Kay Lawrence

Kay Lawrence is a buyer in the San Jose branch who manages several key suppliers and has established strong and supportive relationships with each. She is extremely detail oriented and thoroughly checks all requests that come her way. If a problem arises she works to resolve the current issue as well as implement methods and solutions to prevent the same error from occurring in the future. She stays late and arrives early when needed and takes the time to provide constructive feedback to improve effective workflow. When asked, Kay provides great insight on any situation using her logic driven perspective.  Kay provides value by supplying all the necessary information to minimize back and forth communication which reduces response time to customers. Below are two examples that represent Kay’s valuable contributions and her solid supplier relations.

The first example is a testimony of Kay’s fast response in dealing with time sensitive requests. Valin was awarded a large amount of business for a new part. Immediately after receiving the opportunity, the customer pleaded to pull in a partial quantity (from six weeks to one week) of the full order to achieve their second quarter revenue numbers. Kay was able to make this happen even with the part shipping from Japan because of her long established rapport with the supplier. The customer was thrilled that their needs were met and glad they are doing business with a supplier that cares and really works to get them what they need. Kay is commended for her quick response and turn around for new business.

The second example involved two components from a key Valin supplier. The parts are manufactured outside the United States which can cause time delays and carries a different set of expectations in reaction time for urgent matters. A high dollar part was shipped missing a key programming step needed for boot up. The issue was found in the field. All units needed to be located and programmed before issuing RMAs (Return Material Authorization). Kay assisted by putting orders on hold while quarantining all existing stock. She ensured that blocks were in place to prevent stock mixing. In addition, the same supplier shipped the wrong stock for a different component with a long lead-time. She pushed the vendor to release material quickly for both parts so the customer would not be impacted. Kay worked with the manufacturer to turn a firm six week lead time from a mid-June ship date to the end of April.

Kay maintains great relationships with her suppliers because she has their respect and feels like she is just doing her job. She doesn’t get ruffled when pressed for better ship dates or more detail. She presents all the information and follows up without being pushed to do so. She advises of freight issues, expiring quotes, and cost increases. Kay’s timeliness, attention to detail, and clear communication are critical parts to the role of a buyer and Kay does them well without exception. Kay’s superior performance and work ethic make Valin shine with customers and suppliers.