5 Degrees North is a team of highly motivated professionals with decades of experience in complex process industry operations. We are dedicated to collaborating with our customers while applying our methodology, leading to organizational transformation that generates amazing results..
We help our customers optimize the interfaces between their infrastructure, manufacturing processes, human capital, and technology systems to advance operational excellence. This optimization involves leveraging your organization's operational experience, intellectual capital, and existing hard assets, generating sustainable improvements to bottom line performance.
We ultimately serve as a catalyst to help our clients
- make better, more profitable operating and investment decisions
- drive toward consensus and align behind changes that will benefit the enterprise as a whole
- identify and harvest no- and low-cost improvement solutions across multiple operating areas
- implement these solutions faster and more effectively
- generate and sustain a continuously adapting Operational Excellence culture within their organization
- 5 Degrees North uses its proprietary Strategic Interface Optimization (SIO) process, which applies a proven methodology, a distinct structure, and a disciplined approach that works fast to create superior results. Our approach is like a reaction and refining process in a chemical operation with 5DN team members acting as a potent catalyst.
- We provide a view of the entire value chain including operational, business, and support processes so that it broadens and transforms the way the SIO participants understand their role in supporting enterprise value.
- Highly experienced, creative professionals with the capability to think on multiple dimensions help your team to generate robust solutions. Our people have a knack for challenging existing assumptions in a non-threatening way, and for stimulating the creativity of your team members while applying it to your own business processes.
- We work with your team during the SIO field session to identify and explore your specific issues and opportunities and collectively create high-impact solutions for your business that have gained the support of the SIO participants and are immediately actionable.
- SIO Field sessions are very concentrated and are typically concluded in one business week, minimizing disruption within the organization.
Our people are difficult to put into one category, but all have a passion for unconventional thinking that creates measurable bottom line results. 5DN team members have been employed everywhere from the shop floor to the executive suite at companies like BASF, Dow, DuPont, Eastman Chemical, ExxonMobil, Shell, Texaco, Stone & Webster, and Lummus, just to name a few.
Each member of our team provides a unique perspective and is committed to applying all of their experience and expertise to help the SIO team develop "out of the box" solutions. Here are just a few examples of the professional experiences of people on our team.
- Former senior executive who implemented $10 billion in chemical plant projects on 3 continents over a 25 year period
- Seasoned process optimization methodology trainer who has provided internal training and skill maintenance workshops to many Fortune 500 organizations
- Internationally known expert on steam, cogeneration and compressed air systems who developed steam system software used by hundreds of companies
- Prior division VP who developed and implemented a strategy that created a $15 billion/year chemical business
- A JV specialist who forged billion dollar ventures with Shell, Air Products, Total and others
- Senior level design and construction manager who developed world scale ethylene plants on 3 continents
- Project manager who led an effort that identified and implemented solutions that saved $20 million/year in energy and resulted in winning an ACC award for 2 years in a row for his company
- Senior refinery technology manager who increased feedstock and product flexibility at a 100,000 bbl/day operation which resulted in over $50 million/year in benefits
- Former VP who designed commissioned and operated air separation and synthesis gas plants around the globe during his career 20+ year career
- Senior process engineer who set the standard for best practices that was incorporated into GE's gas turbine operations and maintenance program
Perhaps the most important characteristic of our people is humility. We've learned that the best ideas come from collaboration and that team support leads to successful implementation.
5 Degrees North believes that the key to change starts with people. In the right environment, innovation can be unlocked and people can cross-fertilize their experience and intellect with that of others, expanding their view of the enterprise's potential. We also believe that a good idea isn't worth anything until it's executed, so distilling out the best opportunities, turning them into actionable plans, generating critical mass consensus, and execution are also essential for success.
Results, Innovation, Speed, Teamwork and Fun.
Results
We've helped our clients collectively save over $300 million. We are committed to making a sustainable difference with our customers. We prefer to leave behind tangible and real results anchored in our client's organization rather than to generate yet another consulting report to put on your bookshelf. Our ideal client is motivated to achieve an ambitious outcome. Are you ready?
Innovation
We strive to innovate and create customized executable solutions and we ignite this innovation capacity in your team. Each of our team members is cursed with a high level of intellectual curiosity and a desire to improve complex busienss and operational processes. We believe that everything great can become even better. We can help.
Speed
Faster is better. Speed creates focus and focus creates superior results. We innovate and implement faster and help others do the same. Our philosophy is to question why it can't be done sooner. Our methodology is geared toward speed and execution.
Teamwork
Just like safety and quality - process improvement, operational efficiency and organizational effectiveness are created or missed at the "shop floor" level. Our entire business model is "shop floor" focused and our projects engage business people, engineers, operators and other service providers to make sure real changes are put in place to achieve sustainable results
Fun
We do what we love and we love what we do. We need to make the things we do fun for our clients and for ourselves. We keep our tone light, and have found that some of the best ideas come out of extreme concepts that wouldn't be possible if there wasn't a little laughter in the room. We don't take ourselves too seriously, but our work produces serious results.
Sailors know that there are areas on the sea where the winds are unreliable. One is called the "Doldrums" and it exists in a band around the globe that is approximately 5 degrees North and South of the equator. Sailors who want to cross the Doldrums quickly are forced to adjust their strategy from reading wind signals to using the ocean current to move their vessel in the desired direction. 5DN understands when the time is right to look at one set of signals, or when it is time to adjust and use another set of signals to achieve the desired outcome. Many companies find themselves in a similar predicament where the rules of their business change and they need a different approach to get beyond a plateau and to the next level of performance. Our methodology and expertise provide that "different approach" to help you get "5 Degrees North" where the wind is much more reliable.
Our first priority in all of our client relationships is confidentiality - our business model revolves around this covenant. We ultimately maintain confidentiality by employing people that have demonstrated proven experience with this level of responsibility and trust. We sign confidentiality agreements with all of our clients and have internal processes to make sure confidential information is secure, but the integrity of our people is the ultimate guardian.