Head of Digital Innovation & Process Excellence
AboshShirkavand
TechnicalCommandCenter
Core competencies across Process Excellence, Project Management, and Digital Transformation.
Process Excellence & Optimization
Project & Program Management
Data & Analytics
Digital Transformation
Enterprise Systems
Technical Stack
Credentials&AcademicLog
Formal education, certifications, and professional learning path.
Academic Milestones
Active Certifications
ProfessionalHistory
A chronological record of roles, responsibilities, and key achievements.
Snoonu
RemoteHead of Digital Innovation
Apr 2025 – Present
- •Own the Application & Digital Transformation function, leading enterprise automation, system integration, and internal platform strategy.
- •Define and govern the internal applications landscape, ensuring tool rationalization, architectural coherence, and long-term scalability.
- •Translate business strategy into digital roadmaps, prioritizing initiatives based on value (ROI), complexity, and organizational readiness.
- •Oversee delivery of cloud-based and AI-enabled solutions that replace manual workflows, improving decision quality and operational throughput.
- •Build and develop high-performing engineering and solution teams, setting delivery standards, governance models, and technical direction.
- •Establish value realization metrics for digital initiatives, tracking measurable efficiency, productivity, and scalability gains.
Digital Process Improvement Manager
Jul 2024 – Apr 2025
- •Led a team of >12 direct employees across IT, Application, and Digital Transformation functions to drive strategic initiatives.
- •Directed 50+ process optimization and automation projects, achieving an extensive reduction in manual effort per department.
- •Oversaw the development and deployment of scalable cloud-native automation/integration tools for seamless system integration.
- •Led enterprise-wide automation initiatives, integrating ERP, Jira, Notion, Slack, and third-party APIs.
- •Drove AI-powered innovations, implementing predictive analytics, automation tools, and intelligent assistants using various LLMs.
- •Championed a data-driven culture, overseeing real-time dashboards in Tableau/Looker, leveraging BigQuery and SQL for strategic decisions.
Digital Innovation Project Manager
Oct 2023 – Jun 2024
- •Managed end-to-end project lifecycles for innovation, system implementation, and process improvement within scope and budget.
- •Implemented automation, optimization, and system integration projects across multiple departments.
- •Created several Web-based platforms for managing projects and observing project KPIs, as well as team performance.
- •Collaborated with senior stakeholders to align digital transformation projects with company-wide goals of process excellence.
British American Tobacco (BAT)
HybridSC New Product Introduction Manager
Aug 2021 – Feb 2023
- •Owned supply chain workstream for NPI, coordinating cross-functional teams to enable timely scalable product launches.
- •Managed end-to-end NPI projects, reducing launch timelines from 5 months to 2 months through better planning.
- •Led cost-saving initiatives, reducing procurement expenses by avg 12% via supplier negotiations and sourcing optimization.
- •Designed centralized NPI tracking dashboards using Excel, VBA, and macros as a single source of truth.
- •Streamlined production planning with MRP-based scheduling for 40+ SKUs across multiple lines.
- •Conducted 100+ supplier visits and negotiations, establishing contingency plans to preventing shortages.
Management Trainee (Global Graduate)
Mar 2020 – Jul 2021
- •Rotated through Operations (Source to Deliver), Engineering, Finance, IT, and HR teams.
- •Created an MRP-based planning solution integrating 9 production lines and 5 warehouses to plan 40+ SKUs.
- •Designed Spare Part Inventory Management System using Excel/VBA with data validation.
- •Implemented Predictive Maintenance pillar in IWS to reduce breakdowns and improve machine uptime.
Unilever
On-siteOperations Improvement Specialist
Sep 2017 – Feb 2020
- •Led 10+ projects improving OCT, OEE, MTBF, and eliminating quality defects.
- •Designed Power BI dashboards for planning & production KPIs, reducing reporting time by 60%.
- •Managed ERP processes for inventory tracking, material planning, and production scheduling.
- •Contributed to WCM implementation (AM, CS&L, PD pillars), optimizing capacity utilization.
Operations Improvement Officer
Sep 2016 – Aug 2017
- •Supported ERP-driven inventory management and production planning.
- •Conducted data analysis and developed Power BI dashboards for real-time reporting.
- •Assisted in WCM implementation, optimizing Order Cycle Time and OTIF.
Elixiary AI
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Tech Stack
SelectProjects
A curated selection of impactful projects driving digital transformation and procedure optimization.
Access Governance (Lumos)
End-to-end implementation of Lumos identity governance platform — from vendor selection to change management and policy enforcement.
Enhanced security compliance and eliminated Shadow IT across 20+ integrated applications.
Automated Onboarding Communication Platform
Built an automated multi-channel onboarding communication system integrating HRIS, Slack, and Gmail for standardized new hire engagement.
Standardized onboarding communications and reduced HR manual workload significantly.
Autonomous Maintenance & Equipment Care (WCM)
Implemented Autonomous Maintenance practices to improve equipment cleaning standards, inspection routines, and early fault detection.
Improved equipment reliability and reduced minor breakdown frequency.
Business Trip & Expense Management System
Led acquisition and implementation of Rydoo as the enterprise expense management system with ERP and HRIS integrations.
Reduced reimbursement processing time by 70% and strengthened compliance enforcement.
Company Knowledge Management System
Led delivery of a centralized KMS to consolidate policies, SOPs, and governance documents with AI-powered search.
Eliminated information silos and improved policy accessibility company-wide.
Contract Lifecycle System
Led initiative for a centralized contract management platform with AI-powered insights and role-based governance.
Reduced legal risks and decreased time for contract reporting and insight provisioning.
Custom Odoo Workflow Automation & Approval Engine
Designed custom approval workflows in Odoo to enforce role-based authorization across procurement, finance, and HR.
Reduced approval cycle time and improved compliance with internal policies.
Digital Traceability Framework for Materials
Designed a traceability workflow to track materials from supplier receipt through production usage.
Improved audit readiness and regulatory compliance for new product materials.
Early Defect Detection & Quality Feedback Loop
Introduced in-process inspection checkpoints and rapid feedback loops to catch defects early during manufacturing.
Improved first-pass yield and significantly reduced rework during product launches.
Employee Service Portal
Centralized web portal for employees to submit, track, and manage service requests with automated department routing.
Streamlined request management and eliminated lost tickets.
Enterprise AI Assistant & Knowledge Platform
Designed and led implementation of an AI-powered Slack assistant for policy queries, HR lookups, and IT request automation.
Reduced internal support load and enabled instant, reliable answers for employees.
Enterprise Data Integration Hub (Odoo-Centric)
Led design of cross-system integrations between Odoo and core platforms to eliminate data silos.
Eliminated data silos and reduced manual reconciliation across departments.
ERP Governance & User Adoption Framework
Established governance standards for ERP usage including data ownership, user roles, and organization-wide training.
Improved system adoption and reduced process deviations.
Factory Operations Lead for Product Launches
Served as factory operations lead for 10+ new product launches, coordinating cross-functional readiness.
Reduced launch timelines and minimized operational disruptions during commercialization.
Fleet Asset Management System
Centralized tool for managing vehicles and garage assets, replacing fragmented Google Sheets with a unified platform.
Increased data reliability and provided centralized visibility for operations and finance teams.
IWS Reliability & Maintenance Implementation
Deputy lead for Planned Maintenance pillar, strengthening engineering execution through standardized routines.
Improved equipment reliability and reduced unplanned stoppages during ramp-up.
IT Asset Management Platform
Built a custom web platform for centralized IT asset lifecycle management — from procurement to write-off.
Reduced manual asset tracking effort and improved inventory accuracy significantly.
IT Performance Dashboard
Enterprise reporting dashboard built in Looker Studio for real-time IT support performance analytics via Jira data.
Enabled data-driven IT support management with real-time SLA tracking and team benchmarking.
JML Request Automation & Jira Provisioning
Digitized Joiner/Mover/Leaver requests with automated Jira ticket creation and admin approval workflows.
Automated IT provisioning for employee lifecycle changes, eliminating manual ticket creation.
Line Changeover Time Reduction
Led cross-functional effort to reduce changeover time through reorganized staging and standardized procedures.
Improved changeover efficiency and increased line flexibility during product introductions.
Line-Side Material Flow Optimization
Reorganized line-side storage and material positioning to reduce operator movement and prevent line interruptions.
Improved production continuity and reduced handling inefficiencies.
