Meet Jeff and Jan.
Two fictional remediation project managers with similar goals and challenges - but with two very different approaches.
Jeff has been using the same toolset to manage environmental liabilities for the better part of a decade. He's comfortable with the tools he's gotten used to, like Microsoft Excel or his company's ad-hoc system.
Jan also has years of Excel under her belt, and years of resentment due to the many issues with using spreadsheets for remediation management. Jan loves her job, but she does feel like her toolset is stuck in the past.
Let's see how they approach the issue of technology adoption.
It's a Tuesday - and it's coffee o'clock.
Jeff's co-worker from another department remarks on how his team recently got outfitted with an enterprise cloud software platform for project management. He casually mentions how it's saving them time, money and headaches.
Jeff raises an eyebrow - he's considered making a push for a new technology before.
Every time he's looked into it, the same issues keep rearing their head: Cost - The budget has been closely scrutinized over the past few years. Also, is a new SaaS platform really necessary? More of a nice-to-have. Another issue: Time. Deployment is a hassle and diverts resources away from more immediately important tasks. On top of all that, Jeff's looked into some project management platforms - they just don't suit his specific needs as a remediation professional. Surely, it makes sense to stay with the spreadsheets.
Right?
Jan has asked herself the same questions about adopting an information management system. She's seen other departments take their management to the next level by embracing modern toolsets, and she wonders why the environmental liability management team is one of the only departments still using spreadsheets and ad-hoc systems. Refusing to settle for an approach riddled with inefficiencies, Jan finds an SaaS platform designed specifically for remediation and sets out to find if it's a good fit for her company. After a cost-savings assessment, Jan's company takes the leap and begins implementation.
Let's check in on them a year later.
Jeff and his team still spend a lot of time using spreadsheets and ad-hoc systems. Little has changed in terms of portfolio performance. A small, pulsing vein appears on his forehead when yet another version control issue takes up his afternoon. Last month's failed audit doesn't help his temperament, and he's now being questioned by financial and internal auditors about management controls. His invoice and PO approval chains are still moving like molasses. To top it off, he's about to get a stern earful from his boss about getting his reports in on time, ones that *don't* have conflicting information. Jeff is having a tough time.
Meanwhile, Jan’s team is fully set up on a platform built specifically for their needs. Everything from remedial strategy, work scope, desired end points, lifecycle forecasts, and risk reduction over a multi-year horizon is all managed on a single platform as a single version of the truth. Many a useless man-hour and menial task have been eliminated from her department. Countless processes have been optimized, costs have been saved and her company is already seeing significant ROI.
What’s more, Jan has been able to document 15% annual cost savings by reducing costs for project deliverables, reporting costs, work scope management costs and much more. Her consultants, executives, finance and accounting experts all love her, because they are working seamlessly on a shared workscape with visibility that is both more detailed and more accessible. Jan is a remediation hero.
Truth be told, although Jeff and Jan are fictional, they are based off of hundreds of real-life remediation project managers we’ve seen over the years. So many remediation teams are still weighed down with a mass of “acceptable inefficiencies” while others have caught up with the times and have seen the value that a modern software solution tailor-made for remediation can provide.
Does any of this resonate with you? If it does, let's have a non-pushy 15-minute call to see if ENFOS can bring value to your company. We're not talking about doing things a "little" better. ENFOS can totally supercharge the performance of your entire remediation portfolio.
Not ready to chat yet? Check out more on our Solutions page or download our featured whitepaper: The Case For The Enterprise Environmental Liability Management System. Long name, only a 15-minute read. Check it out here:
