As part of McKinsey Implementation, I have the pleasure of working hand in hand with my clients as they work through tough changes. We work together to solve problems that help make their jobs more efficient and impactful. At a recent engagement, I worked with a major food manufacturing client on reducing buying time from suppliers by 50% in order to become agile in the market. To trial this process, I worked alongside a buyer as we worked through each new step together.
We had weekly sessions where I helped him problem solve through roadblocks, incorporate learnings into the process, and coached him on how to onboard fellow employees through this major change. One of the biggest roadblocks the buyer voiced was the frustration of coordinating the large team required to approve new food suppliers. Our team used this feedback to build a project management tool that reduced the administrative tasks required from the buyer and acted as a centralized database for all documents. By the end of the trial, this tool allowed him to spend less time on project management and helping him eventually capture his target savings within the project timeline.
Throughout the entire process, we celebrated every small win together and made sure that he was tied to each and every victory. The trial ended up being a success and led to a company–wide rollout that now allows procurement to capture savings quicker and greatly improves transparency and accountability amongst the entire team.
Another victory was learning that my client’s effort payed off in the form of a promotion. I love that McKinsey allowed me to achieve financial impact for an entire corporation while also improving the career of an individual employee.
About Kelsey:
Kelsey is a senior implementation coach based in Atlanta. Prior to the firm, she worked as a mechanical engineer at Air Products & Chemicals in maintenance and project management roles at industrial gas plants. Outside of work, she loves staying active by practicing hot yoga, Orange Theory or walking on the Atlanta beltline. She also enjoys planning at least one international trip a year…next stop South Africa!