Government/Industry Forum on Capital Facilities and Core Competencies Summary Report (1998) / Chapter Skim
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4 Corporate Owners' Perspectives on Capital Facilities Engineering Functions and Core Competencies
4 Corporate Owners' Perspectives on Capital Facilities Engineering Functions and Core Competencies
Pages 15-25
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From page 15... ...
In reorganizing its functions, WFG began with the premise that core competencies: are skills and services the organization retains or performs to ensure its survival; the skills/services they are particularly good at are core competencies do not deteriorate over time - they are enhanced; are the glue that binds the business; transcend organizational boundaries; are built through a process of continuous improvement; once lost are very difficult to regain; and are what you need to be good at. WFG's vision is to be "recognized as a premier integrated facilities support organization providing a full range of services to General Motors plants and facilities on a global basis." WFG settled on providing four primary services to the company: facilities management, utility services, environmental services, 15
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From page 16... ...
WFG handles from 5 to 6 million square feet in this area. Thus, in facilities management, WFG's core competencies are: Utilities Services management of building services; development and management of building asset programs; decommissioning or disposal of closed plants; and management of labor issues.
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From page 17... ...
In addition, consolidation permits WFG to develop cross-functional teams to meet customer requirements. In summary, for capital projects, WFG's core competencies are: · delivering new facilities; · interfacing on regulation and legislation that have an impact on the construction business; and · providing corporate technical expertise (architectural, structural, mechanical, civil, electrical)
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From page 18... ...
Up-Front Planning and Customer Contact fUNCTIOH ~ _ FAaUTIES ' FUNC1lON 1 ~" 1 ~ I ~IJ SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT am antic , · 1 sat jlP~ FIGURE 1 Project manager's responsibilities in advance planning and customer service. The role of WFG, then, is to deliver those services in the most costeffective way possible; to develop strategies to service the customer, now and in the future; to reach and maintain a leadership position; to push some corporate initiatives; and to manage services through either in-house or outside providers.
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From page 19... ...
Helping to create these benefits have been program savings achieved by leveraging GM's size to reduce structural costs; project savings accrued through a common approach to future projects based on lessons learned from feedback; and continuous improvements of existing operations. Long-Term Benefits Long-term benefits lie not just in price and performance but in adding value and strategic advantage to customers who might not immediately recognize them.
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From page 20... ...
Those at WFG believe that if it is going to be active in the year 2005, it must be able to add value in the area of strategic facilities planning. A great deal of time is spent in such planning, trying to understand where facilities should be located, what they should look like, and what incentive programs are available to support the effort.
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From page 21... ...
The petroleum products division handled detailed design in-house, with some 50 draftsmen supporting the effort. It trained staff by getting them involved in detailed engineering and design on capital projects.
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From page 22... ...
Although this process met with resistance at first, through training and management support, including support from the Chief Executive Officer, behaviors changed, as did the company culture. Under this process, at the conclusion of each stage, the team documents its work and frames decisions in a Decision Support Package (DSP)
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From page 23... ...
The process can be applied at a macrolevel such as moving Dom an exploration discovery in He Appraise stage to the asset being produced in Be Execute stage and products marketed in the Operate stage. It can also be applied at a microlevel, for instance, in the actual drilling of the exploration well, the acquisition of a seismic survey, or the evaluation of a prospect.
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From page 24... ...
An assessment was conducted of the competencies the successful employees had. Based on profiles of 50 top engineers, project managers, project engineers, team leaders, and technical specialists, a group of competencies were identified for all individuals.
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From page 25... ...
These positions are filled by senior project directors who are heavily involved in coaching, mentoring, and teaching project managers during the project stages. WEC also learned that in addition to a vision statement, engineers need signposts and measures, that is, quantifiable areas to help show that progress is being made.
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