RACQ completes most significant customer and operational transformation ever

The Royal Automobile Club of Queensland (RACQ) is a mutual organisation and one of Australia's oldest, largest and most trusted brands providing services including roadside assistance, insurance, banking and travel to its approximately 1.75 million members. Recently when the RACQ required a major transformation program they turned to industry specialists The Bridge International.

RACQ Group CEO David Carter explained, "We knew that the RACQ needed to undertake a major transformational programme that stemmed out of some challenges we had. Post COVID we predicted some really significant inflation and supply chain issues on the horizon and without countering it, we would have seen unacceptable premiums increases for our members. So we had to look for a better approach. I think the whole industry has ended up having to deal with essentially the same fundamental root cause issues. We also needed to address other issues in our processes and in our operations, so for all of those we turned to The Bridge. They helped us achieve significant change transformation and it's been sustained, which is absolutely critical."

RACQ MD and group CEO David Carter

As Carter explained there was a comprehensive assessment which needed to take place that covered a wide range of strategic and operational issues at RACQ.

He continued, "We identified the need to bring in some specialist outside help and because of their expertise and reputation, we selected The Bridge. We ran it as a joint programme where we both had our A team, and The Bridge was an extension of our team."

For Carter and the senior team at RACQ their focus was very much on getting the right results and making sure those results would be sustained. Both of which happened, as Carter was happy to report.

He added, "As a result of The Bridge's work, we now have a much stronger foundation for growth and operational excellence. We have more predictability, more consistency and better disciplines. The Bridge also left us with the training to continue this great work along with the management disciplines that we needed, to make sure it was all embedded in the organisation and thus sustainable change. We've come out the other side with the supply chain in good shape and from a staff engagement and turnover point of view, things are very settled. The results are positive for our members who are making claims with more consistent, better quality and faster outcomes. It's working well for our staff because their engagement is high, and turnover is low, relative to this industry."

According to Carter The Bridge approached things differently and put in effort and resources he's rarely seen before.

He explained, "The Bridge are different. They approach things differently. They became an extension of the RACQ team. Importantly, the MD's Stuart, David and the senior team at The Bridge - I mean, it wasn't just one or two senior consultants - came into and spent significant time in our organisation and with our people. They were just so on the ground, embedded in what people were doing, truly understanding our culture and active in the steering and management committees. This meant we were able to evolve the programme as it went along and evolve some of the accountability further through the management team to increase the buy in of the change. Critically The Bridge didn't just fix things and walk away. They stayed with it and gave the management team a bit of space to start owning the outcome, which was great."

The Bridge's different approach and solid professional values are two things that stuck with and continue to stick with Carter as he explains how RACQ have been able to move forward so successfully.

He added, "The Bridge's approach is just rare in the sense that you get the full attention from the people who pitched the proposal." You know, the people who actually understand the activity, the function, the business or whatever it is that you're seeking help with. They're getting it, getting better and invested in what's going on and at the end of it leave a legacy or an outcome which is sustained. This combination is rare, bordering on unique. In my 35 years of working in different organisations on lots of different programs with lots of different consulting firms you don't often get that combination that The Bridge give you. It's that combination of deliverables they give you that's quite rare."

The Bridge MD Stuart Blake said, "It was an absolute privilege to work with David, Trent Sayers, Group Executive Insurance. and his leadership team. RACQ is such an iconic, trusted brand, helping so many Queenslanders in their time of need, as we recently saw with Cyclone Alfred. The Bridge is proud of this transformation work, and it is very rewarding to know this is making a difference for RACQ's members.

The Bridge MD and Co Founder Stuart Blake

In terms of The Bridge's values Carter was very specific and happy to point them out explaining, "Their values form around excellence and owning it. They are big on accountability. You know, there's certainly good consistency between our values and the way The Bridge showed up. It's about where The Bridge come from and where the people at The Bridge have been - their experience. They're very good at delivering on what they commit to deliver on. If I think about the original proposal and what we were trying to achieve, what they said they would help us achieve and the outcomes we could expect - that's pretty much exactly what happened. We achieved the outcome that The Bridge said they would deliver, which is very important."

With the programme successfully implemented, the change working and sustained, David Carter had one more important fact he wanted to share about the success the RACQ has had with The Bridge, "With The Bridge it was never an expense, it was an investment. We got more than we expected, and it's been sustained by using The Bridge's data and processes. As a result, I can happily say I've dealt with thousands of consultants or advisors over the years and there's only few that I'd be happy to publicly admit to - and one of those is The Bridge."

Picture credits

RACQ MD and group CEO David Carter

The Bridge MD and Co Founder Stuart Blake

Key quotes from David Carter

"They helped us achieve significant change transformation and it's been sustained, which is absolutely critical."

"As a result of The Bridge's work, we now have a much stronger foundation for growth and operational excellence."

"The Bridge are different. They approach things differently. They became an extension of the RACQ team."

"Their values form around excellence and owning it. They are big on accountability."

"In my 35 years of working in different organisations on lots of different programs with lots of different consulting firms you don't often get that combination that The Bridge give you."

"We achieved the outcome that The Bridge said they would deliver, which is very important."

I can happily say I've dealt with thousands of consultants or advisors over the years and there's only few that I'd be happy to publicly admit to - and one of those is The Bridge."

Ends

About The Bridge International​
The Bridge is an alternative, innovative and non-traditional management consultancy, operating in Australia and internationally.

They are a leadership team with C suite executive experience and have walked in the shoes of their clients. They are proud of this deep client side, practitioner experience first, complimented by their consulting capabilities. As partitioners, The Bridge can quickly define the problem state and design pragmatic, fit for purpose solutions that are grounded, not theory, are actionable and effective. 

Their clients implicitly trust The Bridge to provide honest advice, work as extension of their team to deliver results and a return on their investment in their services. The Bridge offer fairer value, given their pragmatic, fit for purpose, fast track approach, lower overheads, with a senior team always working on the assignment

Their practices span Strategy & Corporate Development, Customer & Operations, Leadership, Culture & Capability, Brand & Marketing and Program Delivery & Embedment. They work not only on the strategy, but also the execution, transferring knowledge and embedding sustainable solutions, becoming a trusted extension of their client's team. They also have a dedicated customer experience consulting business called CXO2 that helps breathe life back into everything customer. ​

The Bridge are a purpose and values-based organisation, with their head office in Sydney, New South Wales and local teams in Queensland, Victoria and South Australia. Their charity foundation is called The Bridge to Good.

https://www.thebridgeinternational.com