Case Studies

Case Study #1

A network of churches in Seattle’s North End had a dilemma: membership was declining, volunteers weren’t being used efficiently, and the number of hours employees were working wasn’t satisfactory to either the churches or their staff. YJC was part of a consulting team that performed an operational assessment. After conducting more than twenty interviews with stakeholders from the churches, we determined that the most savings and efficiencies could be realized by contracting with a property manager to handle all the facilities issues related to running the physical buildings owned by the churches.

The assessment was completed in approximately three months, and we presented our findings grouped into functional areas including communications, finances, IT operations, and office management. High-level recommendations were as follows:

  • Contract with a single point person or management company for all facilities-based issues (space rental, tenant negotiations, custodial and maintenance needs)
  • Appoint one full-time employee to perform communications and some bookkeeping functions
  • Share a single copier

We estimated that the monetary savings would vary due to the current staffing in place at each church, but would significantly free up volunteers to work more on mission-centric and ecumenical pursuits.

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Case Study #2

A manufacturing firm in South Seattle had grown exponentially, organically, and was experiencing growing pains. When YJC began work with them, no administrative procedures existed – there were not many outside of the manufacturing production process itself. YJC led a triage process, tackling first an office organization, followed by strategic planning for growth and storage in order to accommodate production levels needed for the upcoming holiday rush.

When creating the office procedures, we developed a more robust CRM protocol and integrated it with the accounting software already in use. When we reviewed the company’s accounts, we identified more than $40,000 in bad debt which was then recovered. We developed procedures that were scalable and continue to be practiced even as the company has grown.

On the production side, strategic planning allowed the holiday rush to be integrated into the workflow from the beginning of the year through the ship dates in third quarter. This involved securing an entirely new freezer facility, which YJC project managed from needs identification through installation.

Case Study #3

When YJC undertook this assignment, they found a solo professional deeply committed to his craft, but relying on occasional grudging inspiration to do the business work necessary to running a business. His rates were chosen seemingly at random, and he didn’t project enough value to keep a pipeline filled. Through counseling, discovery, and buckling down to get the work done, procedures were developed that would allow him to continue his work while the business ran in the background.

Not everything that was tried was a success; but everything was a learning experience. The relationship that we had extended over five years. Over our partnership, revenue increased for this solo pro from about $24,000 a year up to more than $200,000.