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Addressing the Challenge of IEs Helping Non-ProfitsKate Fisher

Industrial Engineering ConsultantWest Monroe Partners, LLC.Columbus, OHIIE Annual Conference 2014 – Montreal

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

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

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

Pick anything up and “find space” in main facilityScrambling when they faced shortages

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.

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….

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…

Barriers and constraints to getting the 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!

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

Ques

tions

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

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

Challenges faced throughout this process 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…

Similar to the idea of the “triple bottom line”

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

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

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

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

Questions?

Thank you for coming!

Please contact me with any questions:kfisher@westmonroepartners.com

oradmkatfish@gmail.com

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