Best in Class Adding Value to Operations

We help businesses thrive through transformational change

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Market Offerings

Our market offerings are value-focused and come from successfully delivering projects across multiple industries.

Operational Excellence

The goal of an OE strategy is to exceed customer expectations through improving business processes and culture and the solution that drives OE is Standard Work.
We involve clients' employees in creating process best practices and standard work for the operations they perform so they can see the flow of value to the customer, and fix that flow when it breaks down.

Maintenance Optimization

Many companies have the desire to optimize maintenance but lack the discipline to make it happen. We align with organizations to develop and implement the required disciplines so there will be less confusion in the organization to achieve the desired goal: Less maintenance problems, less cost, higher equipment reliability and higher plant availability.

Working Capital Optimization

Many companies struggle, not because they fail to generate revenue, but because they cannot manage their cash. Our WC capability works with clients' key stake holders identifying gaps and developing solutions to: Optimize Order-to-Cash process, Increase speed of collection of receivables, Keep inventory levels low, Delay payment of liabilities, Plan timing of major expenditures and Invest idle cash.

Change Management

Change is constant and there are effective and efficient ways to navigate through change.
CM works with a company's leadership in developing their skills and capabilities to lead others through an effective and sustainable change journey.

Performance Coaching

PC is also referred as "Coach-the-Coach" and it's present in most of our programs. Here is where your leadership learns through experience and regular coaching sessions focused on driving Operational Excellence.

Organizational Effectiveness

OE is not about connecting boxes on an organizational chart. It is about building a foundation that fosters collaboration, enables visibility and communication, builds strong relationships, grows productivity and increases agility.

Management Cadence

Do you spend too much time in meetings that seem to go nowhere?
MC streamlines the frequency, structure and flow in meetings, reports, tools, action logs, and critical leadership behaviors to support the execution of value added operations.

Continuous Improvement

CI helps organizations not only in the development of LEAN and SIX SIGMA tools and processes but also, and most importantly, in instilling a proactive mindset for problem identification and resolution with clear linkage to key performance metrics.

Operational Due Diligence

Is there a Merger & Acquisition in the horizon? Operational DD allows to uncover the target company's competencies, capabilities, efficiencies and potential so the buyer is fully equipped with operational data to determine future profitability.

Case Studies

Slide 2
International Chemical Company
Changing Front Line Operating Culture to Achieve Operational Excellence
Context and Challenge

• Area with continuous process of highly corrosive chemicals producing campaigned products that are delivered to end customer via packed bags or railcars.
• Changing the mentality of “We already do that”.
• They were OK with “Not Knowing” some Key Performance Indicators.
• High repetitive equipment failures.
• Oversight of quality rejects not a priority.
• High aging of preventive and corrective maintenance work orders.
• High Operator recommendations aging.
• No structured problem-solving process in place.

Approach Taken

• Made critical numbers visible.
• Identified critical equipment leading and lagging KPIs.
• Developed and automated Area Scorecard using MS Power BI.
• Improved Production Loss Accounting System.
• Optimized interfaces between Operations, Plant Maintenance and Reliability Group.
• Installed Management System cadence and actions logs.
• Supported management to develop new behaviors and capabilities to use new processes and tools to drive performance.
• Defined Continuous Improvement process and escalation protocol with clear Roles & Responsibilities.

Achievements:
$1MM Reduction in working capital - 81 % Reduction in unplanned production losses - 33% Reduction in equipment work order aging
Slide 2
Mining Company
Implementing Maintenance Optimization for Haul Trucks Fleet
Context and Challenge

• Maintenance labor efficiency is low with non-value added time in excess of 50%
• The Maintenance Organization is not optimized; there are excessive layers; spans of control are not clearly understood; there are insufficient Planners
• There are some gaps in existing Management System. It lacks an integrated KPI hierarchy to enable all levels of management and supervision to track plan and actual for all relevant KPIs at the appropriate frequency
• The process to manage contractors is not robust; effective controls on contractor performance and spend are lacking
• The life cycle of major components is declining due to time-based rather than condition-based replacement
• Warehouse material stocking process is impacting the Mobile equipment planning and work execution
• In-house time constrains and IT lack of support for full utilization of software capacities

Approach Taken

• Trained key personnel on world class planning and scheduling practices and benchmarks to improve effectiveness of Work Order packages
• Engaged Operations in overall program goals obtaining their buy in and cooperation
• Engaged warehouse personnel to improve quality and on time delivery of repair kits to repair stations
• Enhanced Pre-PM and Inspections formats to be implemented on the field
• Redesigned the Work Order Management Process with key stakeholders and established clear Roles and Responsibilities (RACI charts)
• Implemented a standardized, collaborative and integrated reliability improvement process
• Coached front line supervision on setting and following up expectations
• Collected delay & inefficiency data for future root cause analysis and solution generation
• Redesigned core management meetings to focus on results, problem solving, and driving performance

Achievements:
12% Reduction in maintenance cost per operating hour - Maintained 85% fleet availability
Slide 2
Welding Solutions Provider
Reducing Working Capital through Sales and Operations Planning Optimization, Operational Due Diligence and Financial Analysis
Context and Challenge

