Waste Management Inc. has been named winner of the prestigious CIO 100 Award from IDG's CIO magazine for the third consecutive year. The 2003 CIO 100 Award honors the top 100 companies that excel in a particular aspect of business and exemplify organizational excellence.
This year, the theme of the CIO 100 award is resourcefulness - the best of the best in generating greater value with more limited IT resources in a tough economic climate.
"This year's CIO 100 award recipients are being honored because their companies have demonstrated resourceful use of IT systems, staff and budgets," said Abbie Lundberg, Editor-in-Chief, CIO magazine. "Maximizing return on investment is a priority when times are tight, and these companies excel in generating greater value from limited resources."
Waste Management demonstrated its resourcefulness in the areas of hardware and software procurement, consolidation of IT equipment, distance learning/Web-based training, and selective outsourcing of IT services.
"We have always been focused on aligning our IT initiatives with our business strategies and our operating environment," said Thomas Smith, Senior Vice President, Information Technology and Chief Information Officer for Waste Management Inc. "The Company's current cost-cutting efforts have also extended to IT initiatives and programs. For example, in the past year, Waste Management has moved away from the costly model of 100 percent instructor-lead training courses and deployed a distance learning program. As a result, the Company's training costs per unit have been reduced by 50 percent."
Smith also noted that in 2002, Waste Management implemented a just-in-time method that places orders for hardware and software as close to the implementation timeframe as possible. The Company also frequently uses lower cost, re-certified equipment when allocating hardware.
Other examples of resourcefulness include the Company's consolidation of its legacy AS400s. The consolidation was completed in 2002 and resulted in the elimination of 375 processors that were distributed throughout the Company.
On the labor side, Waste Management's IT group established relationships with suppliers to provide part-time contractors for cyclical services and peaks on IT projects. "We have a strategy to hire for the valleys and outsource for the peaks," said Smith.