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Empowering 500+ Employees with
Process Improvement Skills

Global Investment Firm Streamlines Operations Across 12 Countries

Key Results

Custom Training Program

with global
BPI language

700
Supervisors

managers, and
associates trained

$100+
Million

saved over a 5-year engagement

Self-Sufficient Coaching System

to foster continuous
growth
AdobeStock_259758604

The Opportunity

Enhancing Efficiency in a Dynamic Financial Services Environment

The global investment management firm, founded in 1937, manages over $390 billion in assets. It serves individuals, financial intermediaries, and institutions worldwide, operating in 12 countries with more than 4,800 associates. The company recognized the need for a more consistent and disciplined approach to improving work processes, better-serving clients, and engaging employees.

Facing increasingly volatile financial markets, heightened competition for investor funds, and constantly changing industry regulations, the firm sought to equip its supervisors and managers with skills to streamline work processes effectively. The firm was seeking to create a culture of process improvement across the entire enterprise.

The Solution

Tailored Business Process Improvement Program

To address these challenges, the firm implemented a comprehensive Business Process Improvement (BPI) program. This initiative was designed to equip employees with the necessary skills and tools to identify inefficiencies and implement effective solutions.

Key Components of Success

01. Customized Curriculum

Developed a multi-day “Business Process Improvement” program tailored specifically to the firm’s needs. The curriculum incorporated core Six Sigma, Lean, and Process Management tools and methodologies, focusing on practical application rather than heavy statistical analysis.

Success driver: Alignment with organizational culture and needs

02. Relevant Examples

Incorporated examples from financial services environments, ensuring content was directly applicable to the firm’s operations.

Success driver: Industry-specific, practical learning experiences

03. Integration of Existing Tools

Leveraged the firm’s recent investments in IBM BlueWorks for process mapping and SigmaXL for statistical analysis, ensuring participants could immediately apply learning using familiar tools.

Success driver: Utilization of existing resources and technologies

04. Coaching Support

Provided both on-site and remote coaching to participants, ensuring the application of learned techniques to real-world projects and achieving tangible process improvements.

Success driver: Ongoing support for practical application

05. Culture of Process Improvement

The firm selected a process improvement methodology and built a culture around it. From selecting prioritized projects approved and agreed upon by the Senior Most Leaders on a yearly basis to dedicating a team of 8 full-time resources to train, coach, certify, and drive performance of every single project. Each year, the firm drove 50 projects through the BPM (business process improvement) office.

Success driver: Structured and methodical approach to process improvement

The Results and Impact

Driving Efficiency and Fostering a Culture of
Continuous Improvement

The implementation of the BPI program marked a significant shift in the firm’s operational strategy. By embedding process improvement skills across various levels of the organization, the firm not only enhanced its efficiency but also cultivated a culture of continuous improvement. This cultural shift was crucial in ensuring that process optimization became an integral part of the firm’s DNA, driving long-term success and adaptability.

Widespread Adoption and
Skill Development

Trained over 700 supervisors, managers, and associates across the organization, creating a common “BPI” language and approach to process improvement. This set the stage for cultural change.

Self-Sustaining Improvement Model
 

Certified participants began mentoring others, building a self-sufficient coaching model within the organization. This ensured the sustainability of improvement efforts and fostered knowledge sharing across departments

Expanded Process Improvement Initiatives

The success of the initial program led to the deployment of more advanced training and projects, demonstrating the organization’s commitment to ongoing improvement. Every leader was actively engaged and “fought” to have projects in the top 50. It became a highly sought-after role to be part of the BPM as either a Yellow Belt, Green Belt, or Black Belt.

Significant Financial Impact
 

The “Improvement Office” stopped tracking dollar savings as a win and instead directed the savings directly to functional areas, including both hard and soft savings. The estimated savings over the 5 years amounted to $100+ million.

Operational Improvements and Business Impact

  • Enhanced ability to identify and implement process streamlining opportunities.
  • Improved cross-functional collaboration.
  • Increased employee engagement.
  • Enhanced client service through more efficient internal processes.
  • Improved adaptability to market changes and regulatory requirements.
  • Established a foundation for data-driven decision-making across the organization.

This strategically aligned Business Process Improvement initiative addressed the firm’s initial challenges of inconsistent work processes and the need for enhanced client service in a dynamic financial environment. The tailored, practical approach to process improvement resonated with the organization’s culture and objectives, streamlining operations and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

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Amy Flynn

Managing Director

Amy is the Life Sciences Industry Lead and a Managing Director of alliantConsulting. She has driven global change initiatives for life science companies across Clinical Development, Regulatory Affairs, Quality, Supply Chain, and Medical Affairs and has supported clients with all aspects of Integration and Separation planning and execution.

She is energized by helping companies deliver on their most important strategies and passionate about developing the business acumen and capabilities of her client’s teams. Specializing in large scale transformation, Amy combines a strategic mindset with hands on execution and attention to detail to help clients realize and sustain the intended value of their efforts.

History of Proven Success

Amy has driven transformational change initiatives for life science companies across Clinical Development, Regulatory Affairs, Quality, Supply Chain, and Medical Affairs and has supported clients with all aspects of Integration and Separation planning and execution. She is energized by helping companies deliver on their most important strategies while expanding the experience and capabilities of her client’s teams.

