Chelsea Ramm

FOUNDER & Principle Consultant

I take a holistic approach to the work I do. While I am very detail oriented, I also understand the importance of the big picture and maintaining your vision. Its too easy to get caught in the details or to focus only on one aspect of a product and lose sight of the values of the company.

I attribute this way of thinking to my education and background. I have a degree in Animal Science with a concentration in Biomechanics. I spent my time studying anatomy and physiology and how the systems of an organism are interconnected and work together. But with my Mechanical Engineering studies to support my Biomechanics concentration, I also learned to think like an engineer and the importance of following requirements. This unique skill set has served me well in my Supply Chain role as I can maintain a vision of the big picture, engage in technical conversations about the requirements of a product, but still also focus on the details of each aspect of cost.

Tesla

I spent 4 years working for Tesla going through both their Model S launch and their Model X launch. The experience was invaluable in teaching me the dos and don’ts of launching a product and delivering it to customers. Not only was there a pressure to deliver as quickly as possible, but there was a need to do so with cost in mind, or face the possibility of losing it all. Timing and cost are equally paramount to the success of a product and ultimately the success of a company.

Tesla is where I honed my problem solving abilities. Faced with seemingly impossible tasks, I learned to keep a cool head and let my creativity come through. It takes a lot of guts to keep a level head and keep working when you have Elon himself monitoring your every move while you solve a line down situation. During my time at Tesla, I dealt with numerous quality issues and was the point person coordinating with the quality team to resolve the issues, resourced suppliers who could not perform, and had to upgrade and retool multiple parts because the original manufacturing strategy couldn’t handle the unforeseen growth and production numbers of the vehicle. I gained quite a bit of experience evaluating suppliers and determining if they were going to be a good partner or not.  .

Lucid Motors

My time at Lucid Motors was where I really expanded my role in supply chain and had the opportunity to take more of a leadership position in the strategy and decision-making process. I played a crucial role in setting the tone for the company and presenting supply chain as a valuable resource and ally for the design and engineering teams. There is a delicate balancing game involved in making sure that a product meets the aesthetics of the design team, the performance requirements of the engineering team and the financial goals to be a profitable and successful company. Ultimately, procurement is that balancing act. It takes a lot of team work to bring all these aspects together to make an incredible product that has a powerful impact on its customers.

During that time I also had the opportunity to learn about many more manufacturing techniques and components. I improved my skills in supplier selection, setting up requirements, following the development process and gathering the relevant info for making informed decisions.