From The Stimson Group

Advanced Staging Keeps the Momentum Going
by Building On Success

Finishing up the best year in the company's history was cause for celebration at Advanced Staging Productions. But for their President, Steve Wildemann, getting his team ready for the next stage of growth was highest priority. How to evolve sales and operations processes to handle larger volumes of business had become a key discussion point between Steve and his General Manager, Greg Gardner.

Steve comments, "With very little turnover at Advanced Staging over the past five years, we were comfortable with what we were doing. However, we knew that if we wanted to continue growing, we would need to make some fundamental changes in our operation."

When Steve and Greg contacted Tom Stimson, President of The Stimson Group, their goals were very simple: Keep the team spirit, but expand the scalability. Advanced Staging was poised for another surge in business and didn't want to lose the quality and consistency they currently enjoyed. Tom recommended starting with a "peek under the hood" to assess the firm's current position. This would give Tom the direction he needed to help them avoid some of the pitfalls of unchecked growth. Greg was convinced that Tom's credibility in the AV Rental & Staging industry would get the attention of their veteran team.

"Normally our staff would be hesitant to work with outsiders, but what separates Tom from most consultants and trainers is his actual experience in our field," explained Greg. "Because he has "been there and done that", the team was receptive to his insights and ideas. The buy-in was almost immediate."

While Steve was most concerned with Advanced's strategic direction as a national R&S player, Greg was interested in tactics for retaining great employees and attracting new ones. Tom noted that both leaders could use some validation of their success and suggested that they invest in a business "check-up" report. This overview would help them find adjustments that could help immediately and identify institutions that they should want to preserve.

Tom spent several days in Advanced's offices and interviewed every employee to understand how they operate and interact. By following a sales order through the system, he could see what procedures, tools, and interactions were needed to keep Advanced's projects on track. Even though profitability was not a major concern, Tom was able to identify some simple adjustments that would shorten the time it takes to assemble an order and provide techniques that would improve staff utilization - producing some immediate cost savings.

Steve: "Tom was able to bring us a fresh perspective to our operation and sales structure that has allowed us to operate more efficiently and to put our lead technicians on more jobs generating more billable hours."

Steve and Greg also wanted Tom to share some of his broader knowledge and best practices directly with Advanced Staging Productions' operations team. An important part of the engagement was a four-hour team meeting in which Tom presented key industry trends and explained how forward-thinking companies were preparing for the future. In this session the team members had the opportunity to assess their practices and challenge their assumptions in a non-threatening environment. Group presentations serve two important purposes in process improvement projects. First, they engage the team at an intellectual level so that theories can be vetted. Second, team meetings help level the playing field so that everyone sees that they are not the only one who will be faced with making adjustments to their work flow. A successful team event will lead to a better understanding of objectives and a faster buy-in on change.

Tom's written report and follow-up conversations focused on Strategy, Sales Process, Operations Structure, and maximization of resources. Getting inside the firm and interacting with key personnel helped Tom understand Advanced's enormous potential and identify process adjustments that would allow for a smoother growth experience. Steve and Greg have since executed Tom's recommendations and are enjoying the benefits of his contributions.

Steve: "Even a company in 'good shape' can benefit from Tom's expertise. We have noticed a measurable increase in productivity and a tighter system that limits mistakes in our day-to-day activities."