REVENUE ENHANCEMENT
- Illustrative Accomplishments
Market Strategy
Assessment
Analyzed existing marketing methods and recommended new go-to-market
strategies for an emerging software development company. Analysis revealed
serious disconnects between sales and marketing with regard to direction,
messaging, both external and internal communications, and tactics. Curing
these problems was critical to the company’s ability to maintain
competitive advantage, as their industry was poised on the threshold
of explosive growth. Result:
After a period of initial and natural resistance to change, the company
implemented many of the recommendations which have resulted in their
emergence as a leader in the industry. TCB
Market Research
Lead market research effort, including customer survey development and
analysis that produced key T1 DSU product features, enabling market
entry for a leading data communications equipment manufacturer. Result:
Transitioned from OEM reseller and improved market position from 11th
to 1st place, in crowded mature market. Product line was one of the
most profitable in the company’s history. JD
Vertical Market
Analysis
Conducted a targeted vertical market analysis and research project for
a Global 500 company entering a new industry via their introduction
of a new appliance targeted at small to medium sized companies for the
management of written communications. Data collection and analysis included
specific information relating to competing product features and benefits
that defined the competitive landscape and enabled effective product
positioning. Result:
The analysis became an integral component of the company’s marketing
plan and facilitated a carefully engineered product introduction that
ultimately resulted in $200 million of additional revenue. TCB
Strategic Market
Creation
Championed frame relay over digital subscriber line (FRoDSL) emerging
market for a leading data communications equipment manufacturing company.
Developed business/technology models, market requirements and negotiated
strategic carrier partnerships to create service offerings.
Result: New growth catalyst for frame
relay market due to reduced access charges incurred by frame relay service
providers. JD
Marketing and Public
Relations
Produced collateral, white papers, trade articles and trade press, propelling
rapid growth of access products for a leading data communications equipment
manufacturer. Result:
Developed relationship as key “go to” resource for industry
press/analysts. Enabled greater market positioning opportunities. Created
Frame Relay over DSL market as catalyst for new Frame Relay services
growth. Positioned traditional network access products leader as a leader
in emerging growth Service Level Management market. JD
Market Development
and Sales Management
Established the Mid-America regional sales office for a Global 50 electronics
manufacturer. In addition to managing the local office and directing
sales growth, marketing plans were conceived and executed, sales quotas
were consistently achieved, customer relationships were managed, and
technical service procedures were designed and implemented. Result:
Directed sales to $1.6 million within the first two years of operation,
becoming the most profitable office for the entire North American division.
TCB
Marketing and Sales
Organization Development
Directed human resources, finance, market penetration and product strategy
for a startup company providing medical transcription services. Responsibilities
included: hiring sales force, developing budget and forecasts and refining
marketing positioning and entry strategies. Result:
Identified key sales personnel to
expedite launch, lead market strategy efforts designed to improve product
acceptance. JD
Channel Strategies
and Product Management
Directed a team responsible for P&L, Product Management/Marketing,
and Channel strategies for 5 product lines for a leading data communications
equipment manufacturing company. Responsibilities included strategic
product planning, marketing and channel implementation, and designing,
implementing and managing forecasting and operational process improvements.
Result:
Grew share from 11th to 1st place in mature T1 digital service unit
(DSU) market with 250% increase in revenue, 600% profit. Reduced build
cycle to one day, and inventory by 60%. Implemented staggered product
delivery, improving revenue flow by 9 months and locked in an exclusive
supplier deal with a major value added reseller (VAR). JD
Sales Channel Management
Directed sales growth of an international commercial electronics manufacturer.
Created and managed sales strategy, organized and supervised trade show
attendance, conducted technical training for channel partners, created
sales collateral and technical manuals, and managed CRM. Direct distribution
to the reseller required a hands-on approach with each of the 50 dealer/VARs
across North America. Result:
Increased market penetration to meet goal of 20% sales growth. TCB
Sales Channel Management
Managed the introduction of a new product line to the distribution network
made up of independent sales representatives serving the dealer/VAR
network. Several design and QC issues complicated product introduction,
which were uncovered and addressed. Result:
Successful product introduction resulted, with goals of 20% growth being
attained across all product lines. TCB
Sales Channel Management
Developed and managed transition of sales channel strategy from Direct
to VAR to Carrier for a leading data communications equipment manufacturer.