• There is no correlation between spent and payment terms
• Poor sharing of information of negotiated contract terms between sales and A/R for capital, projects and major customers. It was observed contract terms being bypassed
• More incentives for early payment could be negotiated with customers i.e. 1% Net 10
• Not enough promotion of electronic payment options
• Inefficient communication between areas to manage disputes increases DSO (i.e. Sales, Warehouse & A/R)
• Reasons for overdue are not tracked thus no specific actions can be taken to proactively reduce them
• Internal administrative inefficiencies to handle invoicing
• A/R process flow different between locations causing inefficiencies
• A/R management in each location is aware of Order-To-Cash process gaps
• Sales meeting quotas by selling less than optimal amounts of product (Selling at a loss)

Approach Taken

• Applied Continuous Improvement LEAN tools to diagnose issues and develop To-Be processes
• Optimized overall Credit Management process (payment terms and methods guidelines, credit and credit hold policy, clear process, tools, individual performance indicators, document handling, Roles & Responsibilities for collections and disputes)
• Improved overall Order-To-Cash process by contracting a nation wide complete logistics service to speed up technology offerings
• Promoted automatic and electronic payment for positive impact on

Achievements:
Saved $6.2M in working capital, optimized supply chain channels, and decreased “Days Sales Outstanding” by 44%
Slide 2
Financial Services Company
Reducing HELOC Applications Cycle Time to Increase Revenue
Context and Challenge

• Experiencing a decline in home equity loan revenues
• Turnaround time twice as long as competitors benchmarks. Average end-to-end cycle time of 30 days.
• Unnecessary and redundant process steps
• Several bottlenecks in the process not being managed. A rejected application due to mistakes could stay lingering for days
• Mistakes in applications. Up to 90% error rate recorded in process
• No relevant Key Performance Indicators or performance tracking tools used
• Inefficient management techniques and supervision
• Inefficient staffing levels to adapt to seasonality
• Inadequate skills levels among staff
• Irrelevant incentives

Approach Taken

• Critiqued current process with key stakeholders and gaps were validated. Theoretical cycle time of 5 hours identified
• Redesigned and streamlined application process and developed RACI for all steps
• Trained and coach key stakeholders in new process and expectations per RACI
• Modified computerized system to screen for errors and stop the application from moving forward when errors were flagged
• Implemented management system cadence with balance scorecard being reviewed daily/weekly/monthly
• Staffing practices adjusted to accommodate seasonality fluctuations
• Leadership coached and mentored on how to hold people accountable
• Implemented “fast track” process for re-processed applications to minimize their cycle time

Achievements:
Reduced HELOC application processing cycle time by 60% with annualized savings of 45,000 hours
Slide 2
Co-Op Refinery
Applying Organizational Effectiveness to Overhaul a Maintenance Organization
Context and Challenge

• Profitable company that can afford to do things
• Individual knowledge and experience is heavily relied upon in the company
• A third of the maintenance workforce is near retirement
• The Maintenance Organization Structure has not changed with the expansions and growth within the site
• The Maintenance Management Process is not documented and the process for each trade group is unique
• Most of the work is treated as either emergency or break in work and done in a reactive manner leading to reduced productivity (46% Value Add Time)
• There is an absence of the key maintenance roles of Planner and Scheduler
• Supervisors are spread thin performing portions of up to 4 roles leading to unclear roles and responsibilities and not enough active supervision
• There is a lack of fundamental KPIs that makes timely visibility of performance difficult and inhibits effective corrective/preventive action
• Current meetings lack critical structures, disciplines and action tools making them less efficient and effective

Approach Taken

• Refreshed work order priority definition
• Developed and installed Risk Based Matrix to plan work
• Cleaned work order backlog including fine tuning of estimates
• Developed integrated daily / weekly scheduling tool that interfaced with legacy systems
• Developed work order process with participation from key stakeholders including operations and enhanced descriptions of responsibilities
• Reassigned personnel to fulfill new roles per new process and meet new responsibilities
• Pulled trades from the workforce to fulfill temporary planner and scheduler roles
• Right sized the maintenance organization to reduce spans of control on supervisors
• Worked with HR to hire permanent positions for planners and schedulers
• Enhanced communication messages across the organization to explain purpose of the program and held frequent town hall meetings with same purpose
• Developed multilevel scorecard with common world class maintenance KPIs
• Overhauled existing management meetings and developed planning and scheduling meetings that didn't exist

Achievements:
Reduced emergency work to less than 5 %; Increased wrench time and reduced work backlogs to 3 weeks
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What Clients Say

"First and foremost every aspect of this endeavor has been handled at a professional level. The staff members are knowledgeable, patient, courteous and hard working. At all times we have been treated as partners in a process to improve our business. Weaknesses were identified and presented in a positive manner. Strengths were also pointed out with ongoing concern for over all business health in mind. We have been presented with concise explanations for growth management and improved financial control. Tools have been created with our operations in mind. These tools were explained to us and their use demonstrated in an easily understandable manner. From the beginning of this process we have been at ease sharing confidential data, methods and access to our lives. We feel that through the resources created and presented for us that we are better equipped for future management and growth of our business."
M. R. / P.R.
President / Superintendent
"-CONSULTANT'S NAME- is a highly skilled and motivated individual. His concerning expertise and diligence towards the profitability of our company has given us optimism that this business will soon be profitable. I would highly recommend his services to other restaurants."
B.D.
Controller