NOC Monitoring Dashboards
Centralized health monitoring dashboard for telecom services with automated alerts for potential threats.
Enabled proactive issue detection and reduced downtime response time.
NPI Launch Visibility Dashboard
Centralized launch dashboard consolidating cross-functional inputs into a single readiness view for leadership.
Reduced manual reporting effort by 70% and improved launch decision turnaround time.
NPI Readiness & Scale-Up Framework
Developed a structured readiness framework with checkpoints and governance routines for new product launches.
Reduced launch lead time from ~5 months to ~2 months with improved reliability.
Odoo Finance & Operations Module Implementation
Led implementation and configuration of core Odoo modules for Purchase, Inventory, Finance, and HR workflows.
Standardized financial workflows and improved process traceability across departments.
Odoo Reporting & Operational Insights
Designed custom Odoo reporting views and dashboards for real-time operational KPI visibility.
Enabled real-time operational insights and reduced manual report preparation.
Onboarding Automation Platform
End-to-end hiring automation from headcount approval through AI-powered CV screening to pre-onboarding workflows.
Eliminated manual data entry for new hires and automated the end-to-end hiring pipeline.
Payroll Automation Engine
Custom Odoo module that consolidates employee data from multiple systems and automates payroll calculation and reporting.
Reduced payroll calculation from 4 days to under 1 hour.
Procure-to-Pay Digitization (Odoo + Penny)
Designed the end-to-end digital procurement workflow integrating Penny with Odoo Finance.
Increased spend visibility and reduced procurement processing time.
Production Line Efficiency & OEE Improvement
Led multiple line improvement initiatives to reduce stoppages, improve balance, and eliminate operational inefficiencies.
Improved OEE, reduced unplanned stoppages, and increased production throughput.
Production Loss & Downtime Analytics
Power BI dashboards analyzing downtime categories, loss trends, and shift performance across production lines.
Improved visibility into loss drivers and enabled data-driven improvement actions.
Production Planning & Material Readiness Automation
Automation tools consolidating production, inventory, and warehouse data for improved planning accuracy.
Reduced manual planning effort by 50% and improved material availability during scale-up.
Quality Defect Reduction & Yield Improvement
Strengthened defect detection practices and operator feedback loops to improve first-pass yield.
Improved first-pass yield and reduced rework across production lines.
Real-Time Production KPI Dashboards
Automated production KPI dashboards tracking output, efficiency, downtime, and quality in near real-time.
Reduced reporting preparation time by 60% and enabled faster corrective actions.
SafeSpeak – Employee Grievance Platform
Confidential employee grievance reporting module with structured submission, investigation workflows, and SLA tracking.
Established a trusted channel for employee grievances with investigation SLA compliance.
AI Policy Summarizer
AI-powered pipeline that ingests policy PDFs, extracts content via Document AI, and generates structured summaries.
Automated policy processing and improved accessibility of corporate governance information.
Standard Work & Workflow Optimization (WCM)
Workflow gap analysis and standardized operating practices implementation aligned with WCM standards.
Improved execution consistency and supported KPI performance improvements.
Odoo ERP Version Upgrade Program
Led Odoo upgrade across major versions (v13→v16→v18), coordinating data migration and module compatibility.
Improved system performance, security, and scalability across the organization.
Supplier Capacity & Continuity Program
Led supplier capacity assessments and contingency planning to ensure supply continuity during product launches.
Reduced supply disruption risks and improved on-time material availability.
Supplier Performance Monitoring
Structured tracking of supplier delivery performance, material quality, and OTIF compliance.
Improved visibility into supplier performance and faster resolution of supply issues.
Supply Team Ticketing Automation
Slack-to-Jira ticket automation with interactive approval, email intake, and full lifecycle tracking.
Automated ticket creation from Slack and email, eliminating manual tracking.
Universal Ticketing (Jira)
Jira-based ticketing system integrated with Slack for unified cross-functional project tracking.
Improved resolution time and cross-functional collaboration.
Visual Factory & Shift Communication Boards
Implemented visual management boards displaying production targets, downtime causes, and quality alerts.
Improved operator awareness and reduced information gaps between shifts.
Warehouse Material Flow & Staging Optimization
Redesigned staging zones and delivery timing to ensure timely material delivery to production lines.
Reduced operator waiting time and improved line continuity during ramp-up.