil Generation Business Unit.
Assistant Program Manager, Ford Motor Company (Blue Diamond JV), Fort Wayne, IN
Ford management liaison within the Blue Diamond Joint Venture. Developed procedures and actions to improve product development process (PDP) and engineering communication. Provided leadership to achieve Best-In-Class (BIC) Powertrain calibration and resolve integration & performance issues. Centralized, tracked, and facilitated engineering issues resolution in preparation for Sign-off. Participated in prototype assembly events and facilitated issues resolution. Managed the cost reduction portfolio.
Management Consultant, Engineering Systems Consultants, Ann Arbor, MI
Established a PMO to re-engineer the product development process (PDP) of tier 1 suppliers with several OEM customers such as Ford, GM, Toyota, and DCX. Clarified roles of Product Development Participants. Created staffing models for engineering and plant labor. Improved and documented work instructions and procedures with custom reporting. Created process flow diagrams and templates for PDP activities. Developed dashboards to facilitate communication among program resources and track performance metrics. Conducted workshops and championed pilot implementations.
Product Development Engineer, Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, MI
Played different roles within Product Development on the Lincoln LS, Explorer, and Expedition programs. Functions included Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), cost & timing, business cases, design reviews, compatibility, CAD, assembly plant trials, prototype procurement, testing, supplier APQP/PPAP compliance, 8-Ds, Target Agreements (TA), Engineering Statement of Work (E/RSOW), and launch management. Highlights of achievements: Spare Tire Hoist: Improved durability from 54% to 83% and reduced warranty cost by 98% (12 Months-In-Service claims). Increased capability (Cpk) -of holding spare tire on the vehicle- from 0.75 to 1.14. Conducted supplier production line inspections, leading to 17 process improvements. Delivered $600,000 yearly savings through design and sourcing changes. Led a Program Management Office (PMO) to facilitate, integrate, and manage customer communications for four FEA/CAE Simulation Project Teams. Completed a feasibility study for assembling small and large SUVs on same platform and optimized part re-usability. Improved process and tools (Analytical Hierarchy Process) used for vehicle content selection to execute product/market alignment strategy. Led Optimization and Design Sensitivity Analysis (DSA) to improve Noise-Vibration-Harshness (NVH) by 3 dbA and maintain handling performance.
