Owner of start-up company with tight budget was reluctant to part with contacts and networking data retained in his personal files until he felt it absolutely necessary to do so. This information was vital to new company’s success and critical to consistent flow of information within company, particularly to new Marketing and Sales VP.

Selected robust CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software and identified key elements to use and launch software among staff. Determined best method to capture and translate Business Plan into measurable process, focusing on strategic progress against company plan. Chosen CRM fit early stage of company growth at affordable cost, allowing for expansion as company grew.

Documents and proprietary information were stored in Internet-hosted document repository, which provided easy, anywhere, and anytime access to employees. Communication became immediate, effective, and productive. CRM software provided VP of Marketing with valuable tool for tracking customer contacts, follow up, and facilitating communication with founder relative to his strategic plans.

Customer bid proposals and RFPs (Request for Proposals) required vendors to demonstrate stronger commitment to quality processes, quality planning, and objectives. Six operating profit centers within United States, eight offices in Canada, four offices in Mexico, and lack of individual resources made improving quality challenging.

Assembled cross-functional teams to plan and implement strategy for building quality system and pursuing ISO certification.

Within two years, company was only second organization in associated U.S. industry to secure ISO 9002 certification; achieved zero non-compliance in first round of external audits.

Maintaining ISO certification was labor-intensive for local management, straining already reduced resources. More productive and simpler methods for quality activities, such as capturing customer complaints and nonconformities and documenting quality review meetings, were sorely needed in order to continue management’s support.

Securing development budget was difficult, because of department’s non-revenue generating status. Successfully made case for building on synergy with similar, established e-tool. Successfully secured and transferred dedicated IT applications developer into department, saving on outside vendor fees.

Developed activity-based accounting metrics then won buy-in from operating centers to use new metrics as basis for ROI and KPIs (Key Performance Indicators).

Saved company more than 300% in productivity costs for some quality tasks; paved way for additional tools being embraced globally with even further savings through development of significant suite of e-tools (Continuous Quality Improvement Request, Non-Conformity/Customer Complaint, and Quality System Review Meeting).

New Ocean Services division was established with no defined set of standards, policies, or procedures for each of its new locations. Each manager had either established what they felt were most productive and profitable processes or was unskilled at how to do so. Buy-in by both management and employees was difficult, because staff allocations were thin; training had to be made on-the-job and time was limited.

Identified, wrote, and produced ocean shipment policies and procedures. Developed OJT and CBT modules (On-the-Job Training and Computer-Based-Training) to minimize amount of time employees would be required to devote to training away from job.

After implementation of standards, productivity savings were 100-200%. Offices were meeting their plans and synergies with other global ocean freight forwarders and vendors were realized.

Due to lack of standardized policies and defined processes, customer complaints were not escalated through management system. Customers were dissatisfied with lack of follow-through and authority to resolve problems given to employees handling their complaints.

Developed and implemented companywide policy for escalation of customer complaints and internal non-compliances (NC) by working with executive management, field management, and field employees who were first line of contact with customer complaints. Developed system for reporting elements of complaints and internal non-conformities to organization.

Customer complaints to senior management were reduced 100-500%. Customers realized immediate action to complaints and local management’s involvement was reduced. Companywide visibility allowed for process improvement assessments at all levels.