Developed marketing programs focused on making the company the largest
VAR partner of the leading global data communications equipment corporation.
Result:
Grew Carrier revenue to 50% of Service Level Management product sales
in 18 months. JD
Sales Process Improvement,
Sales Tool Development, Sales Team Training
Directed the strategy, design, authoring, and implementation of a comprehensive
sales tool engineered to calculate Return On Investment (ROI) and Total
Cost of Ownership (TCO) for a Global 50 company. In addition to being
based on the company’s product-specific value propositions, this
Tool also architected sales methodologies intended to engage the customer
and add structure to the sales presentation. Embedded help and full
documentation were also included. After beta testing, rollout of the
Tool included training of sales teams throughout the United Kingdom
and Europe. Result:
Client payback was realized immediately through expanded engagements
and higher sales closing ratios. TCB
Amortized Price
Modeling - Tool Development
This Global 50 enterprise storage manufacturer sought design of a pricing
tool to support their Just In Time Storage (JITS) delivery program.
This Tool also predicted storage saturation for the enterprise and amortized
storage costs according to current pricing models to arrive at pricing
based upon pre-engineered profit. Result:
This Tool was introduced to an international sales force as critical
component of the JITS program. TCB
Product Development
and Customer Relationship Building
Directed Service Level Management (SLM) products business case, development
and launch for a leading data communications equipment manufacturing
company. This was a key product initiative critical to addressing a
competitive threat and facilitating the company’s successful IPO.
Negotiated IP licensing agreement with another SLM vendor. Result:
Received over 10 major design wins including AT&T, WorldCom, Sprint
and SBC and 5 International PTTs. Improved time to market by 6-9 months.
Achieved 400% revenue growth and a dominant share in the emerging SLM
market. JD
Product Development
and Program Management
Lead business case development; managed R&D team for a leading data
communications equipment manufacturing company. Developed/coded digital
signal processing algorithms and user interface and control processor
algorithms; and matrix managed the product team to deliver major modem
& DSU programs. Result: The
new products contributed 50% of total product revenue in its first year
and was integral to the success of the company’s acquisition by
AT&T. JD
Product Development
and Management
Designed and delivered modems compatible with IBM's dominant management
architecture for a leading data communications equipment manufacturer.
Responsibilities included product design and engineering and product
management. Result: Attained
the #1 market share, $80M revenue on $1.5M budget. JD
Product Development
Lead teams of 5-20 engineers in various data communications systems
projects for a leading data communications equipment manufacturing company.
Managed the budget, integration, quality control and schedule. Result:
Projects consistently delivered under budget and on schedule, providing
critical functional enhancements to the product line. JD
Product Development
Invented and patented digital modem filter design, for a leading data
communications equipment manufacturer. Utilized fast training algorithm
to auto-detect when to apply filter for improved performance, improving
state of the art. Result:
Received patent. Fast training algorithm still used in Digital Subscriber
Line technology today. JD
Product Planning,
Development and Financing
Created product design, business case and market positioning; managed
R&D team, budget and funding efforts for a medical laboratory services
startup company. Result:
Completed product design, development budget, implementation plan, selection
of outsourced engineering team and presented business plan to potential
angel investors. JD
Technology Licensing
and Development Cycle Time Improvement
Licensing and technology transfers with partner R&D teams in Tokyo
and Stockholm for a leading data communications equipment manufacturing
company. Responsibilities included negotiating the terms of the technology
transfer, overseeing the transfer package development and training the
partner R&D teams. Result:
Increased licensing revenue, improving overall product margins and increased
market share in otherwise inaccessible markets. JD
Crisis Management,
Turnaround
Led 12+ person team which assessed and solved the root cause of problems
critically impacting a new order entry, shipping and accounts receivable
system for an $80 million annual revenue company. Problems included
erroneous and missed shipments, incorrect invoices, lost customers,
decreased cash flow, increased working capital loans and potential business
failure. Manual workarounds were improvised to stabilize operations
and repair cash flow. Replacement applications were developed and implemented
quickly and successfully. Result:
Revitalized, perhaps even saved, the company by enabling it to regain
cash flow, repay and stop working capital loans, recover customers and
return to profitability. DFM
Process Improvement,
Organization, and Change Management
Developed process improvements, organization structures, system architectures
and implementation plans for a large subsidiary of a $7 billion financial
services company. Led team of executives and staff to determine “best
practice,” “best personnel”, “best systems”;
defined new process, organization and systems structures for the combined
business. Result:
Protected $10.9 million specialized revenue stream. Improved process
efficiency and a 108-person staff reduction saved $11.4 million annual
recurring costs. DFM
Operations Improvement
Responsible for control systems design and implementation management
of projects for a $1 billion annual revenue Fortune 50 automated manufacturing
operation. Managed 20 maintenance and control technicians in 7x24 operation.
