Thursday, May 19, 2011
Whose Job it is to Save Millions?
As I listen daily to the challenges of telecom executives around the globe, I can’t help but wonder who in the organization ultimately owns the responsibility or “problem” of driving the sort of measurable change that can reduce waste and save millions?
For starters, there are the sustainability teams, yet many of these continue to function in silos apart from core operating teams making change difficult, if not impossible. There’s finance, but the natural predisposition is to move assets out of the business as they come out of service, regardless of their quality, condition or ability to service internal needs. Then there are the supply chain/procurement people who work so diligently to source lowest cost solutions, yet have no mechanism for sourcing within their own excess before heading out to the open market and repair partners for the best price.
By seeking “change” I don’t mean disruptive processes, systems or restructuring, I’m merely talking about a new way of thinking – the thought that you could employ your own excess and decommissioned inventories for the purpose of instantly fulfilling internal equipment demands, if only you had an easy way to load it, see it and “socialize” it across the organization. Automating the relationship between supply and demand lists through services like Re:, for example, supply teams can easily refactor the most critical material back into the service chain as replacements and spares (instead of buying new), finance can resell marketable items no longer needed at greater than scrap value, and the sustainability folks can rest assured that the company is doing everything possible to reduce waste.
So whose job is it? You could say everybody, but in the end it’s the executive who wants to save millions, reduce risk and achieve results without disrupting the business. Could that be you?
