Supply Chain World - Volume 7, Issue 3 - 91

odl inc. manufacturing

	 In	the	spirit	of	continuous	innovation,	ODL	in	August	
introduced	ZEEL™,	the	next	advancement	in	door	glass	
frame	offerings.	A	sleek,	versatile	frame	designed	to	be	
stained	or	painted,	ZEEL	blends	seamlessly	into	the	entry	
door	to	allow	door	glass	to	take	center	stage.	The	clean,	
low-profile	look	offers	a	stylish	alternative	to	flush	glazed	
doors	while	providing	the	benefits	of	a	frame	system.	
	 "ZEEL	is	the	result	of	extensive	market	research	
conducted	by	ODL	that	revealed	a	gap	in	the	door	glass	
frame	market	and	a	need	for	a	sleeker,	more	streamlined	
option,"	the	company	says.	"To	fill	that	void,	ODL	spent	
years	developing	ZEEL,	a	next-generation	door	glass	
frame	designed	for	today's	homeowners."

Transformative Journey
ODL's	supply	chain	has	transformed	from	a	small	shop	
where	products	were	built	by	hand	to	a	global	supply	
chain	that	leverages	the	latest	techniques	and	technologies	to	remain	efficient.	"It's	fantastic	to	learn	about	the	
rich	history	of	the	company	and	how	the	supply	chain	has	
evolved,"	Skinner	notes.	"My	favorite	part	about	being	in	
supply	chain	is	that	every	day	is	a	brand-new	day.	Supply	
chain	is	always	changing."
	 Skinner	joined	ODL	in	June	and	has	been	tasked	
with	transforming	an	already	high-performing	supply	
chain	operation	into	one	that	continues	to	improve	and	
becomes	more	efficient	using	the	right	tools	moving	
forward.	"I	was	really	lucky	to	go	through	a	transformation	in	my	previous	role	before	coming	to	ODL	because	
you	don't	get	to	do	a	lot	of	those	in	your	career,"	Skinner	
says.	"It	was	a	great	learning	experience	about	cultural	
and	process	changes,	and	using	technology	as	an	enabler	
to	support	the	changes."
	 The	first	step	in	transforming	ODL's	supply	chain	is	
investing	in	the	team.	"It	starts	with	taking	care	of	people	
and	giving	them	access	to	a	new	process	or	new	solution	
that's	out	there,"	Skinner	explains.	"We	can	do	that	by	
training	and	getting	smarter	and	better	with	sales	and	
operation	planning	and	tightening	up	the	processes.	You	
have	to	make	sure	people	know	you	are	invested	in	them	
and	that	we'll	make	it	work	and	do	great	things	together.	
Then	the	buy-in	comes."
	 ODL's	supply	chain	team	wants	to	learn	and	get	better,	
Skinner	says.	"Everyone	is	excited	about	it	and	I	have	not	
heard	'we	have	always	done	it	this	way,'"	he	says.	"That's	
how	ODL	sets	itself	apart;	it's	a	very	people-oriented	
place	to	work	with	a	great	atmosphere.	I	came	from	the	

automotive	industry,	so	everyone	has	been	eager	to	teach	
me	the	terminology	and	the	way	the	business	runs.	The	
entire	culture	is	about	people."	
	 The	most	important	piece	of	corporate	communication	at	ODL	is	explaining	the	why.	"We	know	why	we	
come	to	work	every	day	and	that	is	to	make	people's	lives	
better,"	Skinner	explains.	"That's	a	powerful	reason	to	
get	up	and	come	to	work,	and	sets	us	apart	as	an	employer	and	as	someone	you	want	to	work	with."
	 As	ODL	continues	on	its	supply	chain	transformation	
journey,	Skinner	says	if	everything	is	done	right,	no	one	
should	notice.	"Suppliers	will	get	better	visibility	into	
what	we	need	to	do	and	when,	and	our	customers	will	
know	they	can	rely	on	our	parts	continuing	to	show	up	
when	they	need	it,"	he	explains.	"Behind	the	scenes,	our	
team	will	feel	valued	and	we	will	have	moved	the	needle	
in	the	management	of	supply	chain	in	terms	of	how	we	
react	and	respond	for	disruptions.	All	our	customers	and	
suppliers	will	know	is	that	this	is	a	really	good	team."	 	

VOLUME 7, ISSUE 3 Supply Chain World

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Supply Chain World - Volume 7, Issue 3

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Supply Chain World - Volume 7, Issue 3
