Success Stories
Below are just a few of our clients' success stories.
Alcoa Packaging
Becton Dickinson
California State University System
Dakota County, Minnesota
Delaware River Port Authority
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Escambia County Board of County Commissioners
Fairfax County Government
Federal Reserve Bank of New York
Georgia Military College
NCCI Holdings, Inc.
Not-For-Profit Membership Association (insists on anonymity)
Siemens Financial Services
Southern California Edison
Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD)
State of Michigan Office of Retirement Services
The Hartford Insurance Company
The University of the Arts and The Colburn School
University of Central Florida
US Navy - OPTEVFOR (Operational Testing and Evaluation Force)
Weichert Relocation Resources
Alcoa Packaging
Assignment
Development of a division strategy and mechanisms to execute and monitor its deployment. Outputs included a(n):
- Strategic plan with Strategy Map
- Balanced Scorecard
- Identification of key initiatives
Orion's Role
Orion facilitated the project with training, coaching and project management. Alcoa chose our streamlined approach to strategic assessment. Orion facilitated the SWOT brainstorming by the executive team and organized the strategic data for use. After just-in-time training, the executive team used the data to build a Strategy Map and strategic plan. Additional training was provided for the implementation team, which developed the Balanced Scorecard and communicated the plan to the rest of Alcoa. Orion provided expert guidance throughout the development of scorecard metrics and strategic initiatives. We kept the project on schedule.
Results
By executing and managing the strategies Orion facilitated, Alcoa Packaging turned around its struggling packaging business in dramatic fashion. In addition to earning recognition as a finalist for the Balanced Scorecard Hall of Fame, Alcoa regained its position as market leader thanks to the following results:
| Before | After* | |
| FINANCIAL | ||
| Return on Capital | -21.7% | +23% |
| Cost of Goods Sold | 102.9% | 81% |
| Warranty Costs | $29,000 per month | $7,500 per month |
| Inventory | $6.29 million | $3.06 million |
| CUSTOMER | ||
| Customer complaints | 32 per month | 4 per month |
| PROCESS | ||
| Scrap rate | 1% | 0.3% |
| On-time delivery | 63% | 96% |
* The "After" figures took two years to achieve.
To read the full story click here
Becton Dickinson
The work described below began in 2008 and is ongoing.
Objective: Becton Dickinson's objective two fold:
- Already known for exceptional consumer service to their diabetic patients, BD embarked on an initiative to further improve their performance.
- Management was interested in instilling a formalized Continuous Improvement Process into their business practices.
Scope: The project work focused on three core business activities within Consumer Services:
- Consumer Services - Call Center Operations
- Consumer Fulfillment - satisfying the product needs of consumers
- Healthcare Professional Fulfillment - satisfying the product needs of HCP staff
Deliverables: For each of the three process areas:
- Processes were to be documented
- Issues and opportunities identified
- Metrics established to better understand and manage the "to-be" processes
Work Completed: Each process has System Maps created, System Issues defined, Top Down Flowcharts and Cross Functional Flowcharts created. From these documents, operational issues were identified, root causes defined and recommendations developed to minimize and/or eliminate the performance gaps present. Although the initial impression was that Consumer Services was performing as desired, the documenting of the business practices and processes identified performance issues between different staff members at both locations. The establishment of metrics and expectations has had an immediate positive impact.
California State University System
Project Description:
California State University had an established quality improvement program that was strong on soft skills (team-based problem solving) but weak on process analysis and redesign skills. The impending implementation of an ERP system heightened Cal State's awareness of the organization's need to better understand and execute processes, lest they automate ineffective or inefficient processes.
Orion developed a custom Process Improvement Roadmap and accompanying "toolkit" for Cal State. Process improvement training was provided to functional and cross-functional teams from all campuses. The training was divided into three segments and delivered "just-in-time" as projects progressed. Train-the-Trainer was also provided. Cal State licensed the material and is currently self-sufficient in delivering process curriculum and facilitating process projects. Several of the projects optimized processes and created business requirements for the implementation of PeopleSoft.
