Darlene Conover
DIRECTOR – QUALITY & SERVICE COMPLIANCE
Quality executive with successful experience leading operations in quality assurance and compliance within large corporate environments – generating significant cost savings.
Process Improvement
Successful reorganizing, standardizing, and streamlining of processes, policies, and procedures to maximize customer service performance and quality across operations.
Customer Experience
Provide solutions to improving customer experiences and integrating performance measurement systems that influence bottom-line results.
Compliance
Excel at devising and executing compliance tools and business solutions to deliver increased quality, productivity, and ROI.
Leadership
Highly effective at building and directing cross-functional teams to design and deploy corporatewide, compliant quality systems vital to achieving quality, industry, and regulatory certifications.
ACHIEVEMENTS
Leadership & Management
- Determined best method for capturing and translating Business Plan into measurable process, focusing on strategic progress against plan by selecting robust CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software and identifying key elements to use and launch among staff. Read Full Story
- Developed and maintained effective and efficient internal quality audit department, providing required audits to more than 100 locations using only one full-time auditor by defining methods and building tools that measured and increased visibility of audit results and subsequent corrective actions to organization.
- Supported creation of $25 million new revenue stream by enabling company to enter ocean freight forwarding business; hired staff and established operations, policies and procedures.
- Improved company’s ability to share information and ensure productivity by establishing Internet repository for company’s documents and proprietary information, such as software operating systems, applications, and computer/telephone hardware; provided easy access to employees in multiple sites and states.
- Led change management objective to transform company culture into quality-driven, customer-focused organization and persuaded management to include core quality metrics in management performance reviews and MBOs (Management by Objectives).
- Established corporatewide quality management system, which included coordination and implementation of quality objectives for more than 200 global offices.
Quality Assurance & Compliance
- Achieved ISO 9002 Certification within two-and-one-half years for 100 locations in North America, including Canada and Mexico. Impact was expedient certification, eliminating additional dollars and resources to become certified, and ability to respond to Requests for Quotes by customers demanding ISO certification. Read Full Story
- Established core standardized policies and procedure manuals for all key processes throughout company that resulted in reducing productivity losses and improving communications.
- By streamlining processes and improving response capabilities for more than 100 field locations, reduced individual quality audit days from as many as three days down to one-and-one-half days or less.
- Maintained North American offices’ ISO Certification for 13 years with little or no external non-compliance issues within 100 locations/stations, which were subjected to audits every three years.
- Reduced productivity losses more than 50% after streamlining and standardizing activity processes within 13 Ocean offices, assigning accountabilities and ownership for each process, and documenting policies and procedures where none previously existed.
Electronic Quality Tools Design
- Reduced productivity more than 300% for some related tasks and ensured capture of defined, standardized metrics for improvement assessment by collaborating with IT programmers on definition, development, and implementation, of suite containing three web-based, quality compliance tools for all departments to use in maintenance of quality system and ISO compliance. Read Full Story
- Developed three electronic, Lotus Notes-based databases with internal global accessibility for capturing information flow; includes bulletin boards, document repository for more than 40,000 documents (BAX Library), and Stations/Locations Directory for capturing internal station information.
- Developed globally accessible, custom electronic database for housing more than 40,000 policies, procedures, and related support documents, which streamlined audit processes and quality compliance for ISO certification; first of its kind in company’s industry.
Quality Training & Development
- Reduced 13 different methods for processing customer shipment documents into one standard; implemented change at all 13 locations. Read Full Story
- Achieved continual ISO compliance with better audit results and fewer nonconformities by developing and delivering Quality Manager training.
- Reduced activities and resources to achieve compliance with ISO certification without adding new resources; incorporated activities into existing functional positions, which ensured quality management system was implemented equally, continually, and standardized at 102 locations in North America.
