Leading Clients into the Future
Over the last half century, CDM has used its innovative spirit togrow into one of the largest and most successful engineering firms in NorthAmerica and beyond. During that time, however, the company has not lost focus onthe backbone of its success: Customer service.
Established in 1947 as a partnership between Thomas Camp, HermanDresser and Jack McKee, CDM has blossomed from a small operation in Cambridge,Mass., into a global, full-service consulting, engineering, construction andoperations corporation with more than 3,600 employees and 100 offices worldwidethat serve public and private clients.
The company earned $18.6 million in revenues in 2004 fromtrenchless
projects alone — and more than $620 million overall — placing thecompany fifth in this year’s Trenchless Technology Top 50 Design EngineeringFirms, moving up from No. 8 last year. (See the complete Top 50 listfor 2005.)
CDM specializes in projects relating to water, wastewater,stormwater and hazardous waste removal and management, but the company hasexpanded to include transportation and geotechnical engineering services aswell.
No matter how CDM continues to evolve in the coming years, thecompany maintains its focus on what it can provide for its customers, CDM vicepresident Wayne Miles says. In order for the company to grow, the overarchingmission must be to provide the best service to its clients.
“The big picturephilosophy is to make sure, first and foremost, that we’re providing high valueand high quality service, and that we’re staffing projects with experiencedpersonnel so that we’re applying the right technology and we’re applying itcorrectly,” Miles says.
The choice of the correct technology hinges on manyconsiderations, says Miles, who manages the company’s infrastructurerehabilitation initiatives in the United States. Infrastructure projects areoften best completed with trenchless methods, such as auger boring, directionaldrilling and pipe jacking. However, that is not always the case.
“We maintain objectivity in evaluating alternative conditionassessment and rehabilitation technologies,” Miles says. “We help clients selectthe right technology to meet their needs considering both cost and otherfactors, such as community impacts. When a trenchless solution isn’t best, wedon’t recommend it. And when it is, as is often the case, we help our clientsget the right solution at a competitive cost.”
The Customer’s Way
CDM’s drivingphilosophy is to build long-term relationships with its clients and provideexceptional service. With that in mind, the company focuses on three key aspectsof approaching customer service — listen, think and deliver.
The company must stay focused on the big picture in order to remainsuccessful, Miles says. With its most experienced staff on the job, CDM canapply the correct technologies by understanding its clients’ objectives andprovide valuable and quality service.
“We have to make sure we get off on the right foot and then continue on theright foot throughout the project,” Miles says. “We have to bring the bestapplicable technology to the client and still be cost-effective.”
The company is divided into four client service groups — public services,industrial services, international services and federal services — and twoservice delivery groups — consulting/engineering and construction. However,“divided” isn’t the right word. It’s more like a matrix in which the servicesare intertwined, Miles says.
Each client service group focuses on a specific client type, he says. Thegroups contain staff teams that focus on a relatively small number of clients.
“The teams provide high value to these clients by thoroughly understandingindividual client needs and objectives,” Miles says. “Through thisunderstanding, these client service teams are able to bring the right resourcesto meet these objectives from our service delivery groups.”
The technical aspects of a project are handled by the two service deliverygroups. The technical staff and managers provide consulting, engineering andconstruction services for clients around the world.
“This service group structure allows us to share technical resources moreefficiently in serving all of our client groups while staffing projects with theright mix of resources both technically and geographically,” Miles says.
Under the Surface
Trenchlessapplications are an integral part of CDM’s business, especially in the area ofinfrastructure construction and rehabilitation.
From 2003 to 2004, the company saw its revenue from trenchless projects climbabout 40 percent, from $13 million to $18.6 million, from more than 30 worldwidetrenchless projects. That trend is bound to increase as military conflicts,natural disasters and increasing government regulations — not to mention normalwear and tear — have added to the need for infrastructure projects.
CDM has developed its staff leaders in the trenchless market to coincide withthe mounting need for more infrastructure rehabilitation and construction, sayssenior project manager John Schroeder, P.E., CDM’s trenchless technologiessub-discipline leader.
“I think trenchless projects are going to continue to grow nationwide,” saysSchroeder, pointing out that trenchless methods are less stressful oncommunities. “Municipalities have realized that trenchless methods are oftenmore cost-effective when compared to open-cut methods that affect pavement,existing utilities, businesses and traffic, and that require substantialrestoration.”
As more urban areas have experienced the need for sewer rehabilitation,Schroeder says trenchless technologies have only helped CDM improve its customerservice.
“Nowadays, clients want the best technical expertise and best clientservice,” he says. “CDM has made it a point to provide that. I think for themost part clients want their needs to be met and expect their priorities to beyour priorities. “If you don’t do a good job the first time, you can’t getrepeat business. There’s too much competition out there to let that slip.”
In order to maintain its expertise in the trenchless field, Schroeder saysthat CDM must share information, knowledge and innovation, and “not work in ablack hole.” Part of Schroeder’s job is making sure that avenue of communicationstays open within the company.
Beyond the Sea
CDM has offered its fullgamut of services in the global market since the 1960s. These ventures have beenamong CDM’s most innovative, offering the experience of diverse technology andmethodologies.
For instance, CDM is working with the Singapore Public Utilities Board on amulti-faceted project that will improve water supply, help control flooding andexpand economic development, says Christopher Oot, president of CDMInternational Inc. The company is now overseeing construction of a barrage, orlow dam, across the Singapore River to create a reservoir for fresh water, aswell as protect the city from flooding.
CDM also works with international development agencies, such as the U.S.Agency of International Development (USAID), which have helped sponsor projectsto develop water systems in areas in critical need of water supply, includingAfghanistan, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and the West Bank.
The global market can be risky but its dynamic and diverse nature providesmany benefits. “We need to be very selective about where we work. The riskprofile is higher than it is domestically, but it provides us with a worldwidewindow on technology and business models that can have relevance to the domesticmarket,” Oot says.
New technologies, such as ground freezing (a method CDM’s affiliates inGermany have used), have already helped CDM save costs for its clients in theUnited States, Miles says. Ground freezing can be used for projects that involvedeep shaft tunneling or anywhere that soil can be unstable. Freezing the soilhardens it so machines can drill through without creating voids.
Any newtechnology or innovation CDM can develop domestically or abroad will help thecompany better serve its clients in the future, Miles says.
The Crystal Ball
As CDM moves toward thefuture, Miles says the company strives to continue to grow and be profitable, tosupport career development and provide a good work environment foremployees.
“At the same time, to be able to do that, we must consistently provide goodservice to the client,” he says. “If we provide good service, it gets around [toother potential clients]. It’s important to keep focused on quality andvalue.”
In order to stay cost-effective, CDM must keep an eye toward the newtechnologies that could be applied to its various projects, Miles says. Thecompany has to know how and when to use new technology that will help CDM andits clients use resources more efficiently. To develop that knowledge, CDMfocuses on retaining and recruiting the “best and brightest staff” in theindustry.
“We believe the best way to provide high value to our clients is by bringingthe best ideas and the right total solutions to meet their objectives,” Milessays. “To achieve this, we stress staff training to reinforce what our industryknows and promote staff creativity to lead where our industry is going.”
Witha strong staff, CDM can continue to build upon its foundation of customerservice.