Aggregates Control Director Mike Pajor has been with US Aggregates for over 12 years. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration in finance from Cleveland State University. Early in his career, he designed small applications to help facilitate invoice processes and to streamline overall efficiencies at Penske Logistics. He then helped with the redesign of LaFarge North America’s AggBudgeter where he generated a custom application with production and logistical elements needed to deliver on sales demand.
When Mike joined US Aggregates in 2012, a legacy system called Quest was being utilized to manage ticketing and invoicing. His initial responsibility was to design a best-in-class application that achieved collaboration across business units and met the needs of each specific business unit. He successfully created RIPPLE, a custom system that engages in production and sales data forecasting that accurately measures metrics across units but also generates proactive warnings of potential problems.
Mike emphasized the importance of an upgraded application for US Aggregates, stating that “supporting our company’s growth and enhancing collaboration across all business units is essential!”
RIPPLE was officially deployed in 2018 and has enabled the company to become more efficient while scaling and implementing standardization of business processes. The name is symbolic of how a ripple spreads across a body of water. RIPPLE integrates these data points from various sources into a unified platform. This ensures that all departments have access to the same up-to-date information which is pulled nightly to refresh our data warehouse. A data warehouse is a centralized repository designed to store large amounts of data from various sources. It supports business intelligence activities, such as data analysis and reporting.
The RIPPLE application is comprised of four cross-functional modules that manage sales, production, dispatch and accounting. Each module has a dashboard where data can be updated in real time and inventory can be managed effectively. Overall, the platform makes the daily roles of each business unit more structured and allows for collaboration of data and projections.
RIPPLE is a necessary resource for daily jobs across US Aggregates:
- Sales: “Ripple has allowed us to streamline our sales, budgeting, invoicing, production and inventory management,” Director of Sales, Caleb Brown, stated. “It has given us a better view into our production capabilities and inventories so we can set up our team and customers for success.”
- Logistics: “Ripple is the centerpiece of my workday, managing tasks from setting up projects and sales quotes to scheduling orders and reviewing completed tickets,” Sales Coordinator, Scott Ruble, expressed. “Having everything in one program makes project navigation much easier.”
- Operations: “Ripple enables our Operations team to track production and downtime issues,” Director of Operations, Kristin Sweeney, explained. “This allows KPIs (key performance indicators) to be created and help improve plant availability.”
- Accounting: “Ripple has seamlessly integrated invoices into our accounting system, reducing the need for paper invoices,” Director of Accounting, Duane Gibbs, mentioned. “We’ve utilized sales and production data collected by Ripple to create accurate financial forecasts.”
In the future, Mike will continue to innovate within RIPPLE, enabling better decision-making and fostering growth through data analysis. The creation of the RIPPLE data warehouse will allow superusers to generate deeper insights and visualizations for their departments.
Written By: Anthony Treadaway and Mike Pajor
