Kirkpatrick & Associates helps align end user needs with outsourced service provider capabilities through facilitated workshops. These workshops explore questions like geographic coverage, specialty vs. proprietary skills, and risk sharing to develop win-win service arrangements. Steve Sussman, an experienced consultant, facilitates the workshops using his background managing outsourced services and conducting over 25 workshops on topics like project management and process plant startups. The workshops produce action plans to implement recommendations for improved alignment.

1. Kirkpatrick
&
Associates,
Inc.
Service Excellence Through End User Alignment
Opportunity: Manufacturing, Energy and Process organizations are all under pressure
to improve productivity while reducing fixed and variable cost. This has lead to
increased outsourcing of services especially IT and maintenance. While this has been
successful, there are many disappointments from both the supplier and the end user.
Success requires ALIGNMENT between end user expectations and the services that
can realistically be provided by contractors or suppliers. Each case is different. For
example, does the supplier have multiple clients in the same geographic area; in that
case sharing of key resources will reduce overhead while increasing productivity. What
percentage of the work needs specialty skills offered by the supplier vs. proprietary
process knowledge unique to the end user? Exploring these alignment questions before
contracts are signed will guarantee a productive win-win arrangement for both sides.
Offer: Our practice has experience in technical and maintenance service contracting
and in workshop facilitation. We understand the nuances important to the client and
where the supplier can offer a realistic advantage. Risk evaluation is a key concern.
Methodology: As shown in the example below, we help ALIGN end user strategic
business needs with the realistic scope of supply offered by the contactor or supplier.
This is best done in a workshop format. While we facilitate and draw information and
ideas from both parties, we also draw on our own experience base and provide real
examples to illustrate key points. Participants are left with action plans to help
implement the agreed upon recommendations.
Reliability
Availability
Type of Contract
Safe Operations
Risk Sharing Reduced Labor Cost
IV Other Considerations
Union or Non Union I
Customer Reduced Fixed Overhead
Needs
Reduced Parts Inventory
Competitor Trends
Emergency Service
Skill Outsourcing
Service Excellence Alignment Engineering
Equipment Leasing
Equipment Know-how
Supplier Held Parts Inventory Opportunities
III Supplier
to Explore II
Capability Parts Supply
Shared Shop Services
Financing
Full Scope Services
Economies of Scale
For
a
no
cost
preliminary
evaluation/discussion
contact:
Steve
Sussman
Principal
Associate
(732)
763-­‐0784
ssussman@kaconsulting.com

2. About
Steve
Sussman:
Steve
Sussman
has
held
numerous
service
and
engineering
senior
management
positions
for
KBC
Advanced
Technology,
General
Physics
Corporation,
ABB
Ltd,
ABB
Automation,
Combustion
Engineering
and
Lummus
Global.
He
has
both
service
outsourcing
and
management
experience
as
well
as
facilitation
experience.
Some
relevant
examples
follow:
• Services
Management:
Senior
executive
for
ABB
Operations
and
Maintenance
Service
Company
providing
full
scope
services
including
contract
engineering,
operations
and
maintenance
for
oil
refineries,
process
plants,
specialty
chemical
facilities,
power
generating
plants,
military
bases
and
department
of
energy
programs.
Managed
Startup
services
department
for
Lummus
Global
• Project
Management:
Selected
by
the
ABB
CEO
to
lead
project
management
improvement
initiatives.
Established
the
ABB
Project
Risk
Review
Process.
Conducted
work-­‐shops
for
all
country
and
business
unit
managers
to
improve
project
profit
while
reducing
risk.
Project
Manager
for
numerous
oil
refining,
petrochemical
and
alternate
energy
projects
for
commercial
and
government
projects
in
the
Americas
and
globally.
• Automation:
Senior
executive
for
numerous
ABB
Automation
businesses
focusing
on
productivity
solutions
including
planning,
scheduling,
optimization
and
simulation.
Sold
and
managed
solutions
for
Saudi
Aramco,
PdVSA,
CITGO,
Sinopec,
Petrobras,
JEC,
etc.
Lead
software
development
of
graphical
modeling
tools.
Also
served
refining
industry
in
a
similar
capacity
as
President
of
Kesler
Engineering
and
Business
Development
Executive
for
KBC
Advanced
Technologies.
Served
Power
Generation
Market
as
Business
Unit
Head
for
General
Physics
for
Energy
Optimization.
• Human
Performance:
Group
Vice
President
for
ABB
Training
and
e-­‐learning
global
business
unit.
Responsible
for
improving
customer
and
internal
training
and
aligning
the
scope
of
supply
with
the
organizational
needs.
• Facilitated
workshops
in
2007
to
2009
for
KBC
Advanced
Technologies
aligning
process
company
strategic
needs
to
the
organizational
Roles
and
Responsibilities
of
key
positions.
These
roles
were
then
aligned
with
the
knowledge;
skills
and
attributes
required
leading
to
design
of
targeted
training.
Developed
new
cross-­‐functional
work
processes
to
improve
organizational
alignment.
Also
served
as
Business
Development
Director
covering
Americas
Refinery
market.
• Facilitated
over
25
global
workshops
on
successful
process
plant
startup
in
the
1980’s.
Over
500
senior
managers
for
international
upstream
and
downstream
companies
including
Exxon,
Aramco,
PdVSA,
Statoil,
Petrobras,
attended
these
workshops.