Since 1992 we’ve partnered with leaders of dozens of organizations across multiple industries to redesign their core business processes, structure and systems and provided leadership and team development to become high performing. Click on a link to read a snap-shot or testimonial of our work and results with a sampling of our clients:
- Rockwell International
- National Semi-Conductor
- Corning Glassware
- Amerada Hess
- History Museum
- Coach Leatherware
- Enseco-Rocky Mountain Analytical Labs
- LDS Church Area Consolidation
- Champion International Corporation
- AT&T Capital
- Kaman Industrial Technologies
Partial List of Clients
| Amoco Ashland Chemical AT&T Capital Bankers Life Burson-Marstellar Champion International Clark Equipment Coach Leatherware Colgate Corning Glass Corporation for Public Broadcasting (Several Radio Stations) Denver Museum of Nature and Science DSM Dyneema Emery Mining Company Exxon Chemical First Trust Corporation |
Ford Motor Company Lincoln Trust Hallmark Cards Hewlett-Packard Honeywell Humana Hospitals IBM James River Corporation Kaman Industrial Technologies KeyTronic Corporation MediaOne Merck Pharmaceuticals Procter & Gamble Qwest Rockwell International Rocky Mountain Analytical Labs School Districts (several) |
Rockwell International Corp.
Situation: Following each flight, the interior of the NASA space shuttle is rebuilt for the upcoming flight, a massive and expensive undertaking. For decades NASA contracted this work to Rockwell International who consistently met NASA’s quality expectations but was sometimes slower and more expensive than NASA desired. On one occasion, following the flight of the Atlantis Space Shuttle, managers and engineers from NASA and Rockwell met for a lengthy meeting to set expectations regarding quality, cost, speed and Rockwell’s willingness to make in-process changes.
Intervention: Rockwell invited the Center for Organizational Design to help them redesign the Space Shuttle modification process in order to better meet NASA’s expectations. Center consultants formed and worked closely with a design team commissioned with the task of streamlining the modification process. We also trained Rockwell leaders and employees in team skills so everyone could better contribute to the project’s mission.
Results: The Space Shuttle Site modification team finished ahead of schedule and under budget and achieved outstanding customer quality ratings. They worked almost no overtime, with 20% of previous manpower levels and one half the previous management hierarchy for the $60 million project. They improved customer relations, implemented self-directed work teams and had employees training employees in team skills with the full and enthusiastic support of the UAW Union.
National Semiconductor (global redesign)
Situation: National Semiconductor closed its books, showing a record $161 M in the red—the worst loss in its thirty-year history. The aggregate loss since the beginning of the downslide in the mid-eighties was nearly half a billion dollars. The stock was at $3 7/8. With 40 days cash flow, the company was close to bankruptcy. The culture was cynical, defeatist, stove piped, and accountability averse.
Intervention: We teamed with a new CEO to create a new strategy and implementation capability. Executives and management were engaged on a world-wide basis to accelerate ownership and execution. In parallel, each of the organizational major core processes “strategy development”, “product development”, “demand creation”, and “supply chain” were reengineered along with their enabling Human Resource and IT processes on an international basis. Goals, structures, and systems were aligned to the strategy throughout the global organization. Each of the five global fabrication sites were designed to maximize National’s strategy. Ultimately, all 25,000 employees participated in the global change process.
Results: Within 10 quarters of the change process, revenues grew by 30%, profits improved by 17%, shareholder equity doubled, stock price tripled, and National was named Turnaround Company of the Year. In 1994, National reported the highest earnings in its history—$264 M on $2.3 B in sales. In 1995, the company was nearly debt free. In 1996, National reestablished its position as the leader in the analog market sector. The stock rose to $28 1/8.
Corning Glassware
Situation: A Corning Mold Machine Shop was non-competitive internally and externally in cost, quality, and delivery, and was on the verge of closing. The workforce, many of whom had been around for 30 or even 40 years, were alienated from management and sometimes fighting (quite literally) among themselves. Although the shop had been around for years, management did not want to close it but knew that the atmosphere had to improve and the overall performance of the shop had to improve if it was to survive.
Intervention: Corning invited consultants from the Center for Organizational Design to determine if the shop could be improved. We worked closely with management , the union and all employees to redesign the work flow and structure of the shop. We organized employees into teams and then trained team members and their leaders in principles of high performance, skills in collaboration, communication and emotional intelligence and helped them take ownership of their processes.
Results: The shop moved from a failing cost center to a viable profit center, realizing 100% improvements in quality and delivery, reducing costs from 15% above competition to 15% below the competition. The previously alienated workforce became multi-skilled workers that eventually reduced headcount by 15% with full support and involvement of employees and the local union. Today they compete head to head with any outside machine shop, earn high customer ratings and are looking for ways to get even better.
