Core Business Practices
WEA builds and leads project teams using select teaming partners with specialized skills to provide turnkey solutions for all environmental and ecological issues that face our clients.
WEA is fundamentally guided by its adherence to 5 core principles:
Customer Service
Customer service is the foundation of business operations at WEA. We strive to be responsive to our clients, both in terms of project deliverables and general counsel. We offer our clients a pragmatic assessment of each situation and a variety of alternatives based upon their objectives and constraints. We understand that objectives and constraints differ between public and private sector endeavors, and even between each project. With experience in various market sectors, we work with our clients to identify these specific goals and obstacles at the outset of the process to streamline each project’s timeline. WEA also recognizes the importance of consistent and concise project status updates. At the conclusion of our projects, we encourage feedback from our clients that allow us to modify and enhance the services we provide in the future. WEA is committed to providing our clients with the most effective, results-oriented customer service possible.
Technical Expertise
WEA is recognized for its industry leading ecological and biological technical expertise. With decades of experience managing environmental related projects, our ecologists provide professionalism and pragmatism while meeting the needs of our clients. Through literature review, certifications, and continuing education, our staff is committed to providing our clients with the most current and scientifically accurate information available. WEA also seeks innovative and cost-effective methods of providing results through review and editorial responsibilities of scientific literature. Our staff remains active in numerous professional organizations and regularly contributes as invited speakers at conferences and meetings.
Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC) Standards
WEA requires all projects, subconsultants, and teaming partners to follow an established Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC) program to ensure uniformity in deliverable standards and guidelines. These process-oriented review standards and guidelines incorporate our client goals, professional and industry standards, and internal quality assurance methods. Each project is evaluated repeatedly under a project-specific quality control plan. This plan reviews each project element’s progress, methodology, data collection, data analysis, results, tables and figures, conclusions, and management recommendations in terms of the project objectives, scope, timeline, and budget. More specifically each element of each project is submitted to and reviewed by an independent and assigned quality control analyst. This analyst then reviews the work element with the ecologists and biologists to resolve any discrepancies and re evaluate any solutions. Through structured quality assurance standards and required quality control planning, WEA provides our clients with professional services and deliverables in an on-time and cost-effective environment.
Schedule and Cost Controls
As a certified US Small Business Enterprise firm, WEA understands the importance of reducing costs and overhead through proper scheduling and schedule maintenance. WEA staff has spent years as project managers planning, coordinating, and monitoring project schedules for a variety of clients. Although each project consists of its own unique set of objectives, deadlines, and constraints, all projects require efficient and effective scheduling to succeed. Using our experiences, client input, and software packages, WEA can develop timelines, establish completion milestones, and monitor project progress in a real-time and adaptive environment. Our staff ensures the accurate development and implementation of project schedules by coordinating continuous communication with our clients.
The low overhead costs and streamlined processes in place at WEA provide our clients with the ultimate cost control strategy. Proper project scheduling and communication with our clients reduces excess costs often associated with mobilization and out-of-sequence document preparation. We eliminate cost overruns through effective budgeting at the outset and identifying efficiencies throughout each project. During project implementation, our cost controls begin immediately and are monitored alongside project progress. Using comparative financial and budget tools, WEA is committed to reducing overhead and ultimately cost to our client.
Health and Safety
WEA maintains a commitment to providing a safe working environment for all our employees. Our commitment to ensuring healthy and safe conditions also extends to our contactors, our clients, the general public, and anyone impacted by our operations. We strive to avoid unreasonable risks and comply with all applicable regulatory requirements at our facilities, in our operational practices, and corporate culture. By evaluating risk and providing appropriate safety training, WEA works to reduce potential incidents and mitigate the severity of any instances. This commitment to excellence in our health and safety program is a cultural identity that is overwhelmingly accepted by our leadership and employees. Through the use of open and direct two-way communication and continuous improvements to the system, WEA is committed to a dynamic health and safety management system.