Our Work.

One of the best-known retail brands in the world decided it was time to standardize their product creation processes, from design to manufacturing. They turned to Emerson for help.

The Emerson team provided transition management, training and communication strategy, and planning for the Product Lifecycle Management system. We stood up and provided a “war room” for post-go-live support. We developed the entire infrastructure of the change, including end-to-end process mapping, change agent and super-user mobilization, leadership engagement, and a training curriculum for the U.S. and in Asia—all leading to a successful launch.

A major healthcare organization was launching a professional services procurement system that would impact all 28 of its suppliers and potentially touch 5,000 employees. The new technology would replace outdated, non-integrated systems, and inconsistent, manual processes. They asked Emerson to build communication and training for this important new tool.

The focus of our project was to improve understanding, confidence, and usage, while decreasing user dissatisfaction. We then conducted an executive team workshop to craft a message to describe the vision for employees. We developed a manager toolkit that business leaders could share with their teams, the end users. The toolkit addressed challenges and solutions, where to go for help, and upcoming training.

We also developed three role-based support guides focused on the end-to-end process and interactions needed to successfully transact business. We also conducted train-the-trainer sessions for our client’s training team. Leadership was thrilled with the results.

One executive remarked, “This is how change management should be done.”

Emerson worked with one of the country’s biggest clothing retailers define a new HR operating model while improving business processes. We gathered a group of HR representatives and helped them document existing processes. We then held visioning sessions with the larger group of HR stakeholders (50 people) to vet the findings from the subgroup. We worked with stakeholders to refine and agree on the major processes within the new framework.

These processes became the baseline for the new HR organization and a key factor in selecting the optimal HR operating model.

A major international hotel and hospitality company wanted to surpass other premier lifestyle hotel brands. The solution was a rebrand from top to bottom, including updated lobbies, modern rooms, the latest technology and employees who understood the needs of today’s high-end traveler.

It also meant getting employees up to speed on the ways the new brand served its customers.

Emerson partnered with our client’s change professionals to pilot the new program in select hotels. This included new standards for cultural knowledge, style and area expertise. We diagnosed readiness for managers and introduced a peer-to-peer feedback tool for employees.

Walk in to one of their hotels today and you will be met by ambassadors steeped in new behaviors and values that reflect the best this premier brand has to offer.

A major oil and gas company was determined to deliver a consistent tool for shift turnovers during 24/7 operations at their seven wholly owned refineries.

We worked with them to build a five-step process and identify critical behaviors to make this change stick. The solution helped the company achieve clear and concise communication and capture data on shift status, from one operator to another.

A major pharmaceutical company was embarking on an ambitious change: they wanted to provide infrastructure to scale their business, ensure quality across suppliers, create robust processes and deliver with excellence. Part of the solution was implementation of Oracle’s Product Lifecycle Management.

They also knew they needed improved change agility, so they would be ready to exploit the inevitable wave of changes in the coming years. They asked Emerson to help.

We started with assessment, diagnosis, and detailed planning. Leadership worked with us to distill strong change messages; the process got rave reviews from participants. We assessed impacts, then identified and institutionalized new behaviors and habits. We did this for both the transition and the steady state. We used the principles of familiarity, control, and success to make sure the changed behaviors “stuck” with employees.

We also aligned all new processes, behaviors and training with culture, so our client could use the power of its culture to create momentum.

A specialty foods producer wanted to improve their sales process, particularly for their premiere brand. They launched a sexy million-dollar ad campaign that included a variety of pop icons like Levi Johnston, Snooki and Charlie Brown. To gain the success they hoped for, however, they knew they needed an aligned sales team to tell the same story.

They hired Emerson to help.

Before we began our work, the sales team had pushed this brand to their grocery clients by focusing on health benefits and the fact that this company is the biggest grower/supplier of nuts in the world. We reframed their story to be about limited shelf space, small margins and the ROI that would result by adding even just one bin of long-shelf-life pistachios on the floor.

The sales team also leaned toward “wonderful results” as part of their message but, instead, we had them focus on the “squeeze” – the challenge for profit in a tight market.

The result? Our message frame was incorporated into their sales pitch. To ensure continued success, we followed up and with sales training to ensure all future sales pitches were aligned around the common story.

A major clothing retailer decided to reinvent roles for store employees, hoping to realize cost savings through reduced management headcount and more efficient operational processes. After redefining roles for all retail employees — from sales associates to district managers — they needed to train existing and new employees to perform those roles.

Emerson worked with the company’s learning and development team to analyze existing training, design appropriate methodologies for each level, and develop training that was modular, user-friendly and sustainable.

The result was a program comprising four, level-specific programs covering topics from new hire on-boarding to operational processes to leadership skills development.

A major clothing retailer is always trying to create a better shopping experience for its customers. They introduced hand-held mobile point-of-sale devices so associates could meet any customer need, right on the sales floor.

Emerson developed an instructor-led solution that was delivered to employees by HQ staff. The program included a video, a graphic-novel-style learner guide, and realistic in-store scenarios for practice with the new tools.

Our solutions connected with their young workforce and the store team was successful from the very first day.

A pioneer in network storage and data management needed to upgrade its own IT package. Its 4,000-strong sales force needed the latest tools at their fingertips to stay on top of the competition.

Change is always hard – especially for ERP solutions in fast-paced environments. That’s why this NASDQ 100 Company turned to us.

Our work included mapping business processes, developing change leaders, fostering global sponsorship and creating culturally attuned communications – all to prepare those who fuel the company’s sales to use their new tool and retain their competitive edge.

