David Diatikar
Verified Expert in Project Management
Project Manager
San Antonio, TX, United States
Toptal member since May 17, 2021
David applies lean business agility thinking and servant leadership to provide clients with the right tools and services to maximize value. His experience spans retail IT (Sears), financial services and insurance (Wells Fargo, TDI, AIG, USAA, and AMEX), automotive (Tier 1-3 suppliers to Ford and GM), chemicals, plastics, light assembly, and food, Outcomes at BorgWarner, Panduit, TDI, and Citizens Bank showcase David's lean project skills.
Project Highlights
Expertise
- Business Process Modeling
- Facilitation
- Lean Project Management
- Process Improvement Project Management
- Project Management
- Six Sigma Black Belt Certified
- Staff Management & Development
- Value Stream Mapping
Work Experience
Senior Consulting Six Sigma Engineer
CPS Energy - thru Compunnel
- Documented over 90 company-wide process maps using Visio across departments, including gas, finance, HR, field services, and others, supporting CPS’s SAP-to-Oracle transformation and driving cross-departmental system alignment.
- Identified cross-functional pain points (lack of automation and legacy systems that do not talk to each other) in all key business units, enabling the business to plan actionable improvements.
- Achieved significant reductions in operational bottlenecks by implementing data-driven recommendations during process mapping initiatives.
- Championed initiatives that enhanced cross-departmental alignment, resulting in smoother transitions to Oracle ERP functionalities.
Project Manager
Navistar
- Consolidated project requests from three business groups (operations, advanced manufacturing, and site IT) into a single continuously prioritized backlog. This enabled the coordinated delivery of business-defined value.
- Transitioned the implementation and development team to Agile methods successfully. The outcome significantly enhanced team flexibility, responsiveness, and adaptability to continuously changing requirements.
- Implemented Jira and later integrated DevOps project management tracking tools, complete with dashboards and metrics, streamlining project monitoring and enhancing overall efficiency.
- Achieved a remarkable 50% increase in delivery efficiency, measured in hours per story of complex technical products.
- Led the 2023 follow-on project, focusing on stabilizing and identifying future optimization opportunities. The Navistar AME team, the local operations team, IT, and the vendor collaborated to understand Navistar's needs and deliver products.
- Managed project deliverables in Service Now (Navistar project management tracking and reporting tool).
Business Process Designer
Hearst - Technology
- Conducted a lean startup development project to validate and improve the Hearst Technology Services' Process Improvement Workshop.
- Evaluated the client's already successful pilot process—which was generating satisfaction among their in-house customers—and elevated this process to a world-class standard. The methodology I selected was Test and Learn.
- Conducted four workshops together with the client. Each was tweaked with what was learned in the preceding workshop.
- Developed marketing materials to help promote the client selling this service within their in-house group and others.
PMP Program/Project Manager
Peregrine
- Handled project manager integration representing Peregrine Technologies to implement their Next-Gen SCOUT platform with the California Office of Emergency Services.
- Ensured requirements and deliveries met the end client's needs.
- Worked to reorganize schedule and resources to accelerate deliveries where possible.
Operational Excellence and Consulting Principal
Citizens Financial Group
- Documented and mapped the current home equity line of credit (HELOC) process, from application to final closing.
- Identified errors, missing information, mistakes, bottlenecks, and other impediments hindering the flow of the HELOC process. Assessed the impact of these issues on capacity (productivity) and cycle time from application to closing.
- Implemented some "just do it" improvements and recommended others for the process. These strategic enhancements eliminated defects at their source, elevated productivity, and significantly reduced the end-to-end cycle time.
- Worked on an initiative that was ranked first out of the top 5 projects in the Enterprise IT portfolio for 2023.
- Handled a re-engineering effort that reduced defects by 99%, leaving minimal errors or issues necessitating human resolution.
- Streamlined operations, reducing full-time employee (FTE) hours by 67%.
- Made the typical time between loan application and loan closing 86% faster, with the average duration shrinking to 5 days.
- Worked on re-engineering initiatives that yielded over $8 million in hard currency savings, showcasing the financial benefits of the optimized HELOC process.
Enterprise Business Process and Project Manager Expert (Contract)
Wells Fargo
- Provided project and program support for the PVSI line of business (operational excellence), including reengineering through definition and improvement phases.
- Delivered business process management (BPM) engineering analysis, models, designs, and other documentation for over 500 financial services processes meeting modeling (BPM), regulatory (FDIC), and other agency standards.
- Identified duplicate processes in the enterprise inventory.
- Coached project team members in BPM, Lean, and Agile best practices over five business groups.
Project Manager | Subject Matter Expert (Contract)
Cisco
- Provided project and program support for the Cisco learning group line of business (operational excellence), including re-engineering through definition and improvement phases.
- Led the project team members to deliver models and optimize the end-to-end certification class process. Reduced cycle time by 40%.
- Led the project team members to identify redundancies, waste, cycle time reduction opportunities, and what tasks to automate for over 20 learner partner processes. Killed a $1.2 million immature project.
- Coached the Cisco learning team members in project management professional (PMP) methods and personal growth.
Senior Business Process and Project Expert (Contract)
USAA
- Led the project team and created business process management models, process engineering analyses, and other deliverables for re-engineering 10 critical procurement processes.
- Modeled the process lifecycle of selected legal-related procurement processes.
- Integrated risk management data into business process management models and metadata repositories.
Senior Business Process and Project Expert (Contract)
Beyond LLC
- Led an ad hoc project team to develop, train, and implement an umbrella of guiding processes (pre-order to cash) within and across Beyond studios.
- Documented a hybrid Agile framework for end-to-end processes from order receipt to customer delivery in four locations.
- Coached project team members in Lean and Agile best practices.
Master Black Belt Instructor | Project Expert (Contract)
Verisk Analytics
- Co-taught Green Belt certification classes (45 students) supporting program implementation of the corporate Lean Six Sigma program for Verisk. Prepared testing materials for student certification.
- Clarified how lean Six Sigma and Agile methodologies interact with an agile student team.
- Co-led a major kaizen project freeing up to 35 FTEs.
- Coached 25 students on their process improvement projects. Student projects freed up 14 FTEs.
- Developed teaching materials and taught the hands-on cost of delay techniques, which is a method to prioritize work backlogs.
Senior Lean Six Sigma Manufacturing Project Engineer | Senior Business Process Project Engineer
Various Manufacturing and Business Companies
- Led a project team within the BPM enterprise data and analytics office that delivered BPM analysis, modeling (lifecycle), and documentation of 31 key processes.
- Led the team to commonize 28 processes across business units.
- Taught the Agile Certified Practitioner classes (PMI).
- Coached Agile development teams with their interactions in the BPM processes documented. Some process models used Blueworks for simulations, first used at AMEX in their technology center in 2011.
- Led a three-person team that modeled AIG's end-to-end global claims processes.
- Led a five-person team that modeled TDI’s end-to-end processes of their Canadian claims processes for eight lines of business. Delivered process documentation, definitions, and analysis.
- Coached a project team and client practitioners in DMAIC and DFSS Black Belt practices.
- Served as a senior process management consultant for Sears Holdings Corporation. Modeled, standardized, and coached campaign processes for retail, including print, web, and email. Coached Agile development tiger teams.
- Acted as a director of Lean manufacturing for a food and beverage company.
Lieutenant Colonel
United States Army
- Held different command positions, such as exercise director, brigade chemical team leader, armor company commander, and depot dining facility manager. My specialties included chemical, logistical, and combined arms operations.
- Acted as a battalion executive officer, battalion operations officer (activated for Desert Storm), battalion supply officer, and training team leader.
- Served as a test and evaluation officer on projects like binary nerve agent artillery firing tables, red phosphorus smoke effectiveness, and B1 bomber terrain and cruise missile terrain-following guidance system studies.
Senior Lean Six Sigma Manufacturing Project Engineer
Panduit
- Delivered $1+ million by applying Lean Six Sigma principles in baseline and future state simulations in projects for multiple divisions, such as power connector, rack fabrication, tools, heat shrink tape, central warehouse, and wiring components.
- Supported the global process improvement group (Black Belt) to implement integrated Lean and Six Sigma solutions on several global projects.
- Conceived, designed, and wrote strategic Lean business unit plans (focused factories) for the tool division. The plan was implemented, yielding an estimated annual savings of 10% of the divisional budget.
- Led the projects that converted assembly operations from mass production shop order systems to mixed model cellular Lean Six Sigma techniques for high- and low-volume products—the high-volume changes returned $100,000 annually.
- Handled the project that converted batch subassembly builds in major subassemblies (from 30 to as few as three).
- Managed and led projects that delivered tailored training to all levels of plant personnel, both operations and management support systems, including staffing, inventory management, engineering, and quality systems.
- Led a project to design; configured moving the tool division to Tinley Park.
Senior Lean Six Sigma Manufacturing Project Engineer
Sprague Devices
- Led a project to upgrade Ford and General Motors' required process control plans for existing and new product launches. The requirements included failure effects mode analysis (FEMA), root cause analysis, and reaction control plans.
- Spearheaded projects to design and implement mixed model manufacturing cells.
- Led project proposals to merge Michigan City and Nappanee plants using Toyota Production System concepts. Provided floor support using the Shainin method.
Senior Lean Manufacturing Project and Line Engineer
BorgWarner Automotive
- Served as a project team leader to design and develop a $3.7 million lean manufacturing line using the Toyota Production System methods.
- Proposed and demonstrated a groundbreaking process design change that significantly reduced engagement pin variation in Maji-Band automatic transmission bands sold to GM and Ford.
- Led project team engineers and craft personnel in designing and implementing material handling systems that linked various manufacturing cells together. Integrated external vendors as needed. Savings exceeded $450,000 annually.
- Led capital equipment projects that included justifications, selection, purchase, installation, and startup (over $700,000). Equipment bought included CNC equipment, metal-stamping presses, specialty equipment, and an adhesive drying system.
- Led the adhesive replacement project. The work followed the DMAIC method and included the solicitation of vendors, planning, testing, and acquiring required approvals from Ford and General Motors, and final implementation.
- Used quality function deployment (the House of Quality (HOQ)) and design of experiments (DOE) methods as needed to explore using a power coating adhesive that would eliminate burning off the solvent from the current adhesive.
Project History
TDI Claims Process Improvement Project
Created end-to-end value stream maps for each of TDI's Canadian claims processes for eight lines of business and created immediate, short, and long-term road maps for each of them. Documented duplicate processes across lines of business.
• Developed project methodology and trained team members on key concepts.
• Led discovery efforts to identify process gaps ahead of interviews and workshops.
• Managed stakeholder expectations throughout the project lifecycle.
• Created initial process drafts using roll paper and post-its for hands-on collaboration.
• Facilitated in-person workshops to validate and refine value stream maps, documenting immediate, short-term, and long-term pain points.
• Identified and recommended standardization or elimination of duplicate processes to streamline operations.
• Delivered comprehensive findings via annotated roll-out drawings and Excel documentation.
• Supported client presentations to senior management, with my team on hand to address questions and clarify outcomes.
Verisk Lean Six Sigma Office Implementation
Board-certified 35 Verisk Green Belt candidates. Coached 25 students on their process improvement projects, freeing up 14 FTEs. Facilitated a class-wide Kaizen event, freeing up to 35 FTEs.
• Developed and implemented training content for Green Belt Certification, successfully validating multiple candidates and enhancing the organization’s Six Sigma capabilities.
• Facilitated a Kaizen project that liberated 35 full-time employee (FTE) hours, significantly improving efficiency and resource utilization.
• Coached 25 students on process improvement initiatives, resulting in the successful execution of projects that freed an additional 14 FTE hours and improved operational outcomes.
Sturdy Control Recovery Project
Led the Sturdy Control Recovery Project, resulting in Ford and General Motors removing Sturdy from their vendor watchlist.
• Achieved full compliance with Ford and GM requirements for three new product launches.
• Implemented operations equipment efficiency (OEE) metrics in manual-paced production environments.
• Developed Kanban inventory systems across the production line, delivery carts (parts warehouse), and central stores for high-volume products; introduced a two-bin system to provide clear replenishment signals to material handlers.
• Designed and rolled out a 5S program on Ford, GM, and machine shop production lines.
• Conceptualized and executed a comprehensive plan-for-every-part strategy for four production lines.
U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Project Officer Work
Managed the Firing Tables project for the 155 mm and 8-inch binary nerve agent munitions.
U.S. Army Combat, Combat Service Support Simulation Exercises
Conceived, planned, executed, and evaluated 10 combat and combat service support computer simulation exercises across a 5-state area, fully aligned with client unit objectives.
WORK DONE
• Conducted detailed evaluations, analyzing performance metrics and participant feedback to identify strengths and improvement areas.
• Partnered with client units to integrate exercise outcomes into next-year training plans, supporting continuous improvement and enhanced readiness.
• Leveraged results to assess unit deployment readiness, providing critical input for strategic decisions.
• Managed all logistics, resources, and timelines to ensure smooth, on-time execution.
• Built strong, trusted relationships with client units, recognized for professionalism, reliability, and commitment to training success.
Home Equity Line of Business Re-design
99% reduction in defects, 67% FTE reduction, 86% cycle time reduction, and over $8 million in savings.
• Directed the re-engineering of the HELOC process, mapping all stages from application to final closing.
• Analyzed process inefficiencies by identifying errors, bottlenecks, and capacity issues, assessing their impact on productivity and cycle time.
• Elevated operational efficiency by resolving bottlenecks and reducing errors, which streamlined the HELOC application-to-closing process.
• Ranked first among the top 5 Enterprise IT portfolio projects for delivering exceptional business value and measurable outcomes.
When fully implemented, Citizens’ Bank will realize:
• 99% defect reduction: The reengineering efforts are expected to result in a 99% reduction in defects, leaving only a minimal number of errors or issues requiring human resolution.
• 67% FTE reduction: 67% reduction in full-time equivalent (FTE) hours dedicated to non-value labor, optimizing workforce efficiency.
• 86% cycle time reduction: The time between loan application and loan closing undergoes an 86% reduction, with the average duration shrinking to five days.
• Over $8 million in savings: The re-engineering initiatives will yield over $8 million in hard currency savings, showcasing the financial benefits of the optimized HELOC process.
Implementation of Rockwell Manufacturing Execution System (MES)
Boosted delivery efficiency by 50% through streamlined processes and Agile adoption. Pioneered the stabilization and optimization of the STX FactoryTalk Manufacturing Platform in collaboration with cross-functional teams.
WORK DONE
• Orchestrated the consolidation of project requests from operations, advanced manufacturing, and site IT into a unified, prioritized backlog.
• Guided the transition of the implementation and development teams to Agile methodologies, fostering adaptability and responsiveness to evolving requirements.
• Boosted delivery efficiency by 50%, as measured in hours per story, through streamlined processes and Agile adoption.
• Pioneered the stabilization and optimization of the STX FactoryTalk
• Manufactured the platform in collaboration with cross-functional teams, ensuring alignment with strategic goals.
• Facilitated cross-department collaboration among advanced manufacturing engineering, production, operations, IT, and Rockwell Automation, enabling the delivery of tailored solutions.
Education
Coursework Toward a JD in Contract Law and Patents in Common, Criminal, Contract, and Property Law
Concord Law School - Los Angeles, California
Master's Degree in Master of Military Art and Science
United States Army General Command and Staff College - Dover, Delaware
Master's Degree in Business Administration (MBA)
Keller Graduate School of Management - Chicago, Illinois
Associate Degree in Business Administration
Volunteer State Community College - Gallatin, Tennessee
Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering
Tennessee Tech University - Cookeville, Tennessee
Certifications
Project Management Professional (PMP)
Project Management Institute (PMI)
Certified SAFe® Practice Consultant
Scaled Agile
SAFe Product Owner | Product Manager
Scaled Agile
Leading SAFe
Scaled Agile
Hospital Management
Tata Consultancy Services
Supply Chain Management
Tata Consultancy Services
Six Sigma Black Belt Certification
American Society for Quality
Skills
Tools
Project Management & Work Tracking Tools, Visio, Zoom, Jira, Microsoft Project, Miro, Confluence
Paradigms
