John Melott began his IT career in 1983 as a third-shift operator at an industrial tool maker, quickly establishing himself as a reliable asset in the company. His journey took him to a financial services bank, where he worked his way up through the ranks over 17 years. This experience set the stage for his transition into the energy sector through Accenture, where he held roles as a Manager and Senior Manager in IT Infrastructure.
John believes that his time in the banking industry equipped him with valuable insights that he applied in energy and industrial manufacturing. “I very much enjoy learning the business and then applying IT best practices to develop solutions,” he explains. A key part of his growth has been the influence of a great mentor, who recognized John’s potential and reached out to him for guidance, even when they were no longer working together in the same field.
What excites John most about his role at Labrie Environmental Group is the tangible nature of their products. He thrives in an environment filled with welcoming, experienced, and friendly colleagues who share his passion for creating real-world solutions.
Throughout his career, John has encountered critical moments where he needed to speak up about potential issues that could negatively impact customers or inflate costs. “Knowing when to speak up when I saw something either ‘was not right,’ ‘going to negatively impact our customers,’ or ‘cost more money than it should’—those were all moments that shaped my experience across various companies,” he reflects.
For instance, during a data center build-out at Murray Financial, he identified that construction could hinder customer access to daily reports, which “would have been catastrophic since online reporting was not available.” At Baker Hughes, he faced considerable challenges while relocating a data center. The migration of infrastructure and network services to a new co-location site was daunting. Drawing on his quick thinking, John suggested bubble-wrapping all equipment racks and transporting them with the equipment still inside, an approach that ultimately “worked out perfectly,” with the equipment starting right up.
Most recently, at Labrie, he dealt with a major ERP migration where testing was stalled by previous management due to security concerns. Taking the initiative, John researched the situation and negotiated with a consulting company regarding their security measures, allowing them access to the testing environment and getting the project back on track. Through these experiences, John has not only shaped his career but has also become a crucial part of the vibrant culture at Labrie Environmental Group.
A Culture of Support
John finds immense excitement in his role as the Chief Information Officer at Labrie Environmental Group, largely due to the supportive culture fostered by the CEO and the executive team. “They are great supporters of technology and see the value we can bring to achieve business objectives,” he notes. This positive environment encourages team members to voice their ideas and concerns, reinforcing the notion that IT is more than just a back-office department.
At Labrie, IT is seen as a crucial partner in solving business problems. “We have business directors reaching out to ask us to help solve business problems. That’s HEAVEN for me!” John exclaims. This collaborative spirit extends across the company, as executive team members actively encourage everyone to speak up whenever they notice potential issues that could negatively impact the business.
As CIO, John focuses on several key responsibilities that drive the company’s technological progress. Cybersecurity is his top priority, as he knows that “the wolves are always at the door.” He also emphasizes the importance of daily and nightly batch processing to maintain accurate production manufacturing. Relationships are vital too; he makes it a point to stay engaged with the business’s needs, fostering connections that keep IT in sight, in mind, and in focus. Lastly, team building is a priority, where he values encouragement and training to empower his staff.
These priorities are dynamic, often overlapping and shifting, yet they remain essential to keeping Labrie’s operations moving in the right direction.
Transforming the Quote-to-Order System
One of the most significant IT changes under John’s leadership has been the redesign of the company’s quote-to-order system, affectionately known as the “configurator.” This tool streamlines the process where customer quotes are transformed through engineering and customer service workflows into final sales orders. Previously, this process could take weeks, but now it only takes hours or days, depending on the options requested.
John’s strategic approach allowed Labrie to leverage “best-in-class” capabilities, even if it meant retraining some business users. The outcome has been overwhelmingly positive, with the initial phase completing in late January 2024, receiving high praise from IT customers. Phase II is set for production deployment by early November 2024.
Additionally, Labrie revamped its web-enabled customer portals, integrating chatbots and enhancing the user experience to help customers find the right truck for their needs. John emphasizes that Labrie IT is committed to continuous improvements across manufacturing processes. From overhauling platforms to enhance workflow processes in engineering, operations, and quality, to significant training for IT personnel for deploying a Data Warehouse, the team is dedicated to enhancing Labrie’s operational efficiency.
A part of this transformation aligns with the principles of Manufacturing 4.0, aiming to reduce, if not eliminate, paper usage across all departments. John is proud that Labrie is moving towards “online viewing and processing” of what once required hard copy documentation. This commitment to innovation and efficiency is evident in Labrie’s approach to revamping its product configurator and reducing technical debt.
Prioritizing Technology Investments
John prioritizes technology investments that keep Labrie ahead of the curve, particularly as the company focuses on developing greener, safer, and smarter equipment. This process begins with understanding the business’s needs to deliver better, faster, and more affordable products. The second consideration involves assessing any gaps in their cybersecurity defenses. “It’s really never-ending,” he admits, “but to stay ahead of the wolves, we never rest on our laurels.”
Balancing these priorities can be challenging, as John navigates the demands of finance, supply chain, engineering, operations, and customer service. Above all, the security and integrity of Labrie’s data is paramount. In the past two years, the team has deployed a 24/7 SOC/SIEM service, a real-time network monitoring service to protect against anomalous behaviors, and updated firewall policies to ensure maximum protection without hindering business operations.
Building Strong Partnerships with Business Departments
Whenever John and his IT team engage with a business department, they prioritize active listening. Understanding the business users’ requirements before developing a solution is key. John emphasizes the importance of making business users feel comfortable collaborating with IT. “We act like an extension of their team,” he explains. By involving business users in the development process, they can see, touch, and test the solutions created. This approach fosters ownership and accountability among users, leading to successful outcomes.
Looking ahead, John’s top strategies include maintaining a strong security posture, ensuring that ongoing projects are deployed on time and within budget, and continuing to identify cost reduction opportunities to minimize technical debt within Labrie.
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