Our Work.

A major credit card company engaged Emerson to help their leadership group create a positive and inclusive work environment. We developed a workshop for executives.

At the end of the workshop, the participants were able to provide real-life examples showing how diverse cultural perspectives can cause workplace misunderstandings, describe how culture impacts work behavior, identify how improved communication skills across diverse teams increase productivity, and list solutions to create a more inclusive and affirming work environment.

A major oil and gas company was reviewing its terminal stock control function, including operators’ ability to comply with Global Standards and handle SAP. They needed help determining the headcount required to support operations.

Emerson provided the resource planning tools and support to create the terminal vs. headquarter operating plan.

A large U.S. government agency had redesigned business processes as part of a comprehensive IT implementation: the Virtual Case File project. They needed their employees to use the new processes quickly and effectively. Emerson designed and facilitated tactical change management workshops, training 2,000 agents from all 56 field offices in a six-week period.

Participants rated the project highly, stating that it was one of the most effective and best organized implementation efforts in the organization.

A large U.S. government agency needed to make sure their people were sharp enough to face today’s challenges. We helped them develop the Intelligence Career Service. Working with a dedicated group of employees, we helped determine the mission-critical competencies needed for three distinct roles – intelligence analyst, language analyst and surveillance specialist.

We also surveyed the entire intelligence and language analyst workforce to learn first-hand how they could better perform their jobs. In the process, we helped embed the knowledge, skills and abilities vital to the core capability of this world-class agency.

When a large regional bank needed help communicating the effects of their organization redesign, they chose Emerson. We worked with the bank to come up with an innovative way to deliver their message. We built a universally understood message, inspired by one of the favorite pastimes of the south: football.

The result was a company-wide “game plan” that identified what was changing and described how the team would tackle each challenge.

A large gas retailer knows that customers who consistently have a good experience remain loyal to the brand, become repeat customers, and act as brand ambassadors. This leads to increased sales.

Emerson designed a consistent, repeatable onboarding experience for sales associates, store managers and district managers that reinforces the company’s core values. Their new company university consists of web pages, on-the-job activity cards and support guides for managers and peer advisors. Participants use individual learning plans, learning checkpoints and knowledge checks to manage their progress.

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 oil and gas company needed to replace its loss prevention system. The project included teaching and reinforcing the processes and tools necessary to ensure proper loss prevention.

Emerson helped design and develop instructor-led and eLearning courses, as well as train-the-trainer and other implementation support.

Emerson helped a major bank deliver their bi-annual Senior Leadership Forum in a new way. We had supported their previous forum and, months later, we returned to design interactive breakout sessions targeting “priority behaviors” critical to the bank’s desired culture.

Feedback from the president was that the experience was “transformational.” Participants’ responses to the more engaging, interactive and less scripted format were overwhelmingly positive.

Emerson hosted a retreat for a major university’s technology services directors. It was an opportunity for leaders to focus on fiscal year goals and leadership development.

Directors discussed and took ownership of strategic objectives. They also developed consistent messages about objectives to share with technology services employees.

A major online news and social media company is always looking for ways to improve. In 2009 they wanted to kick employee skills up a notch, clarify roles and streamline operations.

Leadership asked Emerson to focus on their key departments: Product Development/Marketing, Product Engineering and Finance.

Together, we built functional, professional and industry capability models, defining specific competencies – over 200 in all. We re-designed roles, built targeted assessments, and determined learning strategies to help people develop their skills and reach the new standards.

The company rolled out the program to its entire global organization.

A large state government organization discovered that an inconsistent on-boarding experience turned enthusiastic new hires into flight risks. They asked Emerson to help them create a consistent and easy program that would span large and small groups at any location.

We designed a new curriculum and partnered with internal experts to develop a blended program, incorporating e-learning, instructor-led sessions and self-directed training. Our client launched the new program, ensuring new employees feel welcome and prepared to succeed.

The human resources department of a major municipal utility district was overworked. Their top human resource executive was charged with implementing dozens of initiatives to ensure the organization had the people power to fuel its business and remain competitive.

We facilitated the development of a strategic HR plan and then helped leadership develop an operating model for HR work across the district. We helped the team determine resource requirements and create an implementation plan.

A year later, their HR executive wrote, “We have a hard time recollecting another consultant that had such a successful impact for us.”

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 nickel a day keeps the doctor away, or something like that.

One of the world’s largest providers of consumer and commercial products needed help communicating the value of thoughtful sourcing practices.

Every year, they were paying more than 10,000 external vendors, many of which were only used only once a year – a costly and inefficient practice. Leadership realized that saving just five cents on every vendor dollar would add up to tremendous savings – savings that could be reinvested in their brands. But to do that, they needed every employee to help.

Emerson came up with a branding idea that all employees could relate to: 5 Ways to Save. By following five easy ways to think about spending on indirect goods and services, the company could reach its goal. We worked with our client to create a campaign to generate awareness across corporate headquarters, its brands and its distribution centers.

Employees embraced the challenge and the company is on its way to big savings, one nickel at a time.

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.