Addressing the Challenge of IEs Helping Non-Profits

2. Kate Fisher Industrial Engineering Consultant West Monroe Partners, LLC. Columbus, OH IIE Annual Conference 2014 – Montreal Addressing the Challenge of IEs Helping Non-Profits

3. Agenda • How to find and initiate non-profit relationships • Getting them on-board with the idea of change • Ways to actually help them using IE skills • [given typical working/life constraints] • Challenges faced throughout this process • Managing the relationship moving forward

4. Context • My experience: • WMP pro-bono project with the furniture bank • Organizing and executing annual IIE volunteering (2 years) • Volunteering coordinator for WMP office • Project work with the Red Cross • Personal volunteering with Red Cross and “JA” • Class project on business plans for non-profits • IE skills are very valuable • Heard many IEs talk about it… but hard to actually get things going [personally and what I’ve observed] • >6 months to get everyone on board for the pro bono project • Yet, people want to help! • Emails from Pakistan and Saudi Arabia about the IIE event! So I wanted to share what I’ve found so maybe others can have success with this

5. Context: Furniture Bank Pro Bono • When we volunteered they mentioned tight on space • I called to talk about it ~1year later • They had just hired an architecture firm • To evaluate how much space they need • And what they can do with their current space • Also what they need if they were to find or build a new facility • Their biggest problem: • Warehouse space • Other problems: • Product flow • Production planning Main facility space vs. [unused] other warehouse Scrambling when they faced shortages Pick anything up and “find space” in main facility

6. How to find and initiate relationships with non-profits • How I found mine: • Cold calling (Red Cross) • Volunteering there (Furniture Bank) • Other organizations in touch (IIE Events) • How to initiate: • Develop a contact(s) • Establish if there’s a need • Offer help • Both ask what they need and tell them what you could offer • Follow-up… a lot! • Where to get the time for all this? • In between meetings, beginning or end of business day, lunch, doctor waiting rooms… etc.

7. Getting the organization on-board with the idea of change • Establish what they need, timeline, and how to do it • Just like any other statement of work • Determine the best approach [for them]: • Do it yourself? • Get your company involved? • Go through an organization (like TapRoot)? • How to get them to agree to the help: • Sometimes have to convince and be persistent • …and sometimes they've been waiting for you! • But occasionally you might have to let it go • Red Cross and stepping on toes… • Local NPR station didn’t return calls • It’s probably not too late even if already getting help….

8. How do YOU find the time (and money) for this? • Find time to commit and let them know that up front • Stick to it like any other obligation (coaching, tutoring, etc.) • Determine the best approach [for YOU] • (Yourself; Your company; External Organization) • Getting my company involved was best for us… • Pay some, give some? • Having them pay some can help drive the timeline • Help to justify to the company • BUT issue of paying less than full amount… • The non-profit being willing to pay helped start the conversation • Though we ended up covering it after all • The company got several benefits [mentioned later] Lesson Learned: Don’t assume they don’t have money to spend…

9. Barriers andconstraints to gettingthe project • Lack of time/money/resources to put towards a normal project plan • Can do an official project like Taproot, but harder to get involved with • When I came upon the furniture bank they needed help NOW • Community money drives non-profits • Means longer timelines • All gearing up for a community “ask” (not implementation) • Board of Directors (people like you!) • Volunteers as workers • Being careful about what to put on the SOW [$] • Before we found them they hired an architecture firm • Looking at walls… not the process or the current capability • Previous “Helpers” (like us!) • Material touched many hands, many languages, coordination!

10. Things to keep in mind • Not only limited time and money • Limit interference with the process • They can’t shut down! • Yet they really need your help… • How to start/decide what to go with? • Can’t collect the data you feel comfortable collecting? • How to implement? • When to work with them? • When to use best judgment and not? Key Questions

11. How to approach actually helping them? • Don’t promise too much • But worst case you can help them help themselves • Be up-front on your plate and if it can fall off* • What they can reasonably expect you to commit • Put out there what you can offer • Providing your expertise, IE tools and potentially some analysis of their biggest issues • They might see how you can help better than you! • Establish what their biggest issues are • See the key things they want to address • Find out their timeline • Suggest how you could help them get there

12. How to approach actually helping them?Cont. • Help them with their current needs • Acted as “process voice” at architecture meetings • Overall strategy for the various groups involved • Strategize for how to help with future needs • Initiated the Pro Bono project • Universal agreement on the project process • Signed SOW, payment or other agreement, timeline • Follow through • Follow-up

13. Challenges faced throughout this process Similar to the idea of the “triple bottom line” • Evaluate beyond the bottom line: • Examples of other prime considerations: • Location within 80% of clients in the city and bus line even though neighborhood wasn’t great and property wasn’t perfect for their need • There is better property elsewhere but wouldn’t be able to maintain the customer base • How to take this info account? • Value of better inventory management vs. labor cost • “Disrupting” stakeholders who aren’t on board • Red Cross example when stopped returning calls/emails • The demand to be treated equal* • Especially if paying anything • But they have business needs too…

14. Managing the Relationship • Moving forward with the non-profit • Don't have to do Pro Bono • Can volunteer labor or money too [one time or long term] • Mixture of everything • Staying in touch, trying to keep the relationship alive • Company justification • Beyond “the good” • Could get recognition [OK to ask for it!] • Community award • Press release • Case study • Potential tax advantages

15. Update: Furniture Bank Pro Bono • Difficulties with the architecture firm project • After 5 months they had a layout for a $2MM building… • … that didn’t tell them anything about how to improve NOW • They asked us to explore what they need to meet levels of “clients served” • To be used to valuate a “community ask” • They had offered to pay up to $10,000 • We decided to do fully pro-bono – but this helped the conversation … • They’re going to honor us at their biggest annual event this week! • Recommendation results as of 5/15/14… • Physical changes examples: • Evaluated racking feasibility and cost • Evaluated cross-docking • Layout example: • Circular flow • Inventory management example: • Inventory cycle

16. Time, Treasure, Talent • How I was able to do it/plan it: • Tried before, much easier with company’s support • 1+1+1 • WMP Fellowship IIE Volunteering $$ Example

17. Your Company • If you own a business or make decisions: • Good for gaining employees [looks good!] • Good for maintaining employees  • Reputation for the company in the community • How to get your organization to let you: • We’re all here at the conference… • Convey value and meaning to your company • If you can’t?... • Still very possible on your own

18. Questions? Thank you for coming! Please contact me with any questions: kfisher@westmonroepartners.com or admkatfish@gmail.com

19. Backmatter