Key results from the engagement
Where it started
Alderbrook's manufacturing workforce was approaching a major retirement wave, with experienced employees carrying critical operational knowledge across production, maintenance, and quality functions. The company had no consistent succession process, creating concerns around knowledge loss and workforce continuity.
Leadership initially viewed the challenge as a hiring issue. We saw it as a broader workforce planning opportunity — and the data confirmed the need for a structured transition.
What we did
We began with a workforce and retirement-readiness assessment — mapping retirement timelines, critical roles, skill dependencies, and succession gaps across the organization. This created a clear view of where knowledge-transfer and replacement planning were most urgent.
In parallel, we developed a phased retirement rollout covering succession planning, cross-training, knowledge transfer, and targeted hiring. The program gave managers a structured transition plan while helping preserve critical expertise across the manufacturing operation.
What changed
The retirement rollout preserved critical production knowledge across three facilities, with structured succession plans established for 42 key roles. Combined with phased knowledge transfer, training readiness improved from 64% to 91% over the engagement.
A continuity cushion no one expected to build so quickly
The retirement program established succession coverage across critical roles, with knowledge-transfer plans completed ahead of scheduled departures. Combined with targeted training and mentoring, workforce readiness moved from 64% to 91% by the close of the engagement.