BENJAMIN T.

REAM
972 Main Street (r) Reading, MA 01867 (r) 781-942-7884 (h) (r) 781-439-9271 (c)
(r)
STRATEGIC RETAIL AND CONSUMER PRODUCT CONSULTANT
Creative visionary and strategic planner, developing innovative supply chain sol
utions and programs
Passionate consultant, business analyst, and project leader with infectious ener
gy, broad-based retail industry knowledge and expertise. Uncanny ability to "ide
ntify the root cause of a business/organizational problem and synthesize a strat
egic global solution," driving organizational, IT, and business process efficien
cies and profitability. Astute and persuasive negotiator and team leader, known
for his ability to reconcile issues with diverse constituent groups. Thrives in
fast-paced, highly challenging organization.
Areas of Excellence: Client Relationship Management / Strategic Planning and Ana
lysis
Team Development and Leadership / Project Management / Customer Segmentation
Technical Expertise: Supply and Value Chain / Product Life Cycle Management / Ve
ndor Scorecarding
Demand Signal Repository / Key Metric Identification/ Management Dashboarding
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
THE ABERDEEN GROUP, Boston, MA (2008-2009)
Analyst, Consumer Products and Supply Chain
Recruited based on strong industry reputation to expand the team's research cove
rage, to enhance relationships with software vendors and to improve firm's visib
ility as a "thought leader." Developed survey instruments, analyzed data using a
dvanced statistical methods and deduced strategic insights from data collected.
Actively contributed to and participated as a "thought leader" in Webinars and c
onferences.
* Instrumental in identifying emerging trends and technologies, such as "precis
ion merchandising" and "near real-time dashboarding," contributing to firm's cre
dibility as a key industry player.
* Co-Signed on sixteen software vendors to sponsor seven benchmark reports, acc
ounting for $1,100,000 in annual revenue.
* Lured away several marquise accounts from the competition, by authoring thoug
ht-provoking reports in areas not previously covered by the firm (retail supply
chain, merchandising, assortment planning).
STAPLES INC., Framingham, MA (2006-2008)
Senior Business Analyst, Informational Systems (concurrently acted as Senior Pro
ject Manager)
Business Analyst, Informational Systems
Initially recruited as a contract consultant. Quickly hired as a full-time emplo
yee and rapidly promoted based on outstanding ability to lead technically diffic
ult and organizationally complex IT and Store Operations projects. Scope include
d directing and motivating cross-functional teams (store operations, finance, lo
ss prevention, and merchandising) to analyze, document, and develop strategies f
or improved business processes, driving operational efficiencies and reducing un
necessary costs and processes.
* Drove initiative between the Canadian store division and IT to smooth out ill
feelings and gain consensus on project's business requirements. Ability to addr
ess conflicting stakeholder requirements enabled project to progress rapidly and
achieve ultimate goal of recouping $7 million in five years.
* Volunteered to rescue a failing IT project aimed at consolidating multiple pl
anogram databases into a robust SQL Server. Quickly identified organizational an
d project issues and instituted meetings to drive consensus and improve team mot
ivation.
* Led retail store project to improve inefficient procedures for ordering suppl
ies. Pioneered the development of an ordering hierarchy and distribution center
repositioning. Quickly reduced 11 ordering approaches to two, significantly redu
cing costs and enabling managers to spend their time running stores.
IBM GLOBAL SERVICES, Cambridge, MA (2004-2005)
Consultant, Consumer Products and Supply Chain
Sought after for industry expertise in consumer products to consult to organizat
ions in the areas of business process analysis, pain point identification and re
mediation, functionality gap analysis, and industry scorecarding. Representative
engagements include:
* Established business process commonality across four business units for the w
orld's fourth-largest grocer. Replaced inefficient processes with "best practice
" approaches, saving $40 million annually.
* Performed an IT infrastructure audit for a leading "Do-it-Yourself Retailer,"
revealing IT, HR, and other operational inefficiencies. Pioneered a strategy fo
r warehouse mgmt and vendor scorecarding to reduce the cost of goods by $15 mill
ion annually.
* Reorganized 500-store auto chain by reducing suppliers from 700 to 300, outso
urcing customer service and payroll, and reprioritizing potential ERP vendors. R
etailer expects to save $20 million in five years.
REAM CONSULTING SERVICES, Boston, MA (2002-2004)
Principal
Launched firm to provide research and consulting services to Supply Chain vendor
s. Performed competitive/market analysis, identified sales/joint venture opportu
nities, and developed strategic alternatives for sustained growth.
* Developed compelling collateral for Yantra and Sterling Commerce, signing on
three and five new clients respectively, resulting in a combined additional $4 m
illion in revenue.
* Evaluated competitive dynamics for numerous vendors, offering strategic advic
e for future product development to outpace competition.
AMR RESEARCH, Boston, MA (2000-2002)
Analyst, Consumer Products and Supply Chain
Tapped by Director of Research to perform market research and analysis on topics
including Point of Service, Wireless Applications, Sourcing and Procurement, Me
rchandising, and Product Life Cycle Management.
* Personally signed nine new retail/vendor clients, generating more than $315,0
00 in additional revenue in first year.
* Authored more than 40 research reports, alerts, and briefs on consumer produc
ts and supply chain. Industry expertise led to an on-site paid consulting opport
unity for firm at IBM valued at $10,000.
Early-career highlights include a series of increasingly responsible leadership
roles in retail:
*
* Old Navy - Operations Manager
* Toys "R" Us - Store Manager
* Target Inc. - Distribution Analyst
* Macy's - Assistant Buyer
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
MBA (Marketing), The University of San Francisco, McLaren School of Business
Bachelor of Arts, English, The University of California, Berkeley
Diverse leadership and talent retention professional development during tenure i
n retail sector.
IT Skills: Intermediate Excel, Microsoft Vision, and Project Manager, SNAP Decis
ion Modeling
SNAP Statistical Analysis, SNAP Questionnaire Development and Administration, W
ebEx
Volunteer: Technology and Telecommunications Committee and Zoning Committee, Tow
n of Reading
(2004 to present), Cub Scout Den Leader (2008)
Speaking: RFID Leadership Summit, 2004; panel member, "The Future of Retail Tech
nology," 2001
Writing: I can also supply writing and analysis samples on "SaaS in Retail (25 p
ages, 7 tables, 6
Figures), along with a full body of prescient market research.