Paths to the Peak: Altek discusses proven EOS

In 2018, Altek Business Systems, headquartered in Telford, Pennsylvania, hired a consultant to help the dealership chart a course for its future. Among the consultant’s areas of expertise introduced to the Altek management team: The Entrepreneurial Operating System, more commonly known as EOS. The system was created by Gino Wickman, first introduced in his book, “Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business.”

At about the same time, the consultant’s work was underway, Scott Flaherty was hired by Altek. Now, the president of the dealership, he recalls the first order of business as Altek began its EOS journey. “He [the consultant] took us step by step through the V/TO [Vision/Traction Organizer], the blueprint of what your business looks like,” he says. “He helped us identify our core values, what our marketing should look like, what kinds of customers we want, etc. In the end, the consultant asked, ‘If you brought someone in for an interview and he or she fit all of your core values, would you hire that person?’ We said, ‘Yes, in a heartbeat.’”

The consultant’s next question forever changed the trajectory of Altek. “He asked, ‘If you look at your core values and some of your current employees don’t fit those values, would you fire them?’” Flaherty explains. “That was our first ‘Oh, wow!’ moment with EOS… So, we started changing the culture, with the thought that if people don’t fit with the culture, they will leave. We decided to speed that up and let a few people go. By the middle of 2019, the entire culture of the company had changed.”

As the culture has changed under EOS, the expectations have changed, too. “The ‘average’ employee has changed dramatically,” Flaherty says. “The changed culture has allowed us to get more out of our employees than we thought possible, and it has allowed us to grow. We have experienced 214% growth over the last four years.”

Plenty has changed at Altek as a result of EOS. “I would say that we have rolled EOS out to about 95% of the company,” Flaherty says. Today, L10s (standard weekly EOS-guided meetings) are held by each department at Altek, he says. “Plus, our VP of sales, service manager — all our middle management — meet once a week, where they discuss what is going on in every department. The C-level team also meets weekly.”

Today, nearly every Altek employee has EOS “rocks,” says Lexi Clemmer, COO. “Rocks are projects outside of normal job tasks that are to be completed within 90 days,” she says, noting that rocks are regularly discussed in the L10s. “‘Are you on track or off track with your rocks? How can we help you get there?’ Discussion on employee rocks in the meetings keeps everyone accountable… Without their rocks, employees would just do their day-to-day and then it’s, ‘I can go home now.’ But this [rocks] gives them ways to exceed expectations, which feels good to everyone.”

Flaherty shares what he sees as the primary EOS benefit. “The aspect that has brought the most value to Altek is the principle of finding the right person for the right seat,” he says, noting that it often means promotions from within and, occasionally, the creation of new positions. “The right person in the right seat doesn’t mean you put that person in the right seat and you’re done. One day, there may be a better seat for that employee. For example, our delivery driver from five years ago is now our parts and facilities manager.”

Reflecting on the past and present, “Altek has established that we are EOS and EOS is Altek,” Flaherty says. “When I first read the [Traction] book, I thought it was like he [Gino Wickman] had written the book about us; ‘oh my gosh, these are all of the problems we’re having’… We had an entrepreneur, but no entrepreneurial operating system… Looking back, it was the right consultant at the right time with the right book.”

When you choose a business partner, you are investing in their ability to deliver. To guarantee we always hit our marks, align our team, and scale smoothly, we run on the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS).

Used by over 250,000 companies worldwide, EOS is a proven framework that keeps us laser-focused, disciplined, and completely transparent. For you, this means fewer headaches, greater predictability, and a partner that executes flawlessly.