Harsco Drives Strategy Execution Across Multiple Business Lines
Success Breeds Complexity
As an industrial services company with over 160 years of market leadership and 12,000 employees, Harsco is well aware of the challenges of complexity. To keep strategic projects moving across multiple lines of business, the Pennsylvania-based organization needed to break through common obstacles to strategy execution. Partnering with Catalant enables Harsco to dramatically reduce the time and expense required to get the right people on the right work at the right time.
Harsco drives revenues of more than $1 billion annually operating in three distinct business segments: rail, industrial, and metals & minerals. The complexity of driving strategy execution across multiple businesses means that no project is alike. Like many large organizations, Harsco has to adapt rapidly to changing business realities across divisions and borders.
COMPANY SIZE
12,300 employees
REVENUE
$2.8 Billion
INDUSTRY
Rail
Metals
Minerals
Industrial
To continue to execute its most strategic initiatives and projects, Harsco needed a better way to access specialized talent outside of its own employee base. Large consulting firms lack the specialized skills Harsco leaders need, meaning they spend valuable time catching up.
“Finding a firm that has extensive experience in our field is extremely difficult given our niche focus. The large consulting firms can do the work we require, but they rarely have resources with expertise in our markets. This means they usually start off with no more information than we already have and learn as they go.”
Scott Gerson, Group President at Harsco
How Catalant Helps Harsco Execute
To quickly access and deploy specialized resources on business-critical projects, Harsco leverages the Catalant platform’s expert marketplace. Catalant has deepened Harsco’s talent pool, connecting the company to subject-matter experts with leadership experience in their fields. Whether their teams require long-term support, immediate problem solving, remote work or on-site help around the world, Catalant’s talent and technology platform connects Harsco to immediate expertise across their diverse niches within their scope and budget.
Catalant software provides Harsco with quick access to elite talent, enabling Harsco to handpick their ideal resource within days of recognizing an internal need, regardless of the location or scope of the project. The following case studies showcase the variety of ways Harsco has collaborated with Catalant to meet their diverse goals.
Projects Completed on the Platform
1. Market Research
Market Research in a Specialized Field
With its network of more than 65,000 independent consultants (and 1,000+ boutique firms), the Catalant platform’s expert marketplace is an ideal place to find specialized expertise. In one case, Harsco was able to find an expert with world-class insights and a database of more than 20,000 industry contacts to conduct a product opportunity assessment.
The result was an in-depth assessment in a fraction of the time and expense of a large consulting firm — giving Harsco maximum flexibility and agility.
LENGTH OF PROJECT
3 months
COST SAVINGS
75% cost savings compared to a Big Three consulting firm
DELIVERABLES
In-depth product opportunity assessment and recommendations
2. Strategic Business Planning
Developing a Five-Year Growth Plan
After restructuring one division of the organization, Harsco sought the right expertise to help leaders build a new growth strategy. Catalant was able to match Harsco’s senior leadership team with a team of industry veterans with over 80 years of combined experience. The result was a five-year strategic growth map at a fraction of the cost of traditional consulting.
LENGTH OF PROJECT
3 months
COST SAVINGS
75 – 85% cost savings compared to a Big Three consulting firm
DELIVERABLES
Five-year strategic growth map
3. Technology & Digital
Ensuring a Smooth ERP Implementation With an On-Site Project Manager
Harsco tapped a local project manager on Catalant’s platform to guide a risky ERP implementation in a Houston-based office. The chosen candidate — who fit the exact specifications for the need — significantly reduced risk during a challenging process.
LENGTH OF PROJECT
6 months
COST SAVINGS
75% cost savings compared to a Big Three consulting firm
DELIVERABLES
In-depth product opportunity assessment and recommendations