Case Study: EHS Outsourcing
Endeavour was approached by Micron Technology in 2007 following a round of cutbacks in Micron’s EHS staff to develop a framework to assist with regulatory compliance at Micron’s non-manufacturing sites in the US. While such sites may employ several hundred people, they produce little waste and present little risk of employee injury. In most cases, a facilities manager or human resources contact is responsible for day-to-day issues involving regulatory compliance.
To meet Micron’s needs, Endeavour established a virtual presence on Micron’s intranet, providing contact information for facilities personnel who needed assistance in regulatory compliance. By simply providing a direct e-mail link for services, Micron afforded a level of comfort for facility personnel who now had an identified ?go-to? person for environmental issues. Endeavour reinforced this presence by conducting in-person assessments of EHS conditions at the facilities over a one-year period. Rather than a traditional assessment where specific action items are ?dropped? on facility personnel, Endeavour took on specific action items that could be completed remotely (e.g., development of training materials, locating waste vendors) and provided those solutions directly to the facility.
Endeavour’s outsourcing strategy lends itself to companies without the need for a full-time EHS professional or companies in a transition between staff. Endeavour’s experience base provides cost-effective experience for problems viewed by many on-site personnel as insurmountable.
Endeavour’s work for Micron extends past the outsourcing relationship, which forms a base of familiarity. Working in conjunction with Micron staff, Endeavour can suggest solutions to problems before they become intractable.
Endeavour’s outsourcing is provided at a fraction of the cost of a full-time employee, while providing access at convenient times for facility personnel. Endeavour estimates an annual cost savings of more than $70,000 with the outsourcing solution.