Select Comfort Work Values

Daily Duties at Select Comfort:

SELECT COMFORT, Plymouth, Minnesota • 2000-2009 Manufacturer of Sleep Number bed Senior Director of Technical Services and Operations Ensured optimal performance of comprehensive technology for 470 stores, 4 manufacturing sites, 600 wholesale partners, and 15 distribution centers. Supported Oracle application suite on Oracle database, leveraged VB on SQL database for CRM and POS system development, and managed key software packages including Retail Lease, Demographics, CAD/CAM; AutoCAD, Unigraphics, and PDM; Windchill. Led automation initiative for MS Office, Visio, and Project installations and upgrades. Provided system administration for UNIX, AIX, Windows, Apple, disk backups/recovery, DR, and SAN. Oversaw key telecom technology including voice, 3 call centers, and LAN/WAN. Directed technical team in supporting 470+ stores’ PCs and cash registers, plus employees’ PDAs and cell phones. Developed annual strategic plans affecting all technology profiles; aligned strategies with business objectives. Ensured SLA fulfillment for service/help desk and consistently exceptional enterprise support 16/7. Contributed to PCI and SOX compliance. Undertook vendor negotiations and maintained accountability for $28M capital and expense budgets. Supervised and mentored 6 direct reports and 43 onshore and offshore indirect reports. Major Accomplishments: • Slashed budgets by 20% and 40% in 2007/2008 and 2009, respectively ($5.3M savings). • Managed budgets consistently within 3% for 8 years. • Won multiple awards from CEO for project delivery; company recognized with Outstanding Technology Award from CIO Magazine for Oracle implementation and tech overhaul. Technology Improvements: • Delivered $5.5M technology refresh across 450 stores on-time and under-budget, involving pressure mapping system, POS upgrade, wireless technology, PC installations, and PC upgrades; achieved ROI in 6 months. • Handpicked to establish operational readiness plan and improve performance from 96% to 99.9%. continued… GALEN LARSON • Page 2 • Galen.Larson@yahoo.com Senior Director, Technology Improvements, continued… • Spearheaded technology efforts in 4-story HQ including creating data center, installing low-voltage wiring, developing computer training and conference rooms, closing 2 campus locations, and transitioning 500 employees. Delivered project on-time and under-budget. • Reduced data center footprint by 13 racks by utilizing VMware and low-profile hardware. • Strengthened technology by undertaking refreshes for Cisco routers, switches, and firewalls; UNIX (SUN) Windows/Dell servers; load balancers; SAN EMC; and Hitachi. • Accountable for the technology stacks for both Oracle and SAP ERP implementations

What they like about Select Comfort:

Working for a company with an emphasis on social values and helping society is a clear and important priority for you - a critical factor in who you choose to work for. In contrast to other factors, you place an organization's reputation for fairness and concern for the community above most other aspects of the company. As you search for a new job opportunity, it is usually possible to find out if the company is involved in the community and/or if it is addressing problems and issues in society. Pay special attention to non-profit organizations and those specifically involved in social action. Moreover, speaking with current and former employees should enlighten you to perceptions of the fairness of the company's leaders and the treatment of employees.

Tags

strategic planning, Employee Development, operational management, needs assessment, cost reduction, project/program management

Skills

strategic planning, project/program management, Budget management, Cost reduction/saving, employee development, Team building/development

These are some of the questions we asked our climbers about their experiences with Select Comfort: