Our Supply Chain Heroes program recognizes and celebrates the hard work of LeanDNA customers who optimize inventory, reduce shortages, and empower their companies to operate more efficiently. Every hero has a story, and we’re here to tell them.
One of those Heroes is David Yan, Purchasing Team Leader at Husky Shanghai. With a clear view of the challenges his team faces, David has helped shift daily operations from manual, time-consuming processes to more streamlined, data-driven workflows. His strategic mindset and focus on execution have helped turn day-to-day complexity into coordinated action.
Tackling Manual Workflows and Limited Visibility
Before implementing LeanDNA, David was dealing with the same challenge many supply chain leaders face: inefficient, manual processes that slowed down decision-making.
With no real-time visibility into inventory or open orders, the team relied heavily on spreadsheets exported from their BAAN ERP system. Identifying excess inventory, rescheduling orders, and balancing stock between sites was time-consuming and difficult. Even with their prioritization efforts, much of the team’s time was spent reacting to shortages instead of proactively managing supply.
“Before LeanDNA implementation, it was difficult for us to identify the excess orders and inventory, so we were not able to take actions such as cancel/reschedule orders. Additionally, we were not able to balance inventory between inter-company.” - David Yan, Purchasing Team Leader at Husky Shanghai
Driving Change Through Technology and Leadership
To solve these roadblocks, David and his team focused on digital supply chain synchronization and on key data insights that drive inventory decisions, such as shortage levels, excess inventory, and delivery performance. He championed the adoption of LeanDNA, guided his team through the transition, and embedded new daily workflows that prioritized visibility and speed. In just 6 months, David led his team to achieve a 59% shortage reduction and 24% excess inventory reduction.
These results reflect a fundamental shift in how the team operates: leveraging accurate, real-time data to drive smarter decisions and optimize operations end-to-end.
Building a Culture of Continuous Improvement
Looking ahead, David’s goal is to fully manage orders and inventory within LeanDNA. To achieve this, the team takes daily action in the platform, shares learnings regularly, and escalates any issues that arise. They continuously fine-tune their setup to reflect what’s working and identify areas for improvement.
Rather than relying on periodic cleanups, David is focused on building sustainable habits across the team—habits that drive long-term progress and keep the operation moving forward.
Confident Decision Making Through Reliable Data
For David, one of the most valuable outcomes has been data accuracy. With access to real-time information across PRs, POs, inventory, and shortages, his team can follow through on next steps with greater confidence. That visibility has made a real difference in how they execute and contribute to Husky’s broader supply chain goals.
"With all the data visibility in LeanDNA, including PRs, POs, inventory, shortages, cancellations, and reschedules, we can easily follow the instructions because we have high confidence in the accuracy of the data. With improvements in our overall supply chain performance, including delivery, excess orders, and inventory, this will definitely bring savings and ultimately support our business." - David Yan
David’s leadership is a driving force within Husky to create more efficient, data-informed operations. His thoughtful, consistent approach to using LeanDNA has earned him the recognition of a Supply Chain Hero.
If you’d like to nominate someone for our Supply Chain Hero program or view more heroes stories, click here.
If David’s story resonated with you and you’d like to learn more about LeanDNA, click here to schedule a demo.