Amy has directed major transformation projects for:

Chris Unruh

Managing Director of ERP and Business Applications

Chris Unruh brings over 25 years of experience in technology transformation and consulting to his role as Managing Director of ERP and Business Applications at alliant. His extensive background in leadership development, talent management, and business strategy enables him to drive results-oriented solutions. Chris’s expertise spans operational transformation, practice development, market-making, and technology program management. With leadership roles at Grant Thornton and MarketSphere Consulting, as well as experience as an independent executive advisor, Chris employs a business-first approach. By leveraging technology as a key enabler, he consistently delivers tangible results for clients across various industries.

History of Proven Success

A serial entrepreneur, Chris founded a successful management consulting practice that was later acquired by Grant Thornton. As the Managing Principal of Product Automation at Grant Thornton, Chris helped develop over 200 internal and client-facing automation products and was recognized for his ability to lead integrations, acquisitions, and technological implementations.

Chris has directed major transformation projects for:

Chris Stephenson

alliantDigital Managing Director: Intelligent Automation and Al

Chris Stephenson is the Managing Director of Intelligent Automation, Al & Digital Services at alliantDigital. Chris has a 25 year history in tech consulting and developing emerging technology solutions for nearly every sector. As a leader in the Al space, Chris has already delivered on multiple internal and client-facing Al products.

History of Proven Success

A serial entrepreneur, Chris founded a successful management consulting practice that was later acquired by Grant Thornton. As the Managing Principal of Product Automation at Grant Thornton, Chris helped develop over 200 internal and client-facing automation products and was recognized for his ability to lead integrations, acquisitions, and technological implementations.

Chris has directed major transformation projects for:

Sondra Leibner

alliantConsulting Managing Director: Transformational Leader and Strategic Visionary

Sondra is an executive level consultant who doesn’t just support leaders but revolutionizes their strategy development, leadership alignment, change management, culture design, and talent development. When you meet Sondra, you will feel the depth of her experience and her understanding that your challenges, culture and circumstances are unique. She will bring flexible, creative and pragmatic approaches to create truly customized and workable solutions. Sondra’s ability to communicate complex messages in simple and memorable ways enhances her ability to achieve unprecedented levels of engagement and adoption. When you begin working together you will be excited about your next meeting.

History of Proven Success

Sondra offers comprehensive services to help business leaders maximize stakeholder value and drive organizational success. She works with teams to craft visions, align leadership, manage changes, and build effective cultures that foster growth and innovation. By focusing on key areas such as communication, collaboration, clarity, and accountability, Sondra helps organizations improve profitability, increase engagement, and realize long-term value.

Leadership Alignment

Leadership teams that are aligned are able to drive business success more effectively. Communication, collaboration, clarity and accountability are the foundations for successful leadership teams. Sondra works to align teams behind your desired destination with the objective of increased engagement, buy in, visible support and clarity of goals to drive success and value realization.

Change Management

It is possible to engage large groups of people and motivate them to do things differently and decrease disruption when thoughtful change management practices are deployed. Change Management requires clarity of purpose, leadership alignment, sponsor leadership, engagement, simple and targeted messaging, crisis and risk management and many others. Sondra will work to develop and execute a scalable approach to manage the people side of change through assessing impacts, readiness and educational needs of stakeholders.

Culture Design

The success or failure of an organization is driven by leadership and culture. Actively taking steps toward building your culture means focusing on the alignment of your leadership, values and behaviors. Sondra will assess current state behaviors, beliefs, norms and structures of your organization to identify similarities and differences inherent in the culture and subcultures and together we will create a roadmap to increase engagement to realize the intended culture.

Talent Development

Customized talent strategies that resonate with your vision, values, and culture are Sondra’s forte, empowering your team to excel and drive the company’s strategic objectives.

Sondra has directed major transformation projects for:

Joy Taylor

alliantConsulting Managing Director:
A Visionary Leader and Proven Change Management Expert

Joy Taylor isn’t just a consultant; she’s a force of nature in the world of business transformation. With over twenty-five years of cross-functional experience, Joy applied her expertise in program transformations, project leadership, strategy and execution, team facilitation, change management, communication, and Lean Sigma to everything from startups to multibillion-dollar enterprises. Her impressive track record speaks volumes, but her accolades and career milestones set her apart as a critical advisor for CEOs.

Award-Winning Leadership and Proven Success

As National Managing Principal at Grant Thornton, Joy demonstrated her unparalleled ability to steer complex, global programs and initiatives. Her tenure as CEO of a $60 million business underscores her credibility and reliability as a peer for other CEOs seeking strategic guidance and impactful change management.

Joy’s career is also studded with achievements including:

Brava! Award,

EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women Class of 2013 member, and a

2022 Life Sciences Voice Top Industry Leader Award.

Award-Winning Leadership and Proven Success

Joy's career is studded with achievements including a Brava! Award, EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women Class of 2013 member, and a 2022 Life Sciences Voice Top Industry Leader Award. As National Managing Principal at Grant Thornton, she demonstrated her unparalleled ability to steer complex, global programs and initiatives. Her tenure as CEO of a $60 million business underscores her credibility and reliability as a peer for other CEOs seeking strategic guidance and impactful change management.

Master of Complex Transformations

Joy's unique talent lies in her ability to manage intricate, large-scale programs that span continents and cultures. She has a proven ability to manage complex, global programs and initiatives, drive process and productivity improvement efforts and lead change in a fast-paced environment.

A Visionary with Tactical Precision

Joy is not just a big thinker; she's a visionary who can translate high-level strategies into actionable goals that people are eager to achieve. Her ability to collaborate with leaders to shape vision and strategy is matched by her meticulous attention to the necessary steps and tactics required to bring those visions to life. She aligns people, process and technology to deliver results that are truly exceptional.

Joy has directed major transformation projects for: