Avant IMC is a trusted advisor to the infrastructure industry because it provides the management consulting insight to shape strategic direction along with the engineering acumen and planning know-how to solve real-world problems and produce tangible results.
Avant IMC in Action: Mid-Sized Suburban Water Authority
A Pennsylvania suburban water authority was fiscally stable but facing potentially risky changes as it prepared to take over the operations of a neighboring city’s water system. The Authority had been expanding its customer base by 5 to 10 percent per year, with minimal changes to staffing, and was faced with an immediate 50 percent growth, serving an additional 10,000 customers from the city.
Avant IMC evaluated the authority's current operations and made strategic recommendations for re-evaluating their mission, implementing organizational changes, and sharpening management skills. Avant IMC also determined what the authority’s needs would be after the merger - everything from staffing to systems to office space. The firm recommended changes to the organizational structure of the operations, which were all accepted and implemented. These recommendations enabled the organization to position resources and establish a growth plan for the merger with the city water authority.
The result was streamlined operations, improved project management processes, technology responsibility re-alignment, and improved customer service functions. The authority was able to absorb additional operations and personnel for the imminent merger.
Avant IMC in Action: County Solid Waste Management Facility
A Maryland-based solid waste management organization has experienced incredible growth over the 13 years, both in population and in recycling and trash tonnage. During that time, the area experienced an influx of customer demand, resulting in a 65% increase in the amount of tonnage for waste materials.
Avant IMC was initially selected to evaluate the organization’s office space requirements but as the project progressed, the scope of the assessment grew into an organizational and business planning process for a ten to twenty year time frame.
The county’s staggering customer base and growing waste streams became significant focal points for the assessment. Avant IMC interviewed all of the key staff, evaluated all job descriptions, performed an organizational assessment, and developed long term business projections for the county.
The findings resulted in the first-ever business plan justification, emphasizing the need for an improved recycling system to accommodate the surge in population. The results and recommendations confirmed the workflow of the current management and staff and provided added value by matching future business planning with growth projections for the organization.
· Increase parental awareness of career resources and opportunities for shaping their child’s career path. · Advance efforts to raise awareness of college based opportunities for career preparation. · Support efforts to improve literacy and numeracy skills. · Advance greater cooperative partnerships between school districts and stakeholders. · Promote and encourage effective job orientation and retention. · Identify and leverage all funds, resources, and services for program development.
Avant IMC evaluated the viability and success of a major public transportation initiative in south central Pennsylvania. Launched by the local transit authority, the study assessed the feasibility of enhancing the region’s commuter rail and bus system.
The corridor would extend the initial leg of a new regional rail system - which is slated to begin passenger services in 2010. Avant IMC performed preliminary research and stakeholder outreach to determine the economic impact of developing the additional corridor.
Our firm gathered relevant information about regional rail characteristics, options, and needs through individual stakeholder interviews, small focus groups, and group meetings. The feedback assisted in the development of study boundaries for rail and bus options in the corridor and served as framework for research, analyses, and decision making.
The study incorporated research findings in transportation and land use characteristics such as growth, travel demand, and freight movement. With population and employment in south central Pennsylvania increasing, total miles traveled by passenger vehicles are estimated to double by 2025. Local highways and rail infrastructure will also see significant growth, as regional rail freight traffic is expected to increase by 30% and truck travel by 40%. These projections further exemplify the need to invest in the additional corridor. By connecting local businesses with residents in neighboring communities, the regional rail will foster economic growth in south central Pennsylvania.
Avant IMC in Action: Department of Public Works Water-Wastewater Division
Avant IMC developed a feasibility analysis for a business plan for the Water-Wastewater Division of a large southeastern city's Department of Public Works. Our firm utilized its board business acumen and engineering expertise to collect data, establish customer and operations trends, evaluate revenue and cost projections, and recommend the optimal scenarios for a new line of business to the city. The objective of the business plan is to ensure continuity and growth of positive cash flows.
Avant IMC collaborated with managers to gather operations, review business and customer demand models, budget data and trends, define performance outcomes, determine revenue and cost projections for each potential scenario, and calculate feasibility. In addition, Avant IMC evaluated the strategic planning processes, organization policies, and the capacity of the Public Works Department to produce cost-effective recommendations.
Avant IMC in Action: Economic Development Organization
Avant IMC developed two strategic plans for a Pennsylvania workforce investment board: the Youth Council Strategic Plan and the CareerLink Strategic Plan. The assessments focused on knowledge based growth and employee development as drivers of economic opportunities for the region.
Youth Council Strategic Plan
The Youth Council Strategic Plan identifies long term visions and priority goals to increase the awareness of career and educational opportunities among the youth in North Central Pennsylvania. Avant IMC led the Council and its subcommittee through the strategic planning process, which included major stakeholder collaboration.
Among the supporting strategies and action items, this five year plan aims to:
The CareerLink Plan provides overall direction and a focus for short term implementation of a high performing Workforce Development System. With the focus on outcomes, the plan provides a basis for assessing and measuring progress over time.
Some of the top priorities and strategies included:
· Reducing regional unemployment rates through job matching and placement.
· Expanding regional employment opportunities with sustainable wages and a stabilized popluation base.
· Providing enhanced human resources services to effectively reduce employers' costs and provide valued services for companies that currently do not have human resources staff.