Customer Focus
- Reached 200% improvement in station productivity for complaint activities and customer response times after establishing system for communicating customer complaints to management by first filtering need against established policies for escalation and then authorizing resolution. Read Full Story
CRM Software Modernizes Communication
Owner of start-up company with tight budget was reluctant to part with contacts and networking data retained in his personal files until he felt it absolutely necessary to do so. This information was vital to new company’s success and critical to consistent flow of information within company, particularly to new Marketing and Sales VP.
Selected robust CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software and identified key elements to use and launch software among staff. Determined best method to capture and translate Business Plan into measurable process, focusing on strategic progress against company plan. Chosen CRM fit early stage of company growth at affordable cost, allowing for expansion as company grew.
Documents and proprietary information were stored in Internet-hosted document repository, which provided easy, anywhere, and anytime access to employees. Communication became immediate, effective, and productive. CRM software provided VP of Marketing with valuable tool for tracking customer contacts, follow up, and facilitating communication with founder relative to his strategic plans.
Vastly Improved Quality Processes Secure Certification
Customer bid proposals and RFPs (Request for Proposals) required vendors to demonstrate stronger commitment to quality processes, quality planning, and objectives. Six operating profit centers within United States, eight offices in Canada, four offices in Mexico, and lack of individual resources made improving quality challenging.
Assembled cross-functional teams to plan and implement strategy for building quality system and pursuing ISO certification.
Within two years, company was only second organization in associated U.S. industry to secure ISO 9002 certification; achieved zero non-compliance in first round of external audits.
E-Tools Suite Saves Company Considerable Labor Costs
Maintaining ISO certification was labor-intensive for local management, straining already reduced resources. More productive and simpler methods for quality activities, such as capturing customer complaints and nonconformities and documenting quality review meetings, were sorely needed in order to continue management’s support.
Securing development budget was difficult, because of department’s non-revenue generating status. Successfully made case for building on synergy with similar, established e-tool. Successfully secured and transferred dedicated IT applications developer into department, saving on outside vendor fees.
Developed activity-based accounting metrics then won buy-in from operating centers to use new metrics as basis for ROI and KPIs (Key Performance Indicators).
Saved company more than 300% in productivity costs for some quality tasks; paved way for additional tools being embraced globally with even further savings through development of significant suite of e-tools (Continuous Quality Improvement Request, Non-Conformity/Customer Complaint, and Quality System Review Meeting).
Standardized Procedures Reap Significant Productivity Savings
New Ocean Services division was established with no defined set of standards, policies, or procedures for each of its new locations. Each manager had either established what they felt were most productive and profitable processes or was unskilled at how to do so. Buy-in by both management and employees was difficult, because staff allocations were thin; training had to be made on-the-job and time was limited.
Identified, wrote, and produced ocean shipment policies and procedures. Developed OJT and CBT modules (On-the-Job Training and Computer-Based-Training) to minimize amount of time employees would be required to devote to training away from job.
After implementation of standards, productivity savings were 100-200%. Offices were meeting their plans and synergies with other global ocean freight forwarders and vendors were realized.
New Complaint Resolution Process Realizes Immediate Results
Due to lack of standardized policies and defined processes, customer complaints were not escalated through management system. Customers were dissatisfied with lack of follow-through and authority to resolve problems given to employees handling their complaints.
Developed and implemented companywide policy for escalation of customer complaints and internal non-compliances (NC) by working with executive management, field management, and field employees who were first line of contact with customer complaints. Developed system for reporting elements of complaints and internal non-conformities to organization.
Customer complaints to senior management were reduced 100-500%. Customers realized immediate action to complaints and local management’s involvement was reduced. Companywide visibility allowed for process improvement assessments at all levels.
RESUME
Work History
Click on company below for more information
Manufacturer of small satellites.
Selected to lead start-up activities supporting business administration, quality standards, and compliance functions with accountability for setting up business plan, accounting system, Board of Directors profiles, consulting and non-disclosure agreements, and document/proprietary information control and databases. Establish customer relationship management (CRM) functions, virtual offices, corporate intranet, software requirements, and communications tools.
- Expanded sales growth opportunities by selecting and implementing cost-effective and robust CRM software solution that captured and translated business plan into process for making key strategic decisions.
- Improved productivity after standardizing processes and methods, enabling employees to communicate and share information from multiple sites across one platform via Internet-based document repository.
$2.9 billion global supply chain management and transportation solutions firm.
Led service operations supporting global quality management systems, ISO certification, and continuous process improvements for corporate quality processes. Recruited and managed internal quality audit department providing audit support for more than 100 locations. Defined methods and created tools to measure and increase visibility of audit results and subsequent corrective actions to organization.
Selected Achievements
- Achieved up to 150% reduction in physical audits conducted as well as 400% decrease in resource allocation through introduction of process to accurately perform audits of field offices remotely versus onsite.
- Generated significant cost savings by delivering computer-based training module for more than 100 quality managers supporting quality improvement system and compliance for ISO 9001 certification.
- Maximized quality performance by developing and implementing four electronic databases with global accessibility for capturing information flow including bulletin boards and document repository for 40,000 documents.
Director – Quality (2002 – 2006)
Directed operations for entire quality management system with accountability for maintaining quality e-tools and process improvements. Served as both internal and external customer advocate for change as well as corporate liaison between executive management and customer for all quality-related issues. Maintained ISO certification for North America with no or few external non-compliance issues for 100 locations and stations.
Selected Achievements
- 300% increase in cost savings after initiating and launching suite of software tools to track and manage quality improvement requests, product non-conformities, and customer complaints key to ensuring ISO 9001 compliance.
- Designed and deployed global data repository to manage publication, review, approval, distribution, and maintenance of documented policies and procedures for 200+ employees, improving productivity 500%.
- Increased customer satisfaction rates and reduced costs by reengineering processes to deliver electronic real-time, automated survey tool that significantly improved both quality standards and compliance across operations.
Manager of Continuous Quality Improvement (1999 – 2002)
Promoted to oversee quality management system and provide support for ISO 9002 certification. Established cross-functional teams to define and draft corporate policies and procedures. Led strategic initiative to transform corporate culture in becoming more quality-driven, customer-focused organization. Successfully persuaded management to include core quality metrics in management performance reviews and MBOs (Management by Objectives).
Selected Achievements
- Secured ISO 9002 certification with zero non-compliance issues by building and leading cross-functional teams to develop and implement a corporatewide quality system across entire North America, becoming only second U.S. company in industry to be ISO certified.
- Boosted employee morale and quality performance after redesigning Document Control job description that provided consistency and standardization of job duties in quality management across field locations/departments.
Manager of Ocean Services (1997 – 1999)
Provided leadership and support in establishing infrastructure to track and manage quality and delivery of ocean products and services. Reported directly to VP of Ocean Services and Quality. Identified key resources and secured government and industry regulatory requirements vital to setting up 13 ocean service offices. Prepared division policies and procedures.
- Delivered up to 500% increase in operational performance after diagramming and documenting standardized best practices and processes to deliver customer services across 13 office locations.
- Supported creation of $25 million new revenue stream by enabling company to enter ocean freight forwarding business; hired staff and established operations, policies, and procedures.
Manager of Customer Relations (1993 – 1997)
Oversaw operations supporting customer relations that included identifying and resolving customer issues and providing customer solutions. Served as lead for escalated customer issues requiring corporate intervention to resolve, ensuring external and internal customer satisfaction.
- Reduced customer complaints up to 500% through development and implementation of corporatewide policy to track and manage escalations and reporting of customer complaints and internal non-compliance issues.
- 50-200% decrease in errors per month by assembling and leading project teams in designing and executing standard policies and procedures supporting key customer service processes across 14 divisions.
Education & Professional Activities
B.S. in Business Administration
M.S. in Quality Assurance (MSQA) – in process
Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE)
Sr. Member, American Society for Quality (ASQ)
CONTACT
DARLENE CONOVER
1.800.555.6789
email@email.com
4809 E. Thistle Landing Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85044