Lean Project Management, Design for Six Sigma (DFSS), Change Management, Organizational Change Management (OCM), Requirements Analysis, Six Sigma, Kanban, Waterfall Delivery, Key Performance Metrics, Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN), Agile Software Development, Agile Project Management, Agile, Lean, Implementation Project Management, B2B, Agile Product Management, Acceptance Testing, Scrum, Organizational Analysis, Agile Delivery, Agile Leadership
Platforms
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
Industry Expertise
Lean Six Sigma, Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Logistics, Supply Chain Management (SCM), Automotive, Chemicals, Insurance, Hospitals
Other
Business Management, Manufacturing, Project Management, Staff Management & Development, Facilitation, Business Process Modeling, Business Process Analysis, Six Sigma Black Belt Certified, Project Design, Process Improvement Project Management, Value Stream Mapping, Teamwork, Coaching, Stakeholder Analysis, Software Development Management, Project Rescue, Lean Manufacturing, Engineering, Business Process Management (BPM), Workshop Facilitation, Continuous Improvement, Team Leadership, Process Design, Training, Kaizen, Value Analysis, Data Collection, Lean IT, IASSC Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt (ICBB), Capacity Planning, Leadership & Coaching, Project Management Professional (PMP), Solution Design, Critical Thinking, Project Planning, Feature Backlog Prioritization, Project Delivery, Program Management, Waterfall Methodology, Business Requirements, Inventory, Best Practices, Cross-functional Team Leadership, Project Leadership, IT Projects, IT Project Management, Status Updates, Client Presentations, Process Flow Design, Process Flows, Team Mentoring, Project Tracking, Agile Transformation, Software Project Management, Project Timelines, Task Management, Process Improvement, Reporting, Certified Project Manager, Business Logic, Team Building, Customer Service, Project Reporting, Process Mapping, Work Breakdown Structure, Digital Project Management, Reports, Program Coordination, Observation, Leadership, Creative Strategy, Business Evaluation, Teams, Consulting, Evaluation, Mentorship & Coaching, Mentorship, Projects, Assembly, QA Testing, Scheduling, Operational Assessments, Project Scoping, Manufacturing Project Management, Business Process Improvement (BPI), Requirements & Specifications, Compliance, Collaboration, Root Cause Analysis, Strategy, Metrics, Employee Training, Research & Critical Thinking, Innovation, Build Processes, Optimization, Functional Mapping, Impact Mapping, Story Mapping, Conflict Resolution, Documentation, Cross-functional Collaboration, Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (PFMEA), Process Manufacturing, New Product Development, Negotiation, Operations Research, Military Operations, Executive Coaching, Executive Consulting, Agile Practices, Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), Minitab, Team Management, Teaching, Training & Training Content Development, Program Design, Product Launch, Workshops, Stakeholder Interviews, iGrafx, Stakeholder Management, Microsoft Office, Agile Program Management, Failure Mode Effects Analysis (FMEA), One-piece Flow, Training Content, Project Management Certifications, Technical Project Management, Project Lifecycle, Data Analytics, Business Analysis, Backlog Management, Delivery Management, Discovery Workshops, User Stories, Risk Analysis, Risk Management, Budgeting, Finance, Project Scheduling, Data Management, Sprint Planning, Complex Program Management, Business to Business (B2B), IT, Vendor Management, Communication Strategy, Hybrid Project Management, Vendors & Suppliers, Communication, Product Management, Warehouses, Release Management, Resource Management, PI Planning, Stakeholder Engagement, Customer Support, Retrospective Techniques, Accounting, Business Planning, Microsoft Teams, Scrum Coaching, Scope of Work (SOW), Supply Chain, Digital Transformation Program Management, Business Transformation Program Management, Process Automation, New Products, Startups, Assembly Process Planning (APP), Risk Assessment, Compensation, Employee Benefits, Webex, Agile Coaching, Agile Certified Practitioner, Business Solutions, Operations Management, Inventory Management, Patient Services, Experience Design, Agile Product Delivery, Rapid Improvement Event (RIE), Business Law, Contract Review, Automotive Systems, Business Transformation Project Management, Business Process Re-engineering, Technical Program Management, Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), Fintech, Property Insurance, Chemical Engineering, Implementation, Process Ownership, Design, Sprint Retrospectives, Government Contracting, Mobile Payments, Mobile App Development, Smartsheet, Execution, MS 365, Waterfall, Analysis, Data Quality, Lean Canvas, Quality Management, SAP
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