Kiana Smith
About Kiana Smith
Kiana Smith is an Area Manager at Amazon Logistics in Baltimore, MD, where she has implemented significant process changes that resulted in substantial cost savings and improved operational efficiency. She holds an M.B.A. and has a strong educational background in Data Modeling, Mathematics, and Statistics.
Current Role at Amazon Logistics
Kiana Smith serves as an Area Manager at Amazon Logistics in Baltimore, MD, a position she has held since 2019. In this role, she leads a team of 50 to 120 direct report associates and 1 to 3 process assistants. Her responsibilities include ensuring on-time customer promise expectations while maintaining accuracy and quality in operations.
Process Improvements and Cost Savings
Kiana implemented a process change for the Andon system, achieving a cost savings of $1.38 per Andon pulled, affecting approximately 500 Andons daily. Additionally, she increased inventory control quality assurance accuracy from 93% to 99.9% by utilizing Atlas and Kibana, which resulted in a reduction of labor costs by $21,000 weekly and saved $300 per day in training costs.
Educational Background
Kiana holds a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) from the University of Maryland University College, where she studied Data Modeling/Warehousing and Database Administration from 2017 to 2018. She also earned a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Mathematics and Statistics from the University of Maryland College Park, completing her studies from 2007 to 2012. Additionally, she obtained a Master's Degree in Data Analysis from the University of Maryland University College, studying from 2015 to 2017.
Previous Experience at McDonald's Corporation
Before her tenure at Amazon, Kiana worked at McDonald's Corporation as a Cashier from 2005 to 2007 for a duration of two years. This early experience contributed to her foundational skills in customer service and operational efficiency.
Achievements in Team Development
Kiana developed a recognition and communication program that trained associates in indirect roles such as main jackpot, zoea, sled audit, and minesweep after they performed all three counts adequately. She also designed a heat map for station staffing that significantly reduced wait times and travel times, contributing to the achievement of picking 1 million units in a day during the 2020 holiday season.