R E A D E R PROFILE
by Merrill Douglas
Taking an Eagle’s-Eye View
W
hen Vimal Patel speaks, every- one listens. As manager of merchandise flow at American
clothing chain based in New Jersey. Like other purveyors of youthful apparel, AE manages giant spikes in its
Eagle (AE) Outfitters’ Warrendale, Pa., distribution center, his job is to make sure all departments–receiving, replen- ishment, packing, and shipping–pull together to achieve the facility’s goals. “Every department wants to do well individually, but they don’t always look at the holistic picture of company- wide goals,” says Patel. That’s where he comes in, advocating a broad, all- encompassing view. At 6:30 each morning, Patel meets with DC supervisors and group lead- ers to outline the day’s objectives and assign workers to departments to han- dle current volume. Throughout the morning shift, he monitors progress and productivity, making changes to accommodate priority orders. Patel is also responsible for workplace safety. The Warrendale DC is one of three that serve AE’s 840 U.S. and 73 Canadian stores –which sell clothing for the 15- to 25-year-old set –plus its new MARTIN+OSA sportswear stores and online direct sales channel. When Patel joined AE as manager of industrial engineering in 1999, he was no stranger to the needs of a retail busi- ness. His parents owned convenience stores in Scranton, Pa., and his first post-college job was managing a CVS pharmacy store. His first supply chain management position was distribution manager for Petrie Retail, a women’s
The Big Questions
What do you do when you’re not at work? From September to January, Sundays are consumed watching NFL football. I’m a converted Pittsburgh Steelers fan, having moved from New Jersey to southwestern Pennsylvania. I also volunteer for the AE Events Committee and AE Foundation, and exercise when time permits. I’m the single parent of a 15-year-old daughter and a 13-year-old son; our family activities include movies, amusement parks, and recreational facilities. Ideal dinner companion? Mohandas Gandhi or Nelson Mandela. What’s in your briefcase? PDA, iPod, business cards, note pad, and paperwork. Business motto? Always be flexible to accommodate business changes and dynamics, and never stop learning. If you didn’t work in supply chain management, what would be your dream job? I would start a specialty retail business in India. Many untapped opportunities exist there, in areas such as specialty foods, or cosmetics and fragrances, from around the world.
VIMAL’S VITAE
NAME: Vimal Patel TITLE: Manager of merchandise flow, Warrendale, Pa., distribution center, since 2005
COMPANY: American Eagle Outfitters PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE:
Manager, CVS pharmacy store; distribution manager, Petrie Retail; industrial engineer positions with NYP Corp., Boston Scientific, and Hills Department
Stores; manager, industrial engineering, American Eagle Outfitters EDUCATION: B.S., industrial engineering, Pennsylvania State University, 1988; M.S., industrial
engineering, New Jersey Science and Technology University, 1992
20 Inbound Logistics • July 2007
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