Kyle Kidd
Vice President
TRADITIONAL BIO
Kyle has over 22 years of consulting and industry experience helping companies make their supply chains a source of competitive advantage. Kyle has led projects ranging from implementing tactical operational improvements to managing large multi-national transformation projects involving significant systems, data, organizational, and process changes.
Prior to joining Thought Ensemble, Kyle was Sr. Director of Supply Chain Strategy at Dean Foods where he led efforts to transform Dean’s supply chain to dramatically lower costs. Before Dean, Kyle was a Sr. Manager at Deloitte Consulting where he had spent his entire post-college career working with clients on various strategic initiatives.
Kyle has a B.S. in Management Science and a B.S. in Mathematics from Southern Methodist University. He also holds an MBA from the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan where he was a Fellow in the Tauber Institute for Global Operations. He is an avid runner, cook and is active at his church and his son’s Cub Scout pack.
Achiever, Discipline, Consistency, Focus, Analytical
Introversion, Sensing, Feeling, Judging (ISFJ)
THOUGHTFUL BIO
My fascination with supply chains and operations probably has something to do with me being a visual person and needing to touch something physical for it to be “real.” Numbers are nice, but some big old honking machine spitting out some sort of widget, now that’s something tangible I can touch, smell, and maybe even eat!
I believe that there is a right answer for everything – probably to a fault. If you throw enough variables and constraints at a problem the math will give you the right answer dammit! Obviously the reality is, even for some small problems, there is an endless list of things to consider and you go into “vapor lock” as your analysis grinds to a halt. But, one can dream about a machine that automagically calculates the precise answer to any business problem. Sounds like something Willy Wonka might make!
Kyle’s favorite work or projects include:
- Helping companies see how their operations can improve cost, customer service, and capital
- Developing strategies that help companies make their supply chain a source of competitive advantage
- Seeing the fruits of my labor – having worked both as a consultant and in industry I have the unique perspective of “eating what you cook” and I understand the pressure our clients have to deliver long after we may be gone
Kyle’s Thoughts
Socratic Selling
Socrates, as we all know, was a famous classical Greek philosopher who lived over 2,000 years ago. Primarily through the writings of Plato we have learned about his contributions to how we think about ethics, good vs. bad, and justice. But more specifically, he...
How to Make a Merger Work
It seems like every time you turn around companies are consolidating. Whether it’s an outright acquisition or a “merger of equals,” companies believe that they can create more value by joining forces than by moving forward alone. The latest attention-grabbing...
Some Thoughts on Doing Fewer Things Better
In my previous blog, I wrote about some of the warning signs that your HR function might need a jump start. One of my points was that as organizations go from a smaller (sometimes start-up) size to becoming more of a “grown up” company, they often experience role...
When Your HR Function Might Need a Jump Start
The Human Resources function has come a long way from the days when they largely focused on payroll, behavioral interviews, and being the people you “logged a complaint” with. In many cases, they are now less of a stand-alone organization and more of an embedded...
Actually Get Some $#*! Done
In my previous blog, I talked about getting change initiatives off on the right foot. This involves assembling your A-team, preparing a plan of attack, and kicking the project off. Assuming you have already done these things, you are set up to move forward...
Get Off on the Right Foot
I’m kind of impatient and I like to jump into things as quickly as I can to, as Larry the Cable Guy would say, “Get ‘er done.” However, I believe that some of the most critical work on large-scale change initiatives is done before any of the actual “work” of the...
I Love 2×2 Matrices
I’ve spent most of my career in a “consulting type” job, either working for a major consultancy or in a project-oriented corporate role. Consulting typically involves running or assisting on projects that are tasked with solving a specific problem. And problem solving...
There’s a New Sheriff in Town
Most of us have been through it – the person we work for leaves the company or takes on a new role and we get a new boss. This isn’t the person who hired us, we aren’t their “star” player, and we have no idea what their agenda is. It’s tempting to gossip,...
Creating an Executive Dashboard That Keeps You on the Right Course
Imagine driving a car that didn’t have a speedometer, a fuel gauge, or a GPS system. Would you feel in control of where the car was headed and whether you were going to get there safely? While I guess I could argue whether or not you absolutely need a speedometer...
Is Your Innovation Leader a “Guru” or just PMO Overhead?
Innovation is quite the hot topic these days. It seems everyone wants to be innovative and for some companies it is absolutely required. Software companies that don’t constantly evolve their products will become stale. Consulting firms that don’t come up with new and...
Managing my Ability to Relax
We all live in a chaotic world where the demands on our time are relentless. There are always things to be done and how we manage ourselves throughout the day can drive our overall demeanor as well as our ability to relax at the end of it. It seems that everyone is...
Preventing Reactions
I recently made a visit to a wellness facility here in Dallas that touts how much better it is to focus on preventative lifestyle choices vs. reacting to problems that may come up later. The doctor said I was in the 3% of people that strive for preventative care vs....
Gluten Free IT
I was at church a couple weeks ago and it was communion Sunday. As the pastor was going through the routine he announced that there were gluten free communion wafers available for those who wanted them. I started laughing to myself (and a little out loud to the...
Learning to Fail in the Boy Scouts
I am the proud father of a new Boy Scout and a big supporter of scouting in general. When I was a kid growing up in Colorado I was into scouting big time and I reached Eagle when I was in the 8th grade. Although I love Texas, I have to argue that Colorado is...
The Challenges of the COO’s Job
It’s tough being the operations guy. You have to “make it happen” in terms of cost savings and sometimes you are even responsible for the top line. The COO is often responsible for a vast swath of the business aside from some administrative functions such as legal and...
Kicking it Old School with my Wii
This past weekend I wandered into our TV room where my son was playing on his Wii with my brother-in-law. He quickly informed me that they were doing it “old school” since the Xbox is by far the preferred game unit now. His comment got me wondering about the fact...
When Foreign Countries aren’t that Foreign
I recently returned from a vacation with my family to the United Kingdom. This trip was the first time we took our young children out of the country, so I wanted their first trip overseas to be a little benign. I was telling people that on an “adventurousness” scale...
The Blinking Red Light
Recently, there were severe thunderstorms that came through the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. With these storms came the normal accompaniments to bad weather in North Texas: overly caffeinated weatherman predicating doom and gloom, power outages, flight cancellations,...
When Bad Customer Service is Good
I recently ate at a restaurant widely regarded as having one of the best burgers in Dallas. The location is off the beaten path, the parking situation is rough and you always have to wait in line. But, they have great burgers and what on the surface might seem like...
My Home ERP Implementation
No, I did not install SAP in my house. But, I do feel like I did a major system install by moving to AT&T’s U-verse package (T.V., phone, internet) a couple months ago. I essentially did a complete overhaul of a major part of my house’s technology infrastructure...
Entrepreneurial Fun
Until recently, I have worked at large companies for the vast majority of my career. I joined Thought Ensemble a couple months ago and working at a small entrepreneurial company feels very different. Now that the dust has settled I thought I’d share my perspective...