A major wholesale supply company was in the midst of incredible changes. Within the same year, they acquired their major competitor, dissolved their relationship with their former parent company and started deployment of SAP across their business.

They turned to Emerson to lead the SAP change.

Our team helped determine how the organization would be impacted, designed communication and executive sponsorship to mitigate those impacts and created business readiness teams. We also facilitated ongoing dialogue between the project team, the integrator and the business.

We forged a partnership with human resources, IT and other departments — creating a stronger project, surfacing data governance issues and ensuring a series of successful deployments.

In light of economic conditions, a Big 5 professional services firm needed to transform its face-to-face industry conferences to a more cost-effective virtual development experience. The virtual institute aims to equip practitioners to deliver industry insight to clients.

Emerson and the firm created a sustainable, flexible and innovative design that could be used across various industry groups. The design focused on leading-edge learning solutions and tools that will force interactivity and break the mold of “death by PowerPoint” webinars and “click after click” e-learning modules.

The resulting program is a four-week learning experience that accommodates a variety of learning styles by offering synchronous and asynchronous training. It also uses many learning modalities, including virtual classroom sessions, discussion boards, virtual panel discussions, and a client simulation activity. Virtual classroom sessions (one to two hours in length) bring all participants together twice each week in either plenary sessions or in small virtual teams of five to six teammates with the support of a coach.

After nine years of working together and nearly 400 projects, Emerson has become a trusted partner to one of the Big 4 professional services firms. We’ve created a series of in-person learning programs to support their business objectives.

Emerson built a one-day workshop to standardize a common methodology for delivering data security solutions. We developed a week-long program for new hires with a client simulation broken into three tracks: financial statement and internal controls audit, finance operations and controls transformation, and internal audit transformation activities.

We refreshed an identity and access management workshop and a simulation program teaching basic project management skills to new audit managers. Another one of our favorite projects was building a simulation teaching basic project management skills to new audit managers.

When a technology services company wanted to move its sales team from a traditional, transactional approach to a more consultative sales model, they reached out to Emerson.

Although they knew where they were and where they wanted to go, they had been struggling to gain traction. Emerson helped them solidify their vision, identify barriers, and focus on the critical behaviors to bring their vision to life.

We met with the team and conducted interactive workshops to bring together their best thinking and our behavior change expertise. The result was a solid plan and support materials to unify the team toward their vision.

A major oil and gas company launched an enterprise-wide effort to simplify their downstream operations. Their goal was to better equip the organization to execute strategy, focusing on the value chain and the processes that drive results. They asked Emerson to help mobilize employees and management toward this goal.

We launched a sponsorship strategy, employee engagement program and communication plans. We also built web/portal resources and change management training. The guiding principle was that everyone, from leaders to front-line employees, drive the transition to an even nimbler, more powerful organization.

A large child care and early childhood education company had 1,500 centers using an array of client management systems. They wanted to roll out a single company-wide solution to bring their centers up-to-date, recoup lost revenue, all without disrupting operations.

From the beginning, the initiative faced challenges: they had been trying to replace IT systems over ten years and lacked internal change capability. The company had a very loyal and caring culture and we needed to use that energy to help them succeed.

Emerson brought methodology and metrics to the plan. We offered an operating model, readiness assessment and metrics, a define phase for learning, and a learning model and deliverables. We helped build capability in their teams and left a transition toolkit to reinforce process and measure progress.

After an online realty company was acquired, their new executive leadership team identified three challenges: shared priorities, strategic alignment and consistent execution. They asked Emerson to help them create behaviors to meet those three challenges.

We led the CEO, CFO and VP of HR and their teams through transformation working sessions. The sessions yielded a consistent message, an understanding of their internal landscape, and actionable plans to create momentum and change. We also helped the company build a new product development process, PMO, and cascading goal-setting processes.

With our help, the executive team identified their own measures of success: 1) Employees can describe their top three priorities, 2) employees can describe the company strategy, 3) time-to-decision is reduced, 4) Products, Engineering and Sales work toward a common strategy, and 5) the company meets its financial and performance targets.

A large state government organization was struggling to support its internal clients because the team had few change management skills and tools. They asked Emerson for a creative solution.

We started with their custom change model (based on John Kotter’s Eight-Step approach) and developed an instructor-led program, incorporating our best practices in change management.

To fit their needs, the course modules were delivered “just in time” – team members learn a concept or tool when they are ready to use it. Knowledge is tested through case studies, where the project team critiques the learner’s outputs so that every step is a learning opportunity.

The legal department of a major municipal utility district was in the process of implementing Documentum, a document management system that would change internal processes and alleviate the need for paper-based files.

They needed to make sure their employees were prepared to use the system on day one.

Emerson conducted a QA audit, which included critical incident technique, cross-organizational interviews and materials review. The findings and recommendations went to the capital project’s Steering Committee, and were instrumental in helping these executives guide the team through successful implementation.

A major container ship facility faced several challenges during a massive ERP deployment that would impact over 1,000 employees. The already complex project was bookended by tight budgets and accelerated timelines.

In response, Emerson created a “vanilla approach” that eased the client through integrating such a large change. Together, we built a bulletproof business case, reenergized their change team and established a foundation for a successful ERP deployment. Work included creating a viable communication plan, user training program and vendor validation process.

While the organization told us they had “never undertaken a change this large,” it was business as usual at Emerson. Regardless of internal obstacles, we made sure their Oracle ERP implementation was made easy and made possible.