Case Study: Transforming a 100+ Year Old Company through Operational Efficiency

Innovation, scalability, and sustainability in operations apply to companies regardless of how long they’ve been in business. A century-old waste management company partnered with The Berkeley Innovation Group to embark on a transformative journey to revamp its operations through our bottoms-up, inquiry-led strategic planning approach. By leveraging technology and process improvements, the company aimed to stay ahead of the competition and discover new opportunities to drive profits through improved cost structures.

The Challenge:

Our client’s extensive geographic presence, adherence to long-standing local practices, and broad-in-scope KPIs impeded the company's ability to conduct cross-company analysis, compare, and implement best practices, leading to localized, isolated best practices that hindered growth and profitability.

The Solution:

To address this challenge, our client launched three core initiatives:

1. KPIs to Profit: A uniquely staffed, cross-functional team unified operations and IT to create company-wide onboarding procedures, standardized operational processes, and transparent performance metrics for each phase of the value chain.

2. Customer Service Integration with Billing and Operations: The cross-functional Ops/IT team united local operations and customer service teams to deliver a higher level of service, aiming for same-day resolution to any customer inquiry.

3. Operational Excellence is the Foundation of Growth: Performance against KPIs informed site locations, designs, and operations, creating the business case for future IT investments.

Key Outcomes:

These initiatives have yielded significant benefits:

* Increased collection "density" through data-driven decision-making

* Improved customer service levels, setting the stage for future profit centers

* Enhanced operational efficiency, enabling growth in MRFs and organics facilities

The Future:

Our client is poised to capitalize on emerging trends, such as California's Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEV) regulations. The company will leverage innovative fleet and infrastructure management technologies to optimize operations further, aligning with its sustainability ethos.

Key Takeaways for Corporate Executives:

1. Embracing innovation: The transformation demonstrates the importance of staying ahead of disruptive forces while pursuing the latest operational advancements.

2. Scaling through technology: Standardized KPIs and process improvements enabled cross-company analysis and benchmarking that informed future investment decisions.

3. Prioritizing sustainability: Their commitment to ZEV readiness and electrification showcases its dedication to a greener future for its customers and employee-owners.

Through our inquiry-led approach to strategic planning, corporate executives can drive similar transformations within their organizations, ensuring continued growth, profitability, and sustainability in the face of increasingly tricky profitability environments.