Challenge:
Like many of our client engagements, we started off working for the CEO and ended up being referred from department to department to identify and implement best practices. Initially I was brought in because this fast growing company needed to step it up a notch. The CEO was a highly skilled individual, highly focused and driven. He knew he needed a better way to manage his ever expanding responsibilities. One of his key issues was that his method of managing his tasks/follow-ups involved the use of multiple sticky notes all over his desk along with scattered papers.

He was keenly aware that since they had now become a global company the company image needed improvement. So we initially worked with him to devise a more effective and less cluttered approach to managing his tasks, meeting notes and project tracking.

Solution:
After successfully implementing these solutions and being impressed by our strong analytical and project management skills, he then asked us to evaluate their corporate records. It became evident after rounds of interviews with key stakeholders that the company had outgrown their manual paper processes and needed better version control, workflow tracking and more. After thorough analysis, we recommended a Document Management System for managing the flow of information throughout the company. Since we are not connected to any one software manufacturer he was able to give more weight to our unbiased recommendations without feeling he was being “sold” something.

We also identified the need for formal information retention policies. Many of the employees were holding on to information that was not necessary because they didn’t know how long the CEO wanted to keep the information, and they didn’t want to bother him. By formalizing this information every employee had clear rules to follow for what to keep, what not to keep and proper disposal recommendations.

Finally, we provided recommendations for revamping the new hire process to ensure new employees were quickly acclimated to the business with timely and accurate information. We had uncovered many issues with the initial set up and education process that not only kept new hires from being productive, but took time away from senior staff who were being called in repeatedly to assist.

Results:
Here is what the CEO had to say:

“It is now 8 months later and not only am I staying organized, but my team has commented that their productivity has improved because of the changes we made to my office. I am impressed with Jan’s capabilities, professionalism, and the results – it’s been a great investment. Jan also assessed our corporate records storage and management. She did an excellent job. I would highly recommend her to any company that is looking for help identifying productivity opportunities in their organization.”

Martin Ambros – President & CEO, Air-Weigh

As a company expands there is a real risk of inefficiency spreading throughout the organization. Reviewing internal operating procedures, job descriptions, best practices, etc. is critical not only for increasing company revenue, but for reducing unnecessary operating costs.