Backed by Orion's training and facilitation, Cal State's Quality Improvement Department launched a system-wide process mapping and improvement initiative. The results speak for themselves:
- A 35% reduction in the cost of an IT procurement process plus a "ten-fold" return in improved service to the campus community
- An 18% reduction of steps in an invoicing process
- A 20% reduction of steps with FAFSA processing and over 50% reductions of documents required for verification.
- Creation of a web-based student application that reduced paper and pringing costs, reduced storage and inventory management expense, and improved transaction time.
- Eliminated almost 90,000 letters annually for a State agency in Ohio.
- Reduction of student complaints by 85%
Dakota County, Minnesota
Project Description:
Dakota County's initiative was aimed at creating a core group of in-house facilitators of process improvement projects. The group numbered around 20 and consisted of middle management personnel from around the county. As the county had initiated a balanced scorecard system prior to Orion contact, the first course was a hybrid
Balanced Scorecard / Process Mapping course tailored for Dakota County. The objectives were to clarify the scorecard and its link to process and to introduce the tools necessary to initiate a process improvement project.
Subsequent courses dealt with the different aspects of process improvement: Scoping for Success was created specifically for the county as a half day workshop designed to enable them to launch projects successfully. Topics included defining clear roles for team leaders, sponsors, facilitators, and members, writing a team purpose and project plan, and dealing with difficult team situations. This was followed by a facilitation skills course to brief the specialists in how to manage group dynamics, deal with conflict, promote positive group interaction, etc. More technical courses were delivered in process measurement and implementing solutions, covering everything from cause analysis to statistical tools and how / when to use each. The specialists were given a minimum of 5 training courses to prepare them for their roles, and several immediately launched into the facilitation of processes.
An additional course in how to manage in a process improvement environment was delivered to county executives to enable them to successfully support the improvement efforts. Process facilitation guidance was provided to the specialists on a periodic basis to ensure their questions were answered.
Results included a dramatic improvement to the fleet management system as well as improved efficiency of the child support and employee profile processes.
Delaware River Port Authority
Orion completed a comprehensive evaluation of existing DRPA business practices, organizational design, compensation systems and IT systems in preparation for the business process redesign of this dual-state agency (NJ &PA) that would first standardize business practices and then merge the operating units for the four bridges that connect Philadelphia and Camden via a process centric Traffic Management Center.
The project included training DRPA Process Owners and 200 DRPA staff members in Process Mapping, Operational Metrics and Change Management in preparation for their participation in the project.Orion Development Group provided the workflow analysis methodology, onsite project management and process consultants that facilitated the process documentation teams. Orion also provided substantial process documentation support when DRPA's teams could not dedicate the time to complete specific project tasks.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
A task force was formed and charged with the responsibility of significantly improving the level of service provided to students and parents. The team is to focus on customer service functions in the financial services, student accounts, registration and records offices.
This project included the review, enhancement and, where appropriate, consolidation of service-related functions in the financial services, student accounts, registration and records offices. Mandy Dietz and Elizabeth Copley performed the following tasks over a period of approximately 3 months (based on ERAU staff availability):
- Initial gap analysis
- Inventory of all types of customer service inquiries
- Documentation of "as is" customer service processes in each department
- Analysis of processes and technologies
- Benchmarking of other universities' centralized customer service operations
- Documentation of improved processes
- Implementation planning
- Implementation and communication of changes
The project included modifications to the college web sites and the university system, as well as acquisition of additional technology which supports the centralized service initiative. The scope also included facilities changes only when required.
Escambia County Board of County Commissioners
Project Description: Leading Teams
A one-day training session for their selected personnel (primarily process improvement team leaders) to learn how to build and lead effective teams. The training was delivered by an LDI leadership training consultant. This training was part of their effort to prepare for the Sterling Award process.
Implementing Process Improvement and Managing Process Change
A three-day training program focused on process documentation, analysis, measurement and implementation for internal personnel selected to become process management subject matter experts. The focus of workshop exercises/case studies will surround governmental administrative and service processes. The training was delivered by a LDI process management training consultant. This training was part of their effort to prepare for the Sterling Award process.
Fairfax County Government
Our work with Fairfax County is ongoing and began in 1999.
Project Descriptions:
Project I. Designed and delivered Process Management Certificate Series on-site seminars over a two year period. The Human Resource department included the training in their curriculum for participant's self-selection. Ten sessions have been successfully completed to date. Orion provided additional onsite consulting throughout the government during this time. We are currently providing this Process Certificate Series today for Fairfax County's Department of Family Services. Two staff members were submitted and placed.
Project II. In 2007 there was a county mandate that each department must have a Strategy Map by June 2008 and a complete Balanced Scorecard by December 2008. Orion has been and is currently providing Strategic Planning and Balanced Scorecard training and consulting throughout the county. We have worked with over seventeen departments to date creating their Strategy Maps and Scorecards in order to achieve this county mandate.
Ralph Smith has been working with the departments to achieve this Strategic initiative.
Fairfax County Government
Prior to the aforementioned projects, Orion has been providing ongoing Process Improvement training both onsite and through George Mason University.
Federal Reserve Bank of New York
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York plays a leadership role in monetary policy, financial supervision and the payments system. In alignment with their operational excellence goal, the New York Fed implemented Process Excellence Certifications throughout their cash services business units. Employees are currently attending a series of three two-day seminars focusing on systemic thinking, mapping tools, measuring and improvement tools and deployment and integration methodologies. After the three sessions, participants go through a series of touch points ultimately reengineering an identified process.
Successes are communicated to the leadership team via presentations.
Georgia Military College
This engagement involved process analysis and documentation work in the Financial Aid, Business Office and the Admissions Office.
Georgia Military College (GMC) established a Retention Task Force ("RTF") to address the need to raise its student retention rates. In addition, student satisfaction surveys had identified financial aid as a primary function adversely impacting student satisfaction.
In past years, the financial aid processes were completely manual. In 2006, GMC began funding student loans through an EFT process, thereby eliminating thousands of checks each year.
The recommendations were derived from a review of the Financial Aid, Business Office and Admissions Office processes. This included an assessment of the inputs into these processes and an understanding of the potential output gaps.
Process maps were created, which depicted the current or "as is" state of how activities are performed. The map package includes a high level systems view (System Map), identifying inputs and outputs and detailed activity charts for each of the main processes.
Our time was split into two periods: The Financial Aid Office review was conducted over a 1 month period; the Business Office and Admissions Office review was also conducted over a 1 month period a few months after the conclusion of the Financial Aid Office. Mandy Dietz and Elizabeth Copley performed the reviews and analysis with staff from each of the business office entities.
NCCI Holdings, Inc.
Services were provided from July, 2004 through June, 2007
Project Description:
Joni Judd provided Performance Excellence Consulting services to the Customer Operations Division at NCCI. This encompassed leadership, strategic direction, statistical process improvement knowledge and Sterling Examiner experience which enabled the leadership team to continually improve and sustain a performance excellence culture. Ms. Judd also aligned the strategic direction and administration of the division's management system with corporate objectives, including quality and continuous improvement. She coached the leadership team and staff on leading improvement projects and using performance excellence methods and tools.
Major Accomplishments include:
- Management Team and Technical Analysts facilitation in driving performance excellence through just-in-time training and leading process improvement teams. Coached managers to deliver monthly workshops on basic Process Management and DMAIC Problem Solving tools and techniques.
- Management Team understanding variation in key work processes and making appropriate decisions to reduce the variation. Coached management team to conduct weekly performance analyses on key work processes.
- Quality Analysts consistent in measuring quality within and across departments. Reliable and accurate data provided to associates for personal and organizational learning.
- Division Management System continually improved using the Sterling Framework.
- Corporate adoption of the Division's best practices and implementation of a corporate Quality Management System.
Not-For-Profit Membership Association (insists on anonymity)
Assignment
Selection and facilitation of key process improvement projects. Engagement included train-the-trainer and coaching components so the client could continue on with future projects and systemic process management. Outputs included:
- Process improvement project selection criteria
- Process Leadership training
- Process Improvement skills training integrated with client projects
- Process maps and measurements
- Process improvement recommendations
- Implementation and change management plans
Orion's Role
This engagement followed a classic Orion model: high-impact training integrated with the client-driven documentation, analysis and redesign of critical processes. Orion guided the executive team in its leadership role, trained internal process experts and coached these internal resources as they worked through the project life cycle.
This project was more "facilitative" than the ORS project above.
Results
This project was launched because the client believed having process improvement integrated into their organization would result in increased revenue, reduced operational costs, reduced cycle time, and better member experiences. The first round of projects greatly exceeded all expectations in a single quarter. The client's 3-year projection called for:
- $16,800,268 in net cost saving
- $ 2,991,531 in additional revenue
| First quarter project specifics include: Process or Function | Measure | After 3 Months |
| Publication Production | Lead Time | Down from 148 days to 121 days |
| Cost Savings | $9,935 above target | |
| Call Center | Daily Contacts | Increased 59% |
| Close Ratio | Increased 24% | |
| Purchasing | Cost Savings | $429,803 |
| Service Change | Cycle Time | Down from 12 weeks to 6.5 weeks |
| New Service Applications | Cycle Time 1 | Down from 9 days to 3 days |
| Cycle Time 2 | Down from 26 days to 3 days | |
| Cost Savings | $4,000,000/year | |
| Revenue Increase | $ 144,956 |
The Hartford Insurance Company
Project description:
The Hartford Call Center Operations provide third party call center support for MetLife and AARP health insurance products. With their primary contract coming up for review, the Call Center Operations needed to remain competitive against other outsourcing providers.
The Hartford engaged Orion to provide Process Management training for all their Call Center Managers. This was followed by the formation of project teams to define existing Call Center processes, identified all process suppliers, customers and the associated performance gaps present with each. Orion provided ongoing project team support on projects to reduced call hold times, drop off rate while creating more repeatable and reproducible performance.
The project began in November 2002 and lasted until December 2003 in Philadelphia, PA. As a result of these efforts, operational enhancements The Hartford have not only resulted in retaining this business but increased market share and the ability to offer higher valued proprietary services to their customers. The Hartford is a private company and this was not a retirement system or pension plan.
Siemens Financial Services
Description of Service:
Siemens Financial historically provided A/P services to captive Siemens companies. Leadership changes are now allowing all Siemens companies to utilize outside financial service providers, so Siemens Financial must now competitively win this business. The have also been given the opportunity to go out and win non-Siemens accounts.
With the goal to provide extraordinary service levels through better process design and deployment, Orion was engaged to provide workshops on Process Value Analysis (PVA) and Process Mapping. Project teams were formed to identify customer - supplier handoff issues as well as to document existing internal business processes. Siemens Financial had found themselves too often bending over backwards to successfully win over business regardless of the impact on their own financial performance, business processes and staff.
The project began in April 2004 and lasted until February 2006 in Iselin, NJ. Each Process Owner is now able to better understand the impact of non-compliant customer performance and what steps they need to take to either re-train their customers or to design and deploy alternative business processes that will ensure cost effective financial services. As a by-product, the project teams have successfully defined operational improvements that will improve turnaround time, quality of service and reduced effort to complete business functions. Siemens Financial Services a private company and this was not a retirement system or pension plan.
Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD)
Assignment
Streamline and automate water use permitting processes. During the engagement, responsibility for process analysis and improvement/redesign transitioned from Orion to SWFWMD. Outputs included:
- Improved and redesigned processes
- Return on investment calculations
- Requirements for future IT systems
- Process mapping and improvement skills transfer
Orion's Role
In this engagement Orion began with a more-traditional consulting model (outsider does the work) then transitioned to a facilitated model where Orion coached and mentored SWFWMD staff and finished in an advisory role. Orion was responsible for 60% of the work product; SWFWMD produced the remaining 40% on its own.
Results
The cumulative returns on investment for these processes changes were:
| Before | After | Improvement | |
| Labor Costs | $991,861 | $184,320 | $807,541 (81.4%) |
| District processing costs per permit | $2,487 | $360 | $2,127 (85.5%) |
| Processing Time | 960 hours/year | 444 hours/year | 516 hours/year (53.8%) |
| Number of IT Systems and Software | 27 | 3 | 90% |
Southern California Edison
The work described below began in 2008 and is ongoing.
Objective: Southern California Edison's objective two fold:
- Provide an opportunity for SCE employees that have been trained in Orion's Process Management Toolkit to use the tools as part of demonstration projects that reinforced the classroom training with hands on skill development; and
- To take three critical process areas within EH&S that had been historically reactive in their approach to managing organizational compliance and shift the focus to a preventative management style consistent with the precepts of Process Management.
Scope: The project work focused on three core business activities within the EHS function:
- Conducting Environmental Surveys - ESA
- Maintaining Air Quality Compliance
- Establishing and Maintaining Spill Prevention, Containment and Control plans
Deliverables: For each of the three process areas, the project generated:
Short Term and Long Term recommendations that would ensure repeatable and reproducible work was completed by the EHS staff.
Significant work completed: Each process has System Maps created, System Issues defined, Top Down Flowcharts and Cross Functional Flowcharts created. From these documents, operational issues were identified, root causes defined and recommendations developed to minimize and/or eliminate the performance gaps present. At the close of these projects the EHS staff time has shifted from reacting to compliance failures to spending their time and focus on identifying risks of non-compliance prior to failure, fines and public relations nightmares that have been the status quo in recent history.
State of Michigan Office of Retirement Services
Assignment
Comprehensive review of existing processes, including review of organization structure and strategic performance management systems. Outputs included a(n):
- Updated Balanced Scorecard
- New, process-oriented organization structure
- Numerous process improvements that were implemented within months
- Numerous process redesigns to guide anticipated IT upgrades
Orion's Role
Orion wore multiple hats in this multi-discipline engagement. The review and redesign of ORS' Balanced Scorecard and organization structure was performed in a traditional consulting fashion. It relied on data review, interviews and surveys to generate the information Orion needed to make informed recommendations. The process improvement work was facilitated by joint Orion-ORS teams.
Results
This project was launched in anticipation of a significant increase in customers. Due to unexpected changes in the economy, the increase in customers was mild but ORS' workforce was allowed to shrink by 30%. Thanks to the new process designs and governance, ORS was able to handle more customers with less staff. Simultaneously, customer satisfaction increased markedly thanks to operational improvements.
Orion recently received an update from Michigan ORS regarding their ongoing process improvement and process management efforts. The results are impressive. We are particularly pleased that ORS' ongoing performance improvements are entirely internally-driven. It's a testament to their outstanding business process management.
Here is a table showing ORS' customer service performance improvement over time:
| 1997 | 2005 | June 2011 | |
| First pension check | As long as six months after retirement | 90% of retirees get first payment within 60 days | 92% in 30 days 100% in 60 days |
| Health insurance | Up to 3 months before coverage was effective | Initiated on retirement date 80% of the time | 97% initiated on retirement date |
| Customer service | Calls were routinely misrouted and lost | 85% of issues resolved on the first call | 90% of issues resolved on the first call |
| Written responses | Up to a year to respond to difficult issues | 86% of written responses issued within 10 days | 95% of written responses issued within 10 days |
In terms of costs and efficiency, CEM benchmarking data affirm ORS' excellence:
- ORS’s administration cost is $59 per active member and annuitant, below the peer median of $79.
- ORS administers 4,125 active members and annuitants per full-time equivalent staff member. (Peer median = 1,724.)
- ORS’s cost for paying pensions is $7 per annuitant, below the peer median of $12.
For more complete information, please read Orion’s Summer 2005 newsletter.
The University of the Arts and The Colburn School
Project Description:
Dr. Corzo attended our two-day Using the Balanced Scorecard seminar at the University of Delaware. Afterwards, he requested Ralph Smith come onsite to assist his team in creating a five-year strategic plan and a balanced scorecard at The University of the Arts. Both the strategic plan and balanced scorecard were implemented among his teams.
About one and a half years afterwards, Dr. Corzo left the University of the Arts and went to The Colburn School in Los Angeles, CA to create a new strategic vision there. There was no strategic plan in place and the school had received a $400 million endowment from one man that the board had more plans for than money. Dr. Corzo, with Orion's help, created a five-year strategic plan and balanced scorecard in order to keep their plans successfully within their budget
Weichert Relocation Resources
Weichert Relocation Resources (WRRI) is one of the world's largest relocation and assignment management companies. Orion worked with their Process Owners and Operational Experts to reengineer a group of core processes. After creating a custom training and consulting plan for WRRI which was aligned with their balanced scorecard objectives, we provided them with a Process Management Toolkit giving both teams a solid foundation and broadened abilities. Participants acquired skills to prioritize initiatives, document customer expectations and performance relative to those expectations, measure and analyze business processes, and integrate process ownership throughout the company.
These efforts at Weichert have been so successful that they were subsequently inducted into the Balanced Scorecard Hall of Fame.
University of Central Florida
Mandy Dietz and Elizabeth Copley conducted onsite process review and mapping sessions of the University of Central Florida's Financial Aid Office (FAO) loan and disbursement processes. The sessions were performed with the following FAO objectives in mind:
- Create a more efficient application process that will facilitate the gathering of more accurate student information and reducing the amount of required follow-up on the part of the Financial Aid Office.
- Design the application process in such a way as to "strongly encourage" a student to choose a UCF preferred lender.
- Improve all loan process activities from FAFSA through post-disbursement.
- Attract graduate students to use UCF as their lender of choice.
- Improve communications with other UCF administrative offices, i.e., the Records Office, Recruiting, Finance and Accounting, etc.
- Offer fewer lenders, therefore decreasing the amount of adjustments.
- Implement a tracking system for the loan application process.
- Enhance the ability to monitor and manage performance through effective performance measurement.
Orion's approach included the following. The first step in the onsite meetings was to prepare a gap analysis. This analysis helped identify where inputs and outputs for the processes did not meet or only partially met the expected inputs and outputs. The value of performing the gap analysis was that it crystallized the areas for more detailed review. It was also used to determine more specific questions to be answered and it established a baseline against which improvement initiatives could be evaluated.
Using the gap analysis results as a backdrop, the business processes were then documented. Activities and tasks were identified and gathered through facilitated process mapping sessions, interviews with the FAO senior management team, and process observation. Mapping was completed at a mid-range level. That is, there was enough detail to understand the steps involved in the process, but each step had not necessarily been broken down into its smallest component (such as which screen is accessed or which function keys are depressed, etc.). While there were opportunities for improvement at the lowest level of detail, it was believed that the most significant benefits for the FAO at that point were to involve improvements at the broader level.
US Navy - OPTEVFOR (Operational Testing and Evaluation Force)
Led by Orion, Project Teams were formed for each core process to define the existing processes, identify opportunities for improvement (both short and long term) and to determine appropriate organizational redesign if necessary to support future business objectives.
Project description
OPTEVFOR provides operational testing and evaluation of equipment prior to its release to the Fleet. Like many organizations, it is under pressure to provide more with less while improving the turnaround time and quality of their operational testing.
This engagement was kicked off with Process Mapping education. Project Teams were formed for each core process to define the existing processes, ID opportunities for improvement (both short and long term) and to determine appropriate Organizational redesign if necessary to support future business objectives.
The project began in May 2004 and lasted until September 2004 in Norfolk, VA. At the close of the project, recommendations were provided to the OPTEVFOR leadership team and were implemented to improve their operational effectiveness. This was not a retirement system or pension plan.
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