CV Issue 2 2018
CORPORATE VISION / Issue 2 2018 5 NEWS , Infor EAM Mobile helps leading trans- portation provider become paper lean. On the 29th January, leading pro- vider of industry-specific cloud applications, Infor announced the success that FirstGroup America has seen since implementing Infor EAM Mobile. A leading transporta- tion organisation, FirstGroup em- ploys 100,000 people, and carries more than two billion passengers per year on its fleet of 100,000 ve- hicles. FirstGroup’s brands include First Student, North America’s largest school bus company, Grey- hound Lines, and First Transit, one of the biggest private transit man- agers in the United States. In 2015, FirstGroup introduced a new corporate vision of “quality through efficiency”, with the goal of becoming more paper-lean throughout the entire organisa- tion. FirstGroup had been run- ning Infor EAM for 15 years, and decided that it was time to adopt Infor EAM Mobile to manage the company’s operations and achieve more visibility throughout the main- tenance department while elimi- nating unnecessary paper trails. Mobile access to Infor EAM gives maintenance and asset manage- ment professionals the information they need where they need it the most—at the point of performance. Specifically, FirstGroup wanted to share information, and make sure the technicians had everything they needed when they were working on a vehicle in real time. Previously, timeworn processes re- quired technicians to put informa- tion on paper and give it to clerks to type, resulting in a pile of paper work orders that made planning and forecasting difficult. In addi- tion, there were rows of cabinets housing documentation about a piece of equipment, including every inspection, work order, and repair. These documents, on av- erage, had been printed five times, because of state laws and regula- tions requiring paper records. To make matters more complicated, those rules varied from one juris- diction to the next. FirstGroup real- ised it was producing 700 pounds of paper per employee per year – which it was hoping to eliminate by adopting Infor’s mobile solutions. The shift to EAM Mobile began in February 2015 as a pilot project in- volving six shops, 112 technicians, and 57 tablets. Lessons learned from that experience were built into the first official phase of the project, featuring 10 shops, 217 techni- cians, and 110 tablets. In Septem- ber 2015, the company added 32 more shops, outfitting 261 tech- nicians with 223 tablets. The fi- nal phase, in November 2016, added another 73 shops, 314 technicians, and 300 tablets. The company’s first Transit Paperless Shop rollout came to a success- ful conclusion in May 2017. “With Infor, we were able to successfully eliminate paper systems that were deeply entrenched in the business, while simultaneously streamlining operations and adopting lean pro- cesses for the future,” said Todd Hawkins, Senior Vice President of Maintenance, FirstGroup America. “Our customers inspire us, and our organization is thrilled to highlight the success that FirstGroup Amer- ica has realised utilizing Infor’s modern, cloud-based solutions to positively impact daily operations and ultimately do business better,” said Kevin Price, Infor EAM Tech- nical Product Evangelist. “We’re constantly innovating so our cus- tomers can continually excel, grow, and achieve new goals and objec- tives with our solutions.” On the 29th January, international, em- ployee-owned wealth management, capital markets, private equity and asset management firm, Baird announced that is has named John Taft Vice Chairman and a member of its Executive Commit- tee. With more than 35 years of industry experience, Taft will pursue strategic business opportunities across Baird’s platform, focusing his attention initially on collabo- rating with Baird’s Private Wealth Management leadership team to advance key priorities. Taft served as CEO of RBC Wealth Manage- ment, a full-service brokerage firm with nearly 2,000 financial advisors and over $280 billion in assets, for more than 10 years (2005-2016). He is a past chairman of the Securi- ties Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA), where he advocated for responsible financial reform. Most recently, he served in a consulting capacity for Deloitte & Touche. “John is very highly regarded for his industry knowledge and leadership, his tremendous record of success and his ability to make the deep personal connections that are so important in this business,” said Steve Booth, Baird President and Chief Executive Officer. “He will be a wonderful addition to Baird’s senior leadership team, and we could not be prouder that he has chosen to continue his exemplary career at Baird.” “Baird embodies all the things I have cared about throughout my career: a client-focused culture; great people; ethical business practices; and a long history of quality and excellence,” Taft said. “Baird’s independence, employee ownership, diversified business mix and tremendous momentum uniquely position the firm for strong growth. There really is no other firm like Baird in America today, and I am incredibly excited to be a part of it.” Paul E. Purcell, Chairman of Baird, noted, “I’ve known John for many years and have long admired him as a visionary leader. Importantly, he has used his considerable influence to bring about change that has made our industry better.” FirstGroup America Increases Quality and Efficiencywith Infor Purcell added, “We are humbled that John was drawn to Baird’s privately held, employee-owned business model and strong culture, which continues to help us attract top talent across the business.” He noted that Baird continues to make strategic investments to expand its capabilities for clients. Earlier this month, Strategas, an independent private partnership focused on macro research, became a whol- ly-owned Baird company. In recent years, Baird has also broadened its global and international equity offerings through the acquisition of Chautauqua Capital Management, a global investment manager. It continues to add veteran financial advisors and teams to its Private Wealth Management business, which now encompasses approx- imately 860 advisors through 93 locations in 30 states and has client assets of $126 billion. Taft is a frequent public speaker and media contributor, and has authored two books, “Steward- ship: Lessons Learned from the Lost Culture of Wall Street” and “A Force for Good: How Enlightened Finance Can Restore Faith in Capitalism.” Taft’s other past roles include pres- ident and CEO of Voyageur Asset Management; president and CEO of Dougherty Summit Securities; a member of the board of directors of Segall Bryant & Hamill, The Clifton Group and Columbia Threadneedle Funds; and a managing director at Piper, Jaffray & Hopwood. “John is a renowned and inno- vative industry leader,” said Mike Schroeder, President of Baird’s Private Wealth Management group. “We are excited to add his strategic vision and experience to the Baird team, as we continue to grow and evolve our Private Wealth Manage- ment business to best serve our clients’ needs.” Deeply committed to community involvement, inclusion and diversity and many other important issues, Taft credits his family, including his great grandfather, 27th U.S. Presi- dent William Howard Taft, for instill- ing strong core values that shape his definition of business success and belief in the importance of treating all people with dignity.
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