PCS Participates in Inaugural Capital One CATAPULT Program
PCS Participates in Inaugural Capital One CATAPULT Program
Jan. 24, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Lee.Thomas@usa-pcs.com
DECATUR, Ga. – Project Cost Solutions was one of 10 companies to nationally compete in Capital One’s inaugural business development program called CATAPULT.
The seven-month program, which partnered with the National Minority Supplier Development Council, launched in March 2017 in Capital One’s Chicago digital lab. Designed to help diverse businesses create innovative solutions to critical issues within their organizations, participants’ activities were just as varied. They included instructional courses emphasizing digital fundamentals, collaborative-thinking workshops, one-on-one meetings with subject matter experts and feedback from a dedicated advisory board.
“We saw a need to help diverse businesses close the digital divide,” said Jim Gorzalski, Capital One’s chief procurement officer. “Our goal is to ensure these suppliers can compete for our business, as well as business from other Fortune 500 firms.”
The program culminated with finalists competing in a problem-solving pitch event in September at Capital One’s McLean, Va.-based corporate headquarters. The company with the best solution to its business challenge received a grant and additional advanced education and consultation.
“We were excited to have been selected to compete,” said Lee Thomas, CEO of PCS, “and particularly to have such incredible subject matter expert support from the Capital One team.”
During the program’s design thinking and innovation process, PCS focused on “who we are as a firm, what is the problem we are trying to solve and why are we trying to solve it,” Thomas said. Then came the company’s “aha moment.”
“We discovered we were not directly targeting the customer who benefits the most from our services,” said Thomas. “To attract and grow this group, we learned we must tell our story differently.”
Consequently, PCS has partnered with external sources to rebrand and relaunch its message.
ABOUT PCS: Project Cost Solutions is a capital cost advisory firm based in Decatur, Ga. With over 130 years of collective expertise, PCS helps clients to improve cost certainty, minimizing risk and increasing success on construction projects nationwide.