Amerada Hess
Situation: This client project was a shared service redesign and enterprise-wide System Implementation. The operating culture and organization model was deeply rooted in business processes more than a decade old. The organization focused on “control of business transactions”. The information systems were a quilt of computer applications developed for different organizations in multiple locations, each segment functionally based.
Intervention: Center consultants partnered with a big six firm to integrate antiquated enterprise-wide financial systems with SAP. Center consultants ensured change management alignment by redesigning business processes, organizational structure, decision making, and people selection process for seven support and two core business processes.
Results: Operating performance improved from 4th quartile to 1st quartile due to reengineering efforts. Project won the Smithsonian Award for its application of a strong change management program and very successful system implementation.
Global Redesign of Church History Museum
Situation: The challenge of this project was how to transform a historical museum, historic archives and history library into a world-wide resource with a global focus to support 25 areas and 167 countries outside the United States.
Intervention: The historic museum, archives, and library were combined into a single integrated macro organization with new global processes to support area leadership around the world with a menu of service offerings for local ecclesiastical leaders to help with local exhibits, museums, historic markers, historic sites, libraries, websites, personal and ecclesiastical histories, etc.
Results: New global processes and teams are collaborating with other departments to create videos, exhibits, web-sites, historic sites, local media, and processes for local delivery of services in various parts of the world. Leaders in various parts of the world are delighted with the new services, and are asking for more. This change is transforming the sleepy museum, library and archives into a digital pioneer and a customer service wonder.
Coach Leatherware
Center consultants were engaged for two years with Coach Leatherware, Northeast manufacturing. The project included assessing and redesigning all manufacturing operations, training and coaching supervisors and managers in a new skill-set to lead in a high performance environment, implementing teams, providing training and empowering those teams with authority for their success. The intervention increased plant efficiency from 88% to 100%, improved leather utilization by 48% and decreased overhead spending by 10%. The manufacturing facility earned the prestigious Quality Governors Award for Performance Excellence. The success of the engagement also resulted in implementing the same culture change projects in four other Coach sites.
Rocky Mountain Analytical Laboratories
By implementing several self-managing mini-labs, the Rocky Mountain Analytical Labs (Enseco Inc.) improved productivity by 50% in 18 months, increased profit margins by 20-25%, reduced turn-around time from 28 to 14 days and reduced internal handoffs between departments by many times. Quality is at an all-time high.
Area Consolidation Project: Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands
Situation: Rapid growth of world-wide LDS church membership raised the question of how to manage growth without doubling or tripling infrastructure in the next few years. International area offices in 25 regions, covering 167 countries, have provided services to local church leaders around the world. The challenge was how to combine two proximate area offices into one, consolidating resources, standardizing processes and structure, and reducing costs, while increasing flexibility and customer service to local leaders. The two target areas to be combined: The Australian area office including all of Australia and Papua New Guinea, and the New Zealand area office, including all of New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, 13 countries and 11 languages.
Intervention: After in depth organization assessment and design, involving participants from various countries and locations, both offices were combined into a single location in New Zealand to serve New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands. Seven country service centers were created in 8 different countries to being support services closer to local leaders. Eight departments were reduced to 4 functional groups. Core Processes were streamlined and consolidated. A self-service electronic portal was created to support increasing customer demands for IT and administrative technical support.
Results: The new area design reduced headcount by 35% and operating costs by $4 million a year. A simplified and more distributed organization provided more face-to face support to local ecclesiastical leaders and increased flexibility for future growth. Technology upgrades allow leaders to replace 50% of travel with video conferences and get to better technical assistance on line. It allows members to directly order educational materials and resources, at lower cost with quicker turn-around time. Local leaders report better and more responsive service.
Champion International Corp., Corporate Technology Group
“The technology group reduced process redundancy and bureaucracy and implemented self-managing teams who achieve high standards of performance. They have been instrumental in increasing both revenues and market share for the corporation and their internal and external customers give them high marks for faster response to field problems. Employees rave that it is the best personal development experience of their careers.”
AT&T Credit Corporation
“One of our major customers went through a major realignment to improve their competitive position. This necessitated that we examine how to best align our organization to provide the best service to our customer. A Center consultant acted as facilitator and consultant through the alignment process and did an excellent job of structuring the process and bringing the team members together around sensitive and difficult issues.”
—Christopher M. Vukas, Vice President, AT&T Credit Corporation
Kaman Industrial Technologies
“The objective we established was for you to help the executive officers of the organization identify an optimal organizational structure, develop all of the intricate detail to support a successful transition and to facilitate the coming together of ideas from this diverse executive committee that would position the company to double its sales and triple its profits in a five-year period.
You helped us to make the impossible become possible, and then probable. Your listening skills and facilitation exercises forced us to treat each other with respect, and to open our minds to the many possibilities. Your attention to detail and your follow-through on all key aspects of your well-designed process positioned us to succeed.”
–Jack Cahill, President, Kaman Industrial Technologies
