Houston PD Air Support Unit shares unique OPEX insights

The latest news and developments in operational excellence (OPEX) including partnerships, appointments and industry collaborations.

This week features:

• Houston PD Air Support Unit shares unique OPEX insights
• Vornado advances sustainability goals with OPEX
• hc1 unveils new OPEX healthcare solutions
• Sound Credit Union makes leadership changes to drive OPEX and growth
• CGS Immersive publishes 2025 OPEX Outlook Report
• Globe Telecom partners with Netcracker to improve OPEX and customer experience

Houston PD Air Support Unit shares unique OPEX insights

Representatives of the Houston Police Department Air Support Unit shared fascinating insight into the role of OPEX within the organization. Appearing as guests on the Hangar Z Podcast, Sgt. Cody Robinson and CFI Jeff Serpas discussed the operational dynamics of air support units, effective training and the crucial selection process for tactical flight officers (TFOs).

The pair reflected on Houston PD’s unit’s structure, aircraft fleet and the significance of maintenance and reliability in operations. They also outlined the challenges of navigating Houston’s airspace, the impact of weather on operations (particularly during hurricane season) and the importance of community and teamwork in addressing these challenges.

Join us at All Access: Operational Excellence 2025 to explore the latest developments in OPEX

Vornado advances sustainability goals with OPEX

American real estate investment firm Vornado Realty Trust is advancing its sustainability goals through OPEX. Speaking to Nareit, Vornado’s SVP and chief sustainability officer, Lauren Moss, reflected on the operational advantages of sustainability, noting that the aim is to optimize building performance for tenants and shareholders alike. 

Vornado’s goal is carbon neutrality by 2030, with a key component of that aim being a 50 percent reduction in energy consumption across its portfolio compared to 2009 levels. One of its most notable achievements is reaching 100 percent LEED certification across its portfolio – a first among U.S.-based companies of its size. This represents a “portfolio-wide approach to operational efficiency and optimization,” Moss said.

Watch Pradheep Kileti, director at National Grid, discuss balancing operations with innovation

hc1 unveils new OPEX healthcare solutions

hc1 introduced a suite of OPEX solutions designed to set a new standard for laboratory efficiency and performance. By transforming lab data into actionable insights and automating workflows, hc1 aims to empowers health systems and commercial labs to reduce costs, increase efficiency and elevate diagnostic quality and service throughout a patient’s care journey. 

At the suite’s core is the hc1 Lab Insights Platform which analyses real-time data to uncover inefficiencies, predict staffing needs and guide reference testing decisions. Advanced workflow automation further streamlines operations, reducing manual workload and enabling teams to focus on higher-value tasks.

“Clinical labs face intense pressure to reduce costs, but quality suffers in these cost-cutting exercises,” said Bradley Bostic, founder and chairman of hc1. “By integrating deep industry expertise, proven playbooks and artificial intelligence (AI), hc1 ensures that our clients deliver higher-quality diagnostics with fewer resources while strengthening financial performance.”

Sound Credit Union makes leadership changes to drive OPEX and growth

Sound Credit Union, one of Washington State’s largest credit unions, made several strategic leadership changes to enhance collaboration and drive innovation with a focus on OPEX. Don Clark, president and CEO, shared that four key leaders have had their roles expanded:

• Lyman Williams has been promoted to EVP/chief lending and business officer.
• Robyn LaChance has been appointed EVP/chief strategy officer.
• Ryan Zilker has been promoted to EVP/chief growth officer.
• Stacey Wilkerson has been named EVP/chief financial and risk officer.

“These changes have been carefully designed to leverage the strengths of our team members, enhance collaboration across departments and drive innovation and efficiency throughout our organization,” said Clark. “By optimizing our leadership structure in this way, we are confident that we will be better equipped to meet the evolving needs of our members, drive sustainable growth and continue to deliver exceptional service and value to our community.”

CGS Immersive publishes 2025 OPEX Outlook Report

Enterprise learning company CGS Immersive published the 2025 OPEX Outlook Report. The report highlights how AI, immersive tech and human-AI collaboration are essential to OPEX and are priorities on the roadmaps of business leaders seeking to bridge the gap between technological promise and business reality.

More than 400 Fortune 1000 executives, operational leaders and IT professionals contributed to the report. Key findings include:

• 66 percent of organizations now consider AI central or supplementary to their strategy, underscoring its growing influence on operations and innovation.
• 82 percent of respondents stress the need for human-AI collaboration skills as a talent imperative, underscoring the urgency for upskilling and reskilling programs.
• 88 percent of businesses report satisfaction with digital transformation efforts despite almost 40 percent struggling to align these initiatives with core business goals.

“The message we’ve heard from stakeholders is loud and clear: integrating AI and immersive tech to enhance operations is a competitive necessity,” said Doug Stephen, president, enterprise learning division at CGS. “Businesses that fail to embrace technological breakthroughs risk falling behind in an era where agility, intelligence and innovation define success.”

Read From grape to glass: Operational excellence in every drop

Globe Telecom partners with Netcracker to improve OPEX and customer experience

Globe Telecom is expanding its partnership with Netcracker to achieve a higher level of operational efficiency, enabling Globe to better serve its customers with improved network performance and seamless digital experiences.

Netcracker will provide various services covering support for mission-critical processes such as order fulfilment, fallout management, service quality, proactive monitoring and performance management to accelerate Globe’s business objectives, including growing its broadband business. The operator will continue to benefit from faster issue resolution and improved order processing time.

“We are extremely excited to continue our journey with Globe as they undertake this critical step to boost business efficiency and deliver more value to customers,” said Yaniv Zilberman, VP strategic accounts at Netcracker. “This is also an important milestone for us with the Singtel Group as we continue expanding our solutions with its affiliate companies.”

Read more OPEX news!

• Porsche honors Palm Springs branch for outstanding OPEX

• Turkish Airlines, Premier Mortgage Resources & Lightship boost OPEX strategies

• Armlogi Holding Corp. expands workforce to enhance OPEX

All Access: AI in PEX is 2025

All Access: AI in PEX 2025 is designed to address these challenges and empower organizations to successfully integrate AI into their process improvement initiatives. The content series will bring together industry experts, thought leaders, and practitioners to share insights, best practices, and real-world case studies.

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