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Collier & Associates brand mark featuring the core services: Business Transformation; Enterprise Systems; AI-Enabled Execution.

Steam Turbine & Generator Repair Division — Global 500 Industrial Manufacturer · Interim CIO, 3+ Years (Core Transformation ~18 Months)

Client Challenge

A 20-year history of poor planning, reactive execution, and unprofitability — EBITDA at −20%.

  • Functions operated in silos: engineering estimated in isolation, the shop floor executed without project visibility, and supply chain sourced globally on 18-month lead times

  • Daily 45-minute planning meetings with 30+ staff were required just to set priorities; no integrated operating philosophy across Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, or Project Management

  • Leadership lacked timely, trustworthy data and could not measure the cost or profitability of jobs, products, or customer segments

  • A hostile workforce: key directors, managers, and shop supervisors had run the plant their way for 20 years

Client Solution

Interim CIO and transformation lead over 3+ years; 25+ person matrix team of developers and engineers.

  • Operating Model: Architected, socialized, and sold a radical future-state Estimating-to-Cash (ETC) operating model to executive management — org structure, roles, decision rights, and cross-functional processes

  • Governance and Education: Stood up the Project Management Office and a training classroom; a comprehensive education curriculum consumed ~30% of project time to secure post-transformation continuity

  • BAS™ Solution: Deployed for the Engineer-to-Order and PLM end-to-end processes, with Complexity Lean Value Stream Mapping, Gemba Walks, and Kaizen Blitz events with management

  • Systems: Reconfigured a decade-old JD Edwards implementation to run the new processes; integrated 5+ COTS and bespoke solutions with the Oracle database; re-documented ISO specifications in scope

  • Politics: Navigated the relationship between the service plants and US-based IT Shared Services, persuading leaders to support the change while educating an openly hostile workforce

Client Impact Results

  • Financial Transformation: EBITDA from −20% to +10%

  • Manufacturing Excellence: Cycle times from 8+ months to under 3 months

  • Estimating: Job estimating from 2–3 weeks to under 4 hours, with increased accuracy

  • Project Visibility: Status reporting from 1+ week at 50% accuracy to under 1 day at 98% accuracy

  • Quality: Shop floor rework reduced by over 75%; quality issues reduced 90%

  • Supply Chain: Global sourcing of forged steel from 18+ months to under 4 months

  • Planning: Daily 45-minute planning meetings with 30+ staff eliminated

  • Work-Life Balance: Shop personnel took Thanksgiving and Christmas off during the busy season for the first time in 20 years

  • Replication: Operating model replicated to two additional divisions — Blade Manufacturing and the Gas Turbine Casing plant

Client Technologies

  • JD Edwards World 7.3 (Financials, Distribution, Manufacturing, Forecasting, Inventory with lot-controlled generic items, Receipts Routing, PDM, BOMs, Routing Standards, Standard/Average Costing, Manufacturing Accounting with Job Cost integration, Shop Floor Control, MRP)

  • Oracle Database integration of 5+ COTS and bespoke applications

  • BAS™ Solution · Estimating-to-Cash (ETC) methodology · Complexity Lean Value Stream Mapping · BPR

  • Bi-directional JDE ↔ Microsoft Project Server interface (architected; built by a developer hired and directed for the purpose)

  • Management-by-exception operational reporting system; shop floor capacity-planning application

  • DSI barcoding · ISO re-documentation · PMO stand-up · Gemba Walks and Kaizen Blitz

Before working with Collier & Associates there weren’t clear operating philosophies or an integrated system available to support them. Critical manufacturing processes concepts weren’t well understood, and the organization was loosely defined. Andy Collier led the design of the system, actively helped with the cultural change, educated many key individuals on manufacturing and system concepts, and led the effort of testing and implementing our new system. Especially noteworthy is how savvy Andy was in accomplishing this while not being a direct employee or theoretically having any authority. Andy is the best business and IT consultant I’ve ever met.

Jeff Allen, Plant VP ~ Alstom Power, Turbine & Generator Repair Division

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