Business Performance & Profitability Improvement Specialist

Certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt & Six Sigma Lean Certified

Donald R. Barber is an accomplished, results oriented, Business Performance & Profitability Improvement consultant with extensive experience in the manufacturing, distribution, retailing, and financial services industries.

Don has a consistent record of success in designing new business processes and operating environments that enable companies to:

• Increase sales and revenues.
• Improve production efficiencies.
• Reduce operating expenses.
• Increase margins and profitability.
• Optimize synergies from mergers and acquisitions.
• Maximize investments in new systems and technologies.
• Improve quality and customer satisfaction.

His specialties include Lean/Six Sigma techniques, process redesign & reengineering, benchmarking & performance measurement, statistical process control, change management, agile/rapid improvement methods, and total quality. As a former senior executive and years of consulting experience, he has worked with both lower middle-market privately owned firms and large, public corporations with 100,000+ employees. His industry expertise include chemicals, manufacturing, distribution, retailing, printing, metals, transportation/airline, banking, etc.

• Highlights of Don’s engagements include:
• Implemented practices and enhanced reporting capabilities for a regional manufacturer of windows/doors to reduce production cycles by 30%.
• Completed a Lean/Sigma analysis of the supply chain for a consumer retailer to enable a 44% increase in throughput volume and eliminate the need to expand existing facilities.
• Developed a comprehensive operating model to facilitate a corporate merger between two regional competitors and identify combined synergies for leveraging to become market leader.
• Developed new operating model for a new business which allowed revenue growth of 50% and reduced annual costs of $7 million.
• Instituted lean manufacturing for a regional printing and mail fulfillment business to reduce expenses by $5.5 million annually.
• Performed a comprehensive analysis of a major retail chain’s distribution center operations and implemented improved scheduling practices to increase staff utilization by 15%.
• Redesigned all service and fulfillment processes across all sales channels (stores, call centers, online) to support the client’s conversion to a single system for all customer servicing.
• Achieved multi-million-dollar expense savings and overall efficiency improvements by optimizing scheduling and utilization of retail staff.
• Utilized Lean/Six Sigma methodologies to develop a masterplan for simplifying the maintenance overhaul processes for aircraft engines and achieve a 50% reduction in overhaul cycle, a 40% increase in repair capacity, and an inventory reduction of 35%.
• Performed financial due diligence to advise private equity firm on the feasibility of entering a new business involving the marketing of online generated sales leads.
• Utilized robotic process automation to strengthen quality control processes to reduce the need for manual reviews and avoid a thirty person staff addition.
• Implemented staffing/capacity models and process controls for post-closing loan audit program to improve productivity 30% and reduce defects by 40%.
• Performed comprehensive review of a community bank (best practices, staffing levels, revenue generation, service enhancements, technology utilization, and overall productivity) to improve financial performance by $2.1 to $3.3 million annually.

In addition to M.S. and B.S. Degrees in Industrial Engineering, University of Arkansas, Don holds certifications in:

• Six Sigma, Master Black Belt
• Lean Principles and Practices
• Quality and Performance Improvement