Allison Steele

Allison Steele works in the San Jose, CA office. She has been with Valin for almost seven years and has taken advantage of internal opportunities. She started as a receptionist/administrative assistant, worked in quality control, employee development and education, helped with Marketing, and is thriving in her current role as a Procurement Analyst.

Allison does an amazing job helping to manage a form of a Just in Time (JIT) program that was given to Valin as a requirement by a large Medical Devices customer. The customer provides future usage numbers and Allison manipulates data using a forecasting tool and projects an order quantity. She must consider fluctuations in lead times and inbound materials, along with price increases so there is a steady flow of products despite these challenges. Price increases can be especially difficult because they can result in negotiations that move slowly.

Allison is in constant contact with the factory, customer service, and account management to ensure there is enough product is in the pipeline while minimizing Valin’s risk of holding inventory for an extended period. She recognizes gaps in deliveries and will proactively notify customer service while working with the factory to pull in deliveries. Her ability to communicate clearly across multiple departments and parties helps ensure Valin’s ability to provide superior service to this important customer.

Allison has also been instrumental in negotiating discounts with suppliers that Valin has contractual obligations and pricing agreements. When Allison submits a large purchase order to a supplier, she is not afraid to ask for an added discount for bulk purchases. She has secured additional discounts from several suppliers due to careful negotiation and assertiveness.
She has helped other Valin employees as a backup by following up on supplier and inside sales requests. By doing this, she has freed up their time to focus on special assignments or projects. Allison also works with Operations and IT to further implement supplier order automation because she sees and understands the value.

Allison has a holistic view of all things. She is inquisitive and interested in learning about an entire process, not just the portion relating to her. Allison is diligent, thought-provoking, committed, and dedicated to the department.