One of the things I’ve been most impressed with since being at Philips is that there’s a very low attrition rate, and I think that’s largely because we know how to work as a team

Name: Kevin Jordan
Position: Supply Chain Manager
Started at Philips: September 2013

I’m Kevin Jordan, and I’ve been with Philips for just over three years. One of the main reasons I was attracted to this role was because I wanted to make a difference; Philips’ culture is all about working together to create the best solutions to major healthcare challenges, and I love being part of something so significant

Prior to joining Philips, I was working at a different major corporation, and they had a very different environment. The culture was stagnant, and there seemed to be no desire for everyone to work together. There was a rigid hierarchy, and there wasn’t much interaction or dialogue with regard to ideas or procedures. There was always conflicting goals, which meant it was difficult to achieve anything. Every task was far more difficult to complete than it needed to be, and that was enormously frustrating.

One of the things I’ve been most impressed with since being at Philips is that there’s a very low attrition rate

One of the things I’ve been most impressed with since being at Philips is that there’s a very low attrition rate, and I think that’s largely because everyone has bought into the idea of working as a unit. There’s a high level of energy, especially when it comes to making improvements; everyone seems determined to become better at what they do, and that subsequently help to enhance the abilities of everyone around them.

We made a big pursuit into our lean manufacturing excellence back in the early part of 2014, just a few months after I started. There was a big push to streamline all operations, and everyone was involved in making that happen. Since then, looking for ways to make processes as efficient as possible has just been the norm. There’s not a person in this facility that’s complacent or is happy to accept the status quo; we all push to improve whenever we can, regardless of job role or seniority.

Being able to take a project and find ways to restructure it so that it’s more resourceful is a brilliant feeling

The aim is for Philips to always be number one in the market. We want to deliver the number one products, and that needs a unified effort. The only way to achieve ambitious goals is by working together, be that by giving advice, offering support or just sitting down together and discussing challenges and objectives.

Personally, I’ve always loved process improvement. Being able to take a project and find ways to restructure it so that it’s more resourceful is a brilliant feeling. The fact that I’m enhancing the ability of healthcare technology, such as MRI scanners, just makes my work that bit more meaningful. We’re helping people when they’re at their most vulnerable, and I can’t think of anything more worthwhile.

Kevin has worked at Philips for almost five years. Based in Latham, New York, he started out as a Production Manager, before taking on the role of Supply Chain Manager in January 2017.