Process Improvement

Pfizer
Streamlined global change management control processes. Coached internal consultants in strategic planning and performance improvement methodologies. Pfizer is the world’s largest research-based pharmaceutical company.

MPI Research
Reduced turnaround time, improved output quality, and streamlined internal process flows using the Process Improvement for Busy Organizations^SM approach. Projects included:

Biochemical research and support functions
Business development
Documentation and record-keeping
Vendor management
Organizational restructuring

MPI Research is considered one of the world's leading providers of comprehensive preclinical research and development services.

Kalamazoo Community Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services
Reduced turnaround time for cross-functional vendor contracting process. This was the agency's first blitz improvement project. KCMHSAS enables individuals to live more meaningful lives.

Battle Creek Youth Orchestra
Increased student enrollment for music education organization. As a result, the Battle Creek Youth Orchestra created additional programs in response to reduced public school arts funding.

Kalamazoo County Government
Line staff was blamed for high backlogs in a $2 million revenue department. Our research found, however, that wrong and missing metrics left a 52% increase in workload virtually undetected. As a result of our analysis, the department reduced backlog by 80%.

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Strategic Planning

Pfizer
Facilitated a full-day planning retreat with international scientists to develop innovative strategies for a global cost-reduction initiative.

Western Michigan University
Enabled the Office of Business and Finance to meet Higher Learning Commission requirements by creating a mission for the Office of Business and Finance and strategic action plans for these business units:

Accounting Services
Auxiliary Enterprises
Business Services
Human Resources
Logistical Services
Public Safety
Staff Labor Relations
WMU Bookstore

Kalamazoo County Government
Conducted strategy review for the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners. Phase 2 of this project mapped county-wide services and performance indicators.

City of Battle Creek
Facilitated city commission planning process for developing organizational goals for the City of Battle Creek.

MRC Industries
Facilitated strategic planning process for multi-program organization. MRC Industries encourages and supports individuals living with a disability to achieve their fullest potential through employment, skill building, and active community involvement.

City of Portage - 2025 Visioning Project
Designed and facilitated a public visioning and goal setting process for the City of Portage, Michigan. Over 130 residents, council members, and staff participated in a series of fast-paced and motivating planning sessions. For this project, Dams & Associates created the proprietary "Visioning Toolkit" which enabled participants to self-facilitate seven workshops simultaneously.

Within two years, the City achieved the implementation of a number of citizen-generated goals.

Catholic Family Services
Conducted board and staff plannning retreats to create high-level visions and goals and program-specific objectives to optimally position the nine-county service organization for Michigan's changing economic environment.

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Teambuilding and Culture Change

Departmental Integration
When Western Michigan University decided to create one of WMU's largest departments, we were asked to facilitate the merger and subsequent integration. Through team-based visioning workshops and management surveys we set the stage for a staff-centered transition. Our subsequent coaching on implementing their visioning strategies allowed staff to hit the ground running and collaborate in a positive forward-looking manner as they shape their new organization.

State-Local Collaboration
We facilitated a process for establishing the nation's first state-operated training and certification system for an empirically validated parent management training program. The challenge was to get representatives from state and local agencies to agree on a system that ensures state-wide sustainable program fidelity and quality while respecting resource restraints of local agencies who were concerned about losing their autonomy. We were able to meet these challenges and create consensus that led to the adoption of statewide guidelines.

Organizational Restructuring
In response to exceptional growth, a mid-western research organization decided to restructure key business units and move them to a prominent satellite location. We supported the management's transition team by planning and guiding fact-finding sessions with researchers and managers from operating units and support functions.

Integration Planning
After almost one year of meetings, jurisdictions in a southeast Michigan county were not able to agree on a shared mission and strategies for system-wide data integration. During the first session facilitated by Dams & Associates, agencies reached consensus on the benefits of system integration, drafted a mission statement, and acknowledged that positive improvements will require agencies to change how they do business. This breakthrough allowed for the rapid development of short-term strategies.

System of Care Planning
Shortly after receiving a six-year nine million dollar federal grant, Kalamazoo Community Mental Health engaged Dams & Associates for implementation planning of a county-wide system of care for children’s services.

We helped the management team gain a clear understanding of the current system, developed a shared vision, and authored key planning documents. We also designed and facilitated public input sessions and strategy workshops for the youth, parent, training, and cultural-competency workgroups. Detailed process maps allowed staff to improve customer service and reduce exposure to potential liabilities.

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