Employee-owned transportation and logistics company engages Vaco to help execute a comprehensive IT assessment

The problem

Facing communication challenges between the technology department and other critical lines of business, an employee-owned transportation and logistics company sought help reviewing its existing vendor contracts and IT infrastructure. Recognizing that approximately 75 reports were underutilized and minimally leveraged, the objective was to optimize Power BI capabilities, modernize reporting formats, and ensure a strong alignment with critical business goals. This would ultimately provide a more robust and actionable data-driven approach.

The solution

Leveraging an existing relationship with the CFO, Vaco collaborated with the company and engaged a team of IT professionals to execute a comprehensive IT assessment. The team quickly built a rapport by interviewing the executive, FP&A and IT teams, while also facilitating weekly cross-functional check-ins and ongoing discussions with IT personnel.

Additionally, we executed an infrastructure review of the company’s Microsoft Power BI reporting processes, employee onboarding experience, policy documentation practices and existing vendor contracts and agreements. Data was gathered and analyzed, with recommendations presented to the executive team. Suggestions included reducing Power BI reports by 93%, streamlining them into just a few clickable links and aligning with organizational KPIs. Additionally, the recommendations included implementing a Center of Excellence Office to standardize processes and ensure continuous improvement across teams.

Our impact

The assessment conducted by Vaco’s IT resources provided transparency into current and expiring vendor contracts and terms, uncovering cost-saving opportunities for the client. Internal mentorship and coaching opportunities for existing employees were prioritized as a recommendation, focusing on identifying clear roles and responsibilities and promoting from within. The findings and suggestions shared with the Executive Board resulted in Vaco’s resources continued engagement to support the next phase, including:

• Power BI reporting cleanup
• Center of Excellence implementation
• IT project management
• IT management coaching and mentorship