Human Capital Management

Industrial Sales & Manufacturing Co. (ISM)

Growing into the Future

In 2009, Industrial Sales & Manufacturing, a contract manufacturing firm headquartered in Erie, PA, asked Decision Associates to help them plan for possible significant growth over the next decade or so. Issues they needed to address included capacity planning, manufacturing capabilities, supply chain management, customer relations, strategic planning, organizational development/design, talent acquisition and talent management.

One of the initial activities was the organizational design element. What does a company like ISM look like at twice our size? Three times? Five times? The first thing we did was examine the current organizational structure. Was it adequate for the current level of business? We also looked at the key positions and, in conjunction with the senior management team, constructed High Performance Models using the Profile XT assessment instrument. This instrument measures a Learning Index comprising Verbal Skill, Verbal Reasoning, Numerical Ability and Numerical Reasoning; a series of Behavioral Traits including energy, manageability, independence, judgment and assertiveness among others; and Occupational Interests. We then assessed each of the current staff members in key roles against these High Performance Models in order to design focused development plans for each.

After the current state was settled, the team of their owners and Decision Associates’ senior consultants constructed scenarios of the future. Tentative structures were developed at each of the growth levels suggested above. Skill sets for the future were identified and plans developed to attract and retain talent that will be needed to achieve growth targets. Organizational Culture Surveys were administered to all the employees to gauge their level of satisfaction with the company and feedback sessions and focus groups were conducted to address some of the concerns. Employee engagement is crucial to separate one’s organization from the competition. ISM is well on the way to enhance productivity and efficiency through the use of tried and true talent acquisition, talent management and employee engagement systems.

According to Charlie Rutkowski at ISM, “We realized that if we wanted to grow, we needed help to ask the right questions and perform a structured approach to put us on a path to where we wanted to go. Decision Associates met our needs and helped us move in the correct direction – growth and prosperity for our Company and all of our Team at ISM.”

Decision Associates also worked with the team of owners to help them develop a Strategic Plan to set the stage for the future. More work needs to be done but the owners have recognized the need to take action now in a proactive sense. They prepare for growth, not react to it. They are well-positioned for the future.

Decision Associates’ Peer Groups

It can be lonely at the top – and even in the middle!

Decision Associates has offered Peer Groups for several years and many area business leaders have benefitted from them. By offering three “stages” of groups (to those who are on track to becoming leaders, those who are already in line to take over a business, and those currently in the roles of President or top management), our participants can hold discussions on any topic of concern. The groups are formed with the person and the company in mind, so that there are no competitors, no suppliers, and no reason not to be frank. The sessions are confidential and highly praised by our clients and friends.

As one participant of our LIRT group, Matt Wilson of Deist Industries, has said, “Being part of a peer group at Decision Associates is a unique opportunity for a business owner. Rarely, if ever, do you have the opportunity to talk candidly about your business. This type of setting allows for those opportunities and fosters healthy business development/management discussions and leads to the creation of friendships that extent beyond the peer group setting.” For Matt, the culmination was the day he purchased the company!

John Weber of Smith Provision has been a member of our Owner’s group and has said that the members have been instrumental in assisting with several tough decisions at Smith. In his words, “With a group of professionals handpicked by Decision Associates, contributing the results of their collective business experiences, I feel comfortable knowing that the people were chosen for a reason and are willing to share their lessons; they are in the group because they are knowledgeable, trustworthy and are in a position to give an outside perspective that is both valuable and based on the real world.”

Casey Bowes of Finish Thompson is a “graduate” of the LIRT peer group and contributed many great stories, helpful hints and comments to his colleagues. He commented: “The peer group provided me an opportunity to meet with an assembly of people facing similar personal and business challenges. This type of group would have been challenging to put together without the aid of Decision Associates, whose experienced moderators brought invaluable structure, guidance and thought provocation.”

Whether the topic in a Decision Associates Peer Group is an accounting, marketing or sales questions to solve, each in the group has sage advice for the others. They have been there, done that and are willing to share the steps in resolving the issues. This is real life at work and those who are lonely at the top, or in the middle, can count on their peers to share opinions toward success.