OPERATIONS IMPROVEMENT OVERVIEW

The Concept

Different unplanned and potentially catastrophic business and economic events will create crisis situations that require time critical action to “stop the bleeding”, solve the underlying problem, develop a plan and implement the plan. Often, an experienced, independent professional can help regain control. However, in addition to crisis and turnaround situations, less dramatic business and managerial challenges can also occur as a result of implementing business plans, planned projects, continuous improvement or a discovery in the course of normal operations. Both types of situations require an approach that addresses one or more of the dimensions that effect, or are affected by, a business activity - process, organization and information systems. Usually, complex challenges are a combination of these dimensions and ignoring one or more of them usually results in incomplete solutions that, in spite of how well the parts that were addressed are performed, the solution as a whole often fails. Whether implementing cost reductions, downsizings or reorganizations to overcome temporary challenges or achieving high benefit outcomes for normal operations, an experienced professional can add good value and help you focus on all relevant dimensions of the challenge. Our service offerings are listed by dimension.

Crisis Management and Turnarounds

  • Problem Assessment, Financial, Inventory and Production Analysis, Root Cause Analysis, Temporary Workarounds and Recommendations
  • Solution Pilots and Complete Implementations.

Organization

  • Organization Assessment, Structure Design and Job Definition can include Existing Skills Assessment, Education Requirements Definition, Impartial Employee Evaluations and Position Selection
  • Change Readiness Assessment and Change Management Planning
  • Organization Transformation

Process

  • Workflow Assessment, Value-Added Analysis, Root Cause Determination and Benchmark Comparisons
  • Improvement Recommendations with Rationale
  • Process Design or Reengineering with “Best Practice” Identification
  • “Quick Hit”, Pilot and Complete Solution Implementations

Information Systems

  • IS Department Reviews including Process, Operations, Organization Business Systems Effectiveness, Technology Infrastructure, Data Security, Disaster Recovery, and Service Level Agreement Compliance
  • IS Department Process Redesign, Organization Design and staff de- or redeployment.
  • Technology Enabler Identification
  • Functional Requirements Definition, High-level Process Architecture and Data Design
  • RFP Preparation and Proposal Evaluation
  • Solution Pilots
  • Packaged Software Modifications
  • Software Design and Development
  • Testing
  • Process Flow integration
  • Skill Requirements and Education
  • Complete Solution Implementation

For specific examples of these services, please click - Illustrative Accomplishments