Company

The STW Group is a business solutions company focused on helping organizations design and develop the best means to deliver learning, minimize risk, and optimize workflows that marry people, process, and technology.

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We work with organizations that are in growth mode, trying to simplify complexity, or that are in the midst of a significant transition or change and we help them discover and learn how to do three things:

  • Develop a knowledgeable, cohesive, and engaged workforce that delivers more value to the organization
  • Work smarter so they can optimally deliver their products and services
  • Deliver with less risk and improved quality

We bring deep expertise in learning coupled with the analysis and design of how work gets done optimally in an organization.

The STW Group has been supporting large and mid-sized organizations for nearly 20 years and our team has over 45 years combined experience in a variety of industries including Finance, Manufacturing, Healthcare, insurance, Technology, and Higher Education.

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Our History

In 2002, The STW Group was born from the entrepreneurial spirit of its founder and Chief Executive Officer – Shawn Waxenfelter. We set out to help organizations embrace a culture of learning – marrying people and process with technology – to optimize performance.


Over a period of nearly 20 years, The STW Group has grown to include a strong, diverse team, many clients, and countless projects for mid and large-sized companies in Finance, Insurance, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Technology, Higher Education and many others.

Case Studies

We’ve built a track record of delivering impactful results. Learn about some of the complex challenges our clients have experienced and how we’ve helped them solve for those challenges.

  • CATEGORY – LEARNING

    What was the Problem:

    A Fortune 300 insurance organization struggled to effectively onboard, develop, and retain new managers. Managers felt thrown into their roles with little formal training or support. This led to lengthy ramp up times, inefficient use of resources, a dissatisfied workforce, significant attrition rates, low production, and unnecessary loss of profits. And, they couldn’t figure out the source of the problem.


    Why The STW Group was Chosen:

    The STW Group was hired because of its ability to ask the right questions, challenge organizational thinking, and its expertise in finding root cause which was achieved, in part, through one-on-one interviews, targeted surveys, and focus groups.


    The Solution:

    The STW Group developed a customized 18 month onboarding program and targeted learning path for new managers (based on entry experience), designed a One-Stop-Shop storefront resource portal, and developed an eLearning tutorial for how to use the program. Additionally, our solution included a detailed evaluation and maintenance plan designed to provide a longer shelf life and sustainability to the program.


    The Result:

    The STW Group was able to uncover the underlying reasons for the problems as well as identify other problems the client was not aware of. The effort resulted in a structured, sustainable program that increased retention of top talent, increased morale and productivity, and had a positive impact on the bottom line.

  • CATEGORY – PROCESS

    What was the Problem:

    A large HR organization for a Fortune 200 company needed to remediate several internal audit findings which included process breakdowns, non-compliance, lack of effective process controls and defined accountability, limited work flow documentation, eroding relationships with internal stakeholders, and an aging workforce.


    Why The STW Group was Chosen:

    The STW Group was chosen because of the quality of its resources, the expertise brought to the table, and its multi-pronged approach to solving the problem which included addressing the remediation needs of the audit and shifting the organization’s business-as-usual culture to that of a process-focused culture.


    The Solution:

    The solution included a comprehensive workflow inventory, mapping of current state processes, identification of gap and inefficiencies, and an assessment of organizational risk. A “culture of process” was established in the organization through the identification and communication of clear roles and responsibilities, setting process performance expectations and review cycles, establishing an infrastructure to create a sustainable, nimble program and governance, and delivering customized Process Management sessions to the organization.


    The Result:

    This effort resulted in the remediation of the audit findings through well defined roles, more effective and efficient work flows, and the creating of a robust set of controls. Leadership felt better for being able to, for the first time, define and measure the full scope of the work they performed and the organization felt empowered for to take more ownership and improve the way work was performed leading to improved morale, increased margins and a reduction of risk and fire drills.

  • CATEGORY – QUALITY & RISK MGMT.

    What was the Problem:

    In anticipation of increased regulations, scrutiny over how products are designed, tested, and manufactured, and a need to ensure efficiencies with how quality assurance and control is managed and structured, the leadership of a large manufacturing organization requested the review and assessment of its current structure, practices, and challenges and an assessment of recommended future state.


    Why The STW Group was Chosen:

    The STW Group was selected for its experience helping organizations identify and manage risk, asking the right questions and turning over the right rocks, and our ability to adapt to and work in an organization’s unique business culture.


    The Solution:

    A two-fold solution was leveraged for this effort. A low-invasive approach of interviews, observations, and digging to understand and define the core bodies of work, weaknesses, risk exposure, and relevant performance criteria. Additionally, performed a comprehensive analysis of findings based on interviews, and an extensive research effort focused on best practices, industry trends, recent regulatory findings, and benchmarking against other similar organizations.


    The Result:

    This effort resulted in a more strategic approach to how quality is organized, staffed, and managed. The client felt validated that their organizational model aligned with regulatory expectations, that their risk exposure was identified and assessed against their tolerance level, and that the right initiatives are underway to minimize risk going forward. Further, the effort identified areas where efficiencies could be gained through more nimble processes leading to operational cost savings.