with the PROFESSIONALS I purchased ERC two years ago. Nobody buys a business to keep it exactly the same. The trick is to improve upon what’s been done without ruining what makes it great. Innovation often gets typecast as the “big idea” when, in fact, it’s little cumulative efforts strung together. “Garbage Can” theory says organizations toss out many solutions because they lack appropriate problems. At ERC, we focus on solutions realizing the right problem may not have been uncovered yet. Our entire staff is encouraged to ask questions and to think about what could be – and as leaders we try to remember an “okay” idea today may be the perfect idea tomorrow. This mindset has not only brought about significant changes in operations but also helped us build a stronger culture and a system of open dialogue. We are significantly more efficient than we were two years ago, and the most impactful solutions were ideas that had been tossed before.
How has innovation become engrained in your organization’s culture, and how is it being optimized?
As a contract machine shop, the nature of our work requires daily innovation by our employees. Many of the parts fabricated and machined for our customers are unique parts that are newly designed and are being made for the first time. Competition in our industry requires not only short lead times and impeccable quality, but also attractive pricing. This requires us to look at every part and every job as a new and innovative challenge; to determine how to most efficiently quote, schedule and manufacture to meet our customers’ requirements and exceed our competitors’ offerings. Optimizing these variables is paramount to success. Flexibility and variability in our schedules is a requirement and a challenge; options are reviewed daily by the production team, and innovative solutions are an ongoing necessity to meet and exceed our customers’ expectations.
At MCC, Inc., we have decided that the largest innovation we could possibly make for the future is to increase our investment in our employees, and the future of our employment base. We have worked to develop relationships with high schools, technical schools, Boy Scout troops and groups like the Fox Cities Regional Partnership that we can gain an audience with to show young adults that they can build a great career in an industry that becomes more technology-driven every day. We have also learned that our employees are our best recruiters; which led us to developing a referral program that rewards our employees for assisting in bringing new talented employees to our team at MCC, Inc. What will the road ahead hold? No one really ever knows; however, if you invest in the people that build that road with you, they will travel it with you however winding it is.
Steven F. Baue
Joe Varkoly
Adam Tegelman
President and Owner ERC: Counselors and Consultants
President and CEO Innovative Machining, LLC
Director of Operations MCC, Inc.
Fox Cities Business Fall 2016
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