Case study: Corporate property strategy – from outdated depots to future-ready workplaces

Between 2010 and 2013, MEC Consulting worked with Energex to roll out a $73M Corporate Property Strategy to consolidate operations, upgrade infrastructure, and reduce long-term building maintenance costs. This involved relocating around 2,000 staff across to three new depots and two corporate offices.

The initiative went beyond just bricks and mortar. It required transforming how teams worked – introducing new systems, automating manual processes, and preparing a diverse workforce (from field crews to corporate managers) for significant cultural and logistical change. The impacts were vast including:

Increase in travel time for many employees; and new parking arrangements (when provided free previously)
Moving to open plan offices in corporate settings
Significant change in operational work processes

Services Provided

Change Management

Location

Brisbane, Queensland

Date

2010 – April 2013

Client

Energex

What MEC Consulting was engaged to do

MEC Consulting was brought in to lead the change management and communications across all CPS projects. The work included:

Developing and implementing end-to-end change, communication and consultation strategies tailored to each site
Designing a project consultation model that became the blueprint for future CPS initiatives
Creating leadership forums and toolkits to build change capability among middle managers
Leading union consultation across all sites with respect and consistency
Contributing to a transition plan for depot staff moving from manual storage to one of Queensland’s first automated materials handling systems
Walking depot floors to engage directly with blue-collar staff – recognising many were less comfortable in formal forums
Writing all project communications, including internal briefings, staff packs, media releases, and key messages

The outcome

All teams successfully relocated to contemporary new workplaces
Staff engagement was high due to tailored communication and authentic stakeholder involvement
Maintenance costs were reduced in line with the strategy’s goals
The depot transition included a seamless shift to robotic automation
A scalable consultation model and leadership approach was embedded for future use

...Mary-Ellen’s style was human, smart and consistent...

Stakeholder feedback

“Mary-Ellen’s style was human, smart and consistent. She knew when to front a room – and when to walk the depot floor. Her ability to meet people where they were made all the difference.”