Responsibilities included developing field engineered design changes
to prevent project schedule disruptions to product feature enhancements,
keeping production ahead of product launch demands. Result:
Improved profit through 10% scrap reduction, and gained 3% operational
efficiency through production and warehouse process improvements. This
division drove some of the highest profit margins in the company. JD
Cost Reduction,
Process Improvement and Organization Transformation
Minimized budget and staff growth for a global software and services
business during rapid growth. Analyzed workflow, researched “best
practices” and reengineered the processes to focus on value-added
activities. Changed product development from on-demand, incremental
releases to three planned releases per year. Reengineered the product
support question and issue resolution process from a first-come, first-served
model to a level of problem severity gets the more experienced analyst
model. Instituted cross-training/job rotation within development and
support. Staff grew 20% in two years, active customers grew 600%, from
a base in the U.S. to Europe, South America, Australia and Africa. Estimated
user counts grew over 1300%. Result:
While the service rating remained an “A”, cost per customer
dropped from $47,000 to $13,500 and cost per user plummeted from $4,700
to $460. DFM
Strategic Planning
Partnered with the CEO and management team in the strategic planning
processes of a $200 million business. Over the course of four months,
determined the driving force (Customer Intimacy) and the top five Key
Initiatives for the business. This was tied into the Operational planning
level and reviewed over a two-year period to ensure alignment of strategy
with day-to-day operations. Result:
Grew market share of the business from 15% to 35%. CNM
Strategic Planning
Managed strategic planning projects for several Fortune 500 manufacturing
and retail clients. Engagements included strategic alignment, critical
success factor identification, performance measure definition, strengths/weaknesses/opportunities/threats
analysis, resource scheduling, cost estimating and business case development.
Result: Using
facilitated group work sessions and other planning techniques, usual
planning cycles were reduced from months to weeks, the quality of the
plans improved and greater consensus was achieved. DFM
Strategy and Planning
Directed the efforts to refocus the business of a very early stage online,
science education company. This required a complete rewrite of the business
plan and creation of new financial projections, as well as construction
of a new chart of accounts. Worked with the accountants and legal team
to revalue the company and begin a new and larger round ($1million to
$2million) of private equity financing. Result:
Positioned the company for a greater potential for success. CNM
Business Planning,
Corporate and Financial Infrastructure
Created the corporate and financial infrastructure of a start-up biotechnology
company. Worked with the founder and chief scientist to create a business
plan and model in order to launch a business based on the founder’s
proprietary knowledge and science. Result:
Financial statements have been prepared. A private placement memorandum
was drafted and is currently being used to raise $700,000 in convertible
preferred equity with angels and venture capitalists. CNM
Strategic Planning
Method Review
Managed the review of the method used for strategic planning by a top-ten
electric utility. Project included a detail assessment of management
practices, operational efficiencies and planning procedures. Key areas
reviewed procedures, timing, level of employees assigned to the process
and organization structure, culture and inter-unit dynamics. Result:
Included a comprehensive set of recommendations to improve the strategic
planning process of the company and keep the plan updated throughout
the year. DFM
Finance Process
Improvement and Reorganization
Reengineered the Financial Control Process for the North American consumer
bank of a large money-center bank which included the branch, credit
card, and mortgage businesses. Project entailed redesigning the processes
for closing the books, forecasting, planning, reporting and analysis.
Project scope covered 27,000 employees spread over 28 locations utilizing
over 60 different systems. Result:
Recommendations included reducing headcount and operating expenses by
50% and improving closing cycle time by 6 days. CNM
Financial Turnaround
Managed the financial turnaround of a large applications service provider
that performed information processing for retail, healthcare, construction,
manufacturing and major league sports teams. Financial challenges were
overcome by accelerating collections of receivables, negotiating extended
payment terms for accounts payable and establishing a job cost accounting
system to understand and manage the profitability of customer services
contract. Result:
Gained positive cash flow within two months and achieved profitability
within six months. DFM
Post Acquisition
- Operational Improvement
After the acquisition of a large retirement community, the acquiring
company wished to reduce costs and achieve available economies of scale.
While teamed with the Palmeri Group, we re-engineered most operations.
This required a detailed workflow and value-added analysis. Processes,
jobs and the organization were redesigned. New computer systems were
selected and implemented to provide adequate and timely cost reporting.
The remaining staff was trained to perform their new jobs with the new
system. Result:
The 20% annual cost reduction translated to an almost one-to-one improvement
in the bottom line. DFM
Cost Reduction,
Process Reengineering, Application Implementation and Change Management
Led the management team of a national surgical product manufacturer
during its selection and implementation of an integrated order entry,
manufacturing and financial system. Re-engineered almost every existing
business process in support of the new ERP system. Result:
Improved productivity and interdepartmental communication by removing
non-value-added, difficult, error-prone manual processes, thereby decreasing
order fulfillment time, raw materials inventory and financial closing
cycle days. DFM
IS Process Improvement
Pioneered the assignment of non-development team members to team-lead
responsibilities for newly developed functional software components.
Each lead monitored progress and ensured his/her functional team members
produced their components. A lead on one or more teams could be a member
on one or more others. Result:
Non-technical team members participated earlier in the development process
which made the functionality more intuitive to non-technical users and
allowed non-technical tasks such as developing test plans, training
courses and authoring on-line help to start sooner, realizing a 20%
schedule savings. DFM
IS Cost Effectiveness
Review
Managed an assessment of information systems cost effectiveness for
a $100 million telecommunications company. Engagement included matching
revenue to expenses by line of business, determining user satisfaction
and developing recommendations. Result:
Suggestions included establishing user based steering committee, developing
a help function, acquiring more "user-friendly" query tools
and ensuring software was updated to the most current release. DFM
IS Effectiveness
and Data Security Reviews
Managed computer installation effectiveness and data security reviews
for several large IBM mainframe data processing centers. Engagements
included analysis of computer resource management statistics, departmental
staffing, software development and risk assessment. Result:
Recommendations to improve effectiveness and enhance security. DFM
Systems and IS
Strategy Effectiveness Review
Managed technical aspects of an information system effectiveness and
strategic planning review for a top ten electric utility. Engagement
included a detail assessment of management practices, operational efficiencies
and planning procedures for data processing and telecommunications.
Key areas reviewed included DB2, end user computing, hardware capacity,
microcomputer strategy, data administration, charge-back and organization
structure. Result:
Included a comprehensive set of recommendations to improve information
delivery services to the company. DFM
IS Strategy and
Capacity Planning
Managed several capacity planning and system architecture engagements
for several Fortune 500 manufacturing and retail clients. Engagements
included business systems planning, resource estimating, distributed
processing strategies, use of data base management systems and hardware
sizing. Result:
Systems plans that included computer hardware sizing to improve the
accuracy and narrow hardware cost estimates. Automated capacity planning
models were developed and turned over to the customers for continued
use. DFM
IS Organization
and Systems Effectiveness Review
Managed an information system effectiveness review for a $120 million
oil and gas producing company to improve the automated delivery of financial
and administrative management information. Engagement included analyzing
application system architecture, development methods and information
systems organization structure; preparing a cause and effect presentation;
and developing recommendations. Result:
Improvements included an expanded use of relational data base technology,
CASE tools, and organizational changes. DFM
Consolidation and
Relocation
Assisted a large Fortune 500 Financial Services company evaluate the
economies of scale of combining Waltham, Mass and New York City based
data centers into each other's space or finding a third party location
to hold