Third and Fourth Quarter 2004
Stratos designed a series of Causal Learning workshops for a large European-based energy company. The workshops were designed to make the results of a major causal analysis investigation accessible to subsequent levels of management in different regions across Europe. The purpose of the workshops was to create a learning environment that would allow managers to understand the causal issues identified in the analysis and then develop their own learning from those causes. This approach allowed managers to identify key actions that would be relevant to their operational areas and that would be truly corrective to the identified technical, organizational, and human system causes discovered in the causal analysis.
Second Quarter 2004
Stratos consultants provided team facilitation and training for a Solution Development team from a major U.S. energy company. The team was charged with developing both technical and organizational solutions to the root causes of a major failure as identified in a causal analysis investigation. The team was able to develop a small number of integrated solutions that address the major technical and organizationally related causal chains. These recommendations were communicated to senior management and subsequently adopted by the organization. The recommendations affected critical operational plans for the company over the next several years.
First Quarter 2004
Stratos consultants were asked to attend the annual Board of Directors meeting for a large international energy company based in the Middle East. At the meeting Stratos presented the results of a Stratos research project designed to project the probable characteristics of the Workforce of the Future. The presentation included specific recommendations for key issues facing the Directors in their long-term strategic planning. Stratos consultants conducted several follow-up sessions with various Directors to discuss and analyze a range of strategy issues and continues to provide individual consulting upon request.
First and Second Quarter 2004
Stratos provided Root Cause Analysis team facilitation and training into the investigation of a multiple fatality at an international energy facility in Europe. In response to guidance from the sponsors of the investigation to identify deeper causes, Stratos consultants helped the investigation team develop and verify a causal analysis chart that was over 100 feet in length and 30 levels deep.
First Quarter 2004
Stratos provided team development support for a multi-company project team charged with completing an instrumentation upgrade across several process plant locations in the United States. The team included representatives from the owner of the plants, a Japanese instrumentation design and construction company, and two U.S.-based engineering and construction companies. The outcome was a more tightly integrated team with improved dialogue and a revised work process that addressed key issues discovered during the team development workshops.
First Quarter 2004
Stratos Consultants assisted an international project engineering group in developing a human systems response to a major organizational change. The project group in the U.S. was being merged with other groups in Europe and the Far East with the objective of creating a standardized approach for current and future projects. The changes had resulted in a number of organizational and personal conflicts. Stratos used a confidential interview/research process to identify the key drivers for these conflicts and then designed a series of workshops to help address the identified issues. The outcome was improved dialogue among the affected personnel, a number of process changes, and a revised path forward for the organization.
Fourth Quarter 2003
Stratos provided Root Cause Analysis team facilitation and training for an investigation into an unexplained completion failure on a large offshore oil well. The causal analysis team included representatives from three large international companies working in the project area. The investigation team was able to successfully identify a previously unrecognized failure mechanism that contributed to the completion failure. The work of the causal analysis team was considered so innovative that a paper on the multi-company team process and findings was approved, written and presented at the 2004 Society of Petroleum Engineers convention.
Third Quarter 2003
Stratos provided Root Cause Analysis team facilitation and training for an investigation into the causes of a fire in a large industrial facility. The fire occurred during the construction of a major facility upgrade. Combining a rigorous causal analysis process with creative data gathering, the investigation team identified previously unrecognized risks in the operations of the industrial facility as well as in the construction management. The identification of these causes provided the basis for improvements to the plant’s operation after start-up as well as the work processes of the construction contractor.
Third Quarter 2003
Stratos, LLC conducted an in-depth operational performance assessment of all four shifts of a centralized pipeline operations center for a large U.S. pipeline company. The center provided oversight and control of pumping stations and pipelines across a large portion of the central United States. The purpose of the assessment was to characterize the working environment, identify human resource and performance issues, and develop recommendations to improve the working environment. Based on the assessment, the company undertook several organizational and operations changes. Follow-up assessments have indicated that the changes had very positive outcomes.
Second and Third Quarter 2003
With the sponsorship of a major international energy company, Stratos LLC completed a 6-month research project designed to identify the trends, forces and drivers that will shape the workplace environment 15 years in the future. Based on an analysis of those trends, Stratos developed a profile of the characteristics and skills a future workforce will need to succeed in that environment. To achieve its research objective Stratos developed a research methodology that started with a series of one-on-one interviews with a number of senior executives in major energy and technology companies. This industry research was combined with one-on-one interviews with academics and researchers from selected universities from around the world. Finally, the personal research was integrated with a review and analysis of all publications within the past 10 years that focused on identified areas. The research data and conclusions were compiled into a report provided to the sponsoring company as well as the participating senior managers and academics.
First Quarter 2003
Stratos conducted an in-depth confidential performance assessment of a leading international supplier of specific types of industrial chemical catalysts. The assessment focused on overall plant performance as affected by technical, operational, and organizational issues. Stratos consultants then facilitated a series of meetings with the company’s senior management to assist them in developing a strategic response to the specific performance issues identified in the assessment.
First Quarter 2003
Stratos consultants worked with an international company operating a global network of on- and offshore drilling platforms to assess their current employee performance measurement and skill development process. The project included developing a timeline that would provide a historical perspective of how their current process had evolved, and developing a confidential employee survey process to provide an internal assessment of the impact of the work process. This information was then combined into a report to senior management with recommendations for an approach to develop future employee skills strategically matched to projected skill requirements.
First Quarter 2003
Stratos consultants completed a team development project for an integrated project team that included a major Japanese construction firm and a large international energy company. The work included an assessment of current project issues with special emphasis on emerging organizational cultural differences. Stratos worked with the project team to deepen internal team understanding and to develop truly integrated work processes for use as the project progresses.
First Quarter 2003
Stratos worked with a team of casual analysis specialists drawn from two different organizations to design and execute a causal learning workshop. The workshop brought together, from both companies, sponsoring managers and causal analysis practitioners working in a range of causal analysis methodologies. The workshop was designed to create a learning environment where managers and practitioners could share their experiences and develop an enhanced understanding of how causal learning occurs within an organization. Special emphasis was placed on identifying and nurturing the potential performance improvement benefits of causal learning efforts.
First Quarter 2003
Stratos consultants facilitated a turnaround readiness workshop for an international manufacturing plant preparing for a major plant turnaround. The turnaround was exceptional in its large size and scope and the integration of extensive new equipment installation project activities into the typical turnaround process. The workshop was designed to surface planning and execution issues from plant personnel, as well as project management and construction contractors. The workshop was conducted very close to the start of the turnaround work and succeeded in identifying and addressing a range of critical issues.
First Quarter 2003
Stratos consultants developed a workshop Leaders Guide for planning and conducting a Procedures Challenge Process for Turnarounds at large continuous-process manufacturing facilities. A Stratos Consultant then co-facilitated a Procedures Challenge Process for an upcoming Turnaround at a large Louisiana facility with the objective of both providing significant cost savings to the turnaround work and developing the skill set of the internal facilitator.
Fourth Quarter 2002
Stratos provided team development and meeting facilitation services to two global information management teams. The teams, composed of members drawn from locations around the world, were charged with developing and managing a global information strategy for a large international corporation. Team members could only meet face-to-face once or twice a year and thus had to function as an effective virtual team. Stratos conducted a confidential Team Assessment of each team, developed an agenda for their annual meeting based on that assessment and facilitated the meetings in Amsterdam and Rotterdam.
Fourth Quarter 2002
Stratos worked with an American Chemical Council team to design case-based interactive workshops focusing on the safe transportation of Ethylene Oxide (EO). Stratos consultants facilitated those workshops at the national meeting of the EO Transportation Safety Conference in New Orleans. The workshops brought together emergency response experts with representatives of chemical plants and rail transport companies in a joint problem solving effort focusing on models drawn from actual emergencies. The workshops received very high marks from the participants at the conference.
Darleen Deans Joins Stratos, LLC as Senior Consultant
HOUSTON, Texas (October 29, 2002) – Darleen Deans joins the staff of Stratos, LLC as a senior consultant bringing 18 years of experience in assisting business and service organizations. She brings to Stratos competencies in knowledge management, strategic planning, ... [ more ]
Fourth Quarter 2002
Stratos worked with the President and Senior Management Team of a large pipeline company to develop a structured decision-making process for use on critical strategic decisions. The development of the process was partly driven by the results of an earlier companywide assessment conducted by Stratos. Stratos consultants facilitated a meeting at their Midwest headquarters in which the team developed a prioritized set of criteria to provide guidance to managers for decisions, both within and outside the structured decision-making process.
Fourth Quarter 2002
Stratos designed and facilitated a team development meeting for a project team charged with developing an effective emissions management program for a combined Chemical Plant and Refinery in Southwestern U.S. The team clarified individual and team roles and responsibilities and developed a strategy to respond to constantly changing economic and environmental scenarios.
Fourth Quarter 2002
Stratos designed and facilitated a Leadership Development workshop for a group of senior managers from two different organizations working together on a large construction project in Texas. Stratos used confidential skills assessment interviews to gather input for the session. In the workshop, participants were provided with feedback on their perceived strengths and weaknesses as leaders over the past several years on their joint project along with suggestions for improvement. They worked as a team to create individual leadership development plans and an organizational leadership strategy for the project.
Stratos' Community Involvement
Stratos was a charter sponsor of the Gingerbread Village annual holiday fundraiser held by The Greenspoint Club to benefit four local charities. Participants were asked to
participate by sponsoring the construction of a "gingerbread house." The
cost of constructing the various buildings ranged from $5,000 down to $500. Once all the buildings were constructed, an entire village, including lakes, mountains, and a ski lift was put together and displayed in the
lobby of The Greenspoint Club throughout the month of December.
Stratos, LLC Chosen to Facilitate IEEE ComSoc Meeting
HOUSTON, Texas (August 13, 2001) – HOUSTON, Texas (August 13, 2001) – The IEEE Communications Society is a community of industry professionals with a common interest in ... [ more ]
Saudi Aramco Selects Stratos, LLC for Research Project
HOUSTON, Texas (December 4, 2000) – Stratos, LLC has been selected by Saudi Aramco Training and Career Development to conduct industry research to identify emerging trends in ... [ more ]