• Home
• business strategy
• operating model
• change management
• programme & project management
• about
  • Mary Donovan
  • David Marsh
• contact

Business Processes:

We carry out a full diagnostic review of the process 'landscape' to identify the greatest opportunities for improving business performance.

• Business Process Framework: Creating a Process Framework that ensures that all key processes are in place, the differentiating processes have been identified and prioritised, the ownership of processes has been established and process metrics are measured and monitored
• Business Process Analysis: Starting with the customer, understanding each process step and how it adds value, identifying where latency occurs and the extent of rework, doing root cause analysis and identifying key process changes that will improve business performance.
• Business Process Design: Designing customer centric processes that maximise both efficiency and effectiveness and the agility to grow and scale, using internal and external best practice benchmarks
• Defining the Policies and Rules: Embedding policies and rules in the design and execution of processes, ensuring appropriate levels of control are in place across an enterprise

Systems:

We take a holistic view of how effectively technology supports the business strategy and recommend appropriate changes.

• Role: Reviewing the role of the Information Systems (IS) function as a strategic business partner and a leader in business transformation
• Strategy: Reviewing the IS Strategy for linkages to the overall organisation strategy and the extent to which it looks to exploit technology to deliver competitive advantage
• Investment: Assessing the criteria used to prioritise IS investment and how investments are linked to improvements in the metrics of critical business processes and the approach to tracking the return on investment over time
• Information: Evaluating if technology delivers the right level of information to support speedy decisions and market driven insights to inform strategy
• Training: Examining the adequacy of training in the use of technology to ensure that investments are fully exploited to deliver business value
• Capabilities: Assessing if the IS function has both the business and technical skills to effectively deliver and embed the IS Strategy

People:

We examine the current and future talent of the organisation to assess the extent to which the organisation has the capability and capacity to execute its strategy.

• Capabilities: Identify if the right capabilities are in place - functional, management & leadership to execute the strategy
• Talent: Examine the depth of succession cover for key roles, the future sources of talent, the mobility of resources and the effectiveness of career and development planning
• Roles & Responsibilities: Analyse the mapping of roles and responsibilities to processes and identify any gaps. Establish if all employees are clear on the outcomes they are meant to deliver and if they are rewarded appropriately
• Strength of HR function: Review the HR function to determine if it has the processes and capabilities to recruit, retain and develop the capabilities required now and for the future
• Employee Engagement: Review the level of employee engagement, how frequently it is monitored and what interventions are made

Organisation And Governance Structures:

We critically examine the organisation and governance structures to establish if they maximise organisation efficiency and effectiveness and recommend appropriate changes

• Effectiveness: Is the organisation structure the best fit and 'right sized' for executing the business strategy, whilst building functional capabilities?
• Centres of Scale /Centres of Expertise: Are these constructs applied appropriately and fully exploited?
• Agility: Has the organisation structure in-built agility and scalability, does it allow for resources to work both 'in' the business and 'on' the business?
• Span of Control: Is the span of control balanced between flexibility and management reach?
• Governance Bodies: Is the role of various governing bodies (Board, Executive/Leadership teams) clearly defined & linked to performance management?
• Capabilities Do governance bodies have the right mix of capabilities and diversity?
• Effectiveness: Are meetings held with appropriate frequency and effective meeting disciplines applied?
• Decision Making: Are powers of delegation clearly defined and communicated & aligned with the organisational culture?
• Policies & Rules: Are both enterprise wide and functional policies and rules documented & communicated with consequences for non-compliance?
• Risk Management: Is the organisation's risk appetite appropriate to its strategy; is there a defined approach to risk identification and mitigation?

Performance Management:

We work with business leaders to design a performance management process that sets clear metrics and targets, with an inbuilt review cycle and root-cause analysis linked to reward mechanisms.

• Holistic Metrics Are metrics linked to delivery of strategy both current performance & future potential, a mix of leading & lagging indicators?
• Target Setting: Are clear targets (based on external benchmarks) set, communicated and linked to reward?
• Measurement: Is measurement at the appropriate intervals and against agreed definitions?
• Root Cause Analysis: Is there adequate capability devoted to root cause & trend analysis and agreed improvements implemented in a timely fashion?
• Celebrate Success: Is the achievement of targets celebrated and success stories shared across the organisation?

Culture:

We see culture as the 'glue' that holds the organisation together in good times and bad and using cultural assessment tools we look to understand the following:

• Formalised: Is the organisation's culture clearly articulated, aligned to its strategy and linked to performance management?
• Role-Modelling: Does the leadership of the organisation role model its culture and carry out cultural assessments to ensure on-going alignment to strategy?
• Collaboration: Does the culture foster collaboration across functions and geographies?
• Values & Behaviours: Is the culture under-pinned by a documented set of values and behaviours?
• High Performance: Does the culture embed a mind-set of continuous improvement, on-going learning and renewal?