Driving Impact Early: How Jacob & Team Won Hilti's Operational Excellence Award

Written in collaboration with Jacob Zacks, and the employer brand team

Impact Made Real through Curiosity and Collaboration

In many organizations, meaningful impact comes with time. You learn the ropes, build experience, and gradually earn a seat at the table. At Hilti, it works differently.

Here, impact isn’t defined by tenure or title. It’s driven by curiosity, ownership, and the willingness to act. Jacob Zacks’ journey brings this to life.

In just his second year at Hilti, he helped uncover a hidden inefficiency in the supply chain, one that was costing the company over $250,000 and creating friction for customers. What started as a closer look at internal waste grew into a global, cross-functional initiative that improved customer satisfaction by 2.5% and earned the 2024 Operational Excellence Award.

Spotting What Others Don’t See

For customers, delivery timing is more than just a logistical detail. It directly shapes how they plan projects, manage job sites, and coordinate resources.

While late deliveries are an obvious challenge, early deliveries can be just as disruptive. Materials that arrive too soon take up unplanned space, risk damage or loss, and can interfere with other work on site.

Jacob noticed a recurring pattern that Hilti was consistently delivering materials earlier than expected.

It wasn’t just an operational issue, it was creating unnecessary complexity for both our teams and our customers.

As he explored further, he discovered others were working on connected challenges from different perspectives. Ana Bailey was looking at how customers experience delivery transparency, while Maria Soledad Coello was mapping pain points across markets in the order-to-payment journey.

Together, their efforts converged around a shared question: "How can we improve ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) accuracy across the entire value chain?"

Turning Complexity into Clarity

What initially seemed straightforward quickly revealed deeper complexity.

Different teams defined and managed ETA in different ways. Transportation teams tracked both inbound and outbound flows. Materials managers focused on supplier deliveries. Order Management Services intervened when customer expectations could not be met.

"Each function had strong systems in place," Jacob explained. "But there wasn’t a shared understanding across teams. That was probably the biggest challenge."

To close that gap, the team built dashboards to make the process visible and understandable. The insights revealed unexpected inconsistencies. For example, delivery windows calculated in different time zones meant that customers in different regions could receive different delivery dates for identical orders from equally stocked warehouses.

"Dashboards became a storytelling tool," Jacob said. "They made the problem visible and helped stakeholders see the full picture."

With that clarity, the team introduced targeted improvements such as standardizing time zones and refining system triggers.

Individually, these were small changes. But together, they created a meaningful impact across the supply chain.

Delivering Measurable Results

The impact was both immediate and tangible. Internally, the improvements reduced inefficiencies and saved approximately $250,000 in transportation costs.

Externally, customer satisfaction related to delivery transparency improved by 2.5%, a significant gain in an industry where reliability builds long-term trust. For Jacob, the experience also broadened his perspective.

It was my first deep dive into data analytics, it really changed how I think about the value I can bring.

Recognition That Reflects a Culture

When Jacob and the team received the 2024 Operational Excellence Award, it represented more than just a successful project. It reinforced something fundamental about Hilti’s culture:

"Impact is open to everyone, regardless of role or experience."

Among the finalists were senior leaders and long-tenured experts. Jacob had been with the company for less than two years. "At every level in the company, you have an opportunity to create value," he said.

Reflecting on his experience, he added: "In some organizations, teamwork is something you talk about. Here, you really see it in action. You experience what it means to work across functions and levels to solve real problems."

 

Building the Foundation for Impact

Jacob began his journey at Hilti through the Outperformer Global Management Development Program, where he experienced different roles across logistics and built an understanding of how the business connects.

Working in different roles gave me a better understanding of challenges across the business, it also helped me build relationships that made collaboration much easier.

He also highlights the support of his manager, Robert Ketchum. "He has nearly 20 years of experience at Hilti and has been incredibly supportive," Jacob shared. "I learned a lot from working with him and still reach out for advice."

Creating Impact Without Waiting

Today, Jacob continues his role in materials management, while the ETA initiative moves forward under new ownership.

Looking back, his advice is simple:

At every level in the company, you have an opportunity to drive value. There’s no harm in trying.

He encourages others to make use of the support around them, from experienced mentors to cross-functional teams and leaders who are open to new ideas.

"I’d love for someone to hear this story and gain the confidence to get involved themselves."

Impact from Day One

Jacob’s story reflects what sets Hilti apart. It’s a place where curiosity is encouraged, collaboration is real, and impact is accessible to everyone, right from the start.

Because at Hilti, making a difference isn’t something you wait for. It’s something you take ownership of from day one.

That’s impact made real.