4 Tactics Used to Drive ROI and Save $250,000 at Smurfit Westrock
With a focus on high-impact analytics use cases, learn how Aimpoint Digital leveraged advanced data analytics to streamline processes and help Smurfit Westrock save over $250,000 and 5,000+ hours annually in just eight weeks.
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The Challenge
Smurfit Westrock, a leader in paper-based packaging, needed to integrate advanced analytics into its operations to drive efficiency and ROI.
Aimpoint Digital partnered with LaShell Estes, Director of Self-Service Analytics at Smurfit Westrock, to identify and implement high-impact Alteryx use cases to increase ROI and drive broader engagement across the organization. When asked about the importance of Alteryx at Smurfit Westrock, she replied, "We are creating automation mindsets that change the way we do business, and the foundation of that is Alteryx."
The Self-Service Analytics team wanted to:
- Communicate to Executive Leadership that Alteryx is more than a tool for Finance and it can yield significant benefits for various areas of the business.
- Prove that significant gains could be generated in a short time period.
- Show that these gains have the potential to scale to additional areas of the business.
- Demonstrate the benefits of using Alteryx can go beyond cost savings and generate tangible revenue.
Our Approach
To address the challenge of increasing ROI and driving engagement, the Aimpoint Digital team launched an eight-week "Innovate to Impact" competition.
Five cross-functional teams were given the opportunity to present three use cases for evaluation; the team that generated the highest potential impact on ROI would win a grand prize.
Additional superlatives were awarded, including:
- Greatest Number of Hours & Money Saved
- Exceptional Use of Alteryx
- Highest Potential for Impact
- Greatest Immediate Impact
Aimpoint Digital and Smurfit Westrock implemented four key tactics to ensure the competition was a success:
- Leadership Engagement – We partnered with leaders across Smurfit Westrock and Alteryx to secure executive endorsement and emphasize the strategic importance of the competition. Peter Anderson (CSCO at Smurfit Westrock), Kevin Fink (Director, Enterprise Analytics at Smurfit Westrock), and Steve Brodrick (CTO, Alteryx) joined our panel of judges, and additional executive leaders across the organization joined the showcase to witness the impacts of Alteryx to improve business processes. With both IT and business leadership endorsing these challenges, it demonstrated united support for the value of Alteryx. This level of engagement allowed participants to demonstrate their leadership in innovation and pioneering automation at Smurfit Westrock. This competition was a way to recognize and reward employees while increasing employee engagement and tool adoption.
- Cross-Functional Team Collaboration – Encouraging participants from various departments, including IT, Supply Chain, Finance, Accounting, and Manufacturing, with varying skill levels to work together helped to break down silos and foster a more integrated approach to problem-solving. This approach also cultivated a greater sense of community and the ability to identify opportunities to scale automated solutions. These new connections set the stage for ongoing collaborative projects, paving the way for sustainable innovation away from silos.
- Rapid Prototyping – We provided each team with advanced technical resources to ensure they had the proper support to learn the capabilities of Alteryx and rapidly implement proposed solutions. One team leveraged this competition as an opportunity to resolve an ongoing issue in their department and improve business operations. Overall, the "Innovate to Impact" competition resulted in 12 different business processes harnessing the power of Alteryx to improve efficiency and data integrity.
- Storytelling Tools – Aimpoint Digital provided a clear framework for teams to leverage to communicate their innovative ideas, including the use case background, key business challenges addressed, and the value of the newly proposed automation solution. We encouraged each team to identify additional opportunities for value and ideas to scale their workflow. This framework ensured the value of the new workflow was properly captured and clearly communicated to business leadership, making it easier to broadcast the value driven through this initiative more broadly throughout the organization.
Aimpoint Digital has played a pivotal role in elevating our Self-Service Analytics capabilities, driving tangible results, and fostering a culture of data-driven decision-making across our organization. Their partnership has been instrumental in our success.
Results
Every dollar saved can contribute to a company's bottom line. Smurfit Westrock demonstrated how strategic competition can lead to significant operational efficiencies. By leveraging an innovative approach and optimizing processes, they realized immediate cost savings of $250,000.
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For most companies, time is one of their most valuable resources. Implementing automation can drastically reduce the time spent on routine tasks, allowing employees to focus on higher-value activities. For Smurfit Westrock, embracing automation led to 5,000+ hours saved annually across several departments.
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Recognizing the impact of operational efficiencies, Smurfit Westrock's executives conducted a thorough analysis to explore opportunities for additional savings and value creation. Their conclusion was clear: by scaling these successful initiatives, the company stands to realize millions of dollars in additional savings through continued process improvements and efficiency gains.
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Key Takeaways
Every company can benefit from operational improvements and cost savings, but in some cases, creativity is the key to these achievements.
By focusing on high-impact analytics use cases, the Aimpoint Digital team helped Smurfit Westrock save over $250,000 and 5,000+ hours annually in just eight weeks. This success was driven by a strategic partnership that leveraged advanced data analytics to streamline processes, foster cross-functional collaboration, and enhance decision-making.
Hosting an innovation competition in your organization is an effective way to:
- Quickly identify and capture ROI of your Alteryx investment.
- Discover cross-functional areas of opportunity to scale automation.
- Recognize and reward top talent in your organization.
In a review of the competition, LaShell Estes, Director of Self-Service Analytics at Smurfit Westrock said, "In just eight weeks, our teams were able to save over 5,000 hours and over $250,000 by leveraging the power of Alteryx to save time, money, and generate new insights. We can't wait to see how this scales as we implement these automation solutions throughout the organization. We are excited for the future of automation and process improvement at Smurfit Westrock and look forward to seeing more groundbreaking ideas in future competitions."
Hosting a competition like "Innovate to Impact" is just one strategy the Aimpoint Digital team uses to foster innovation, capture value, and maximize ROI across organizations. Our approach identifies and captures opportunities while amplifying the impact of your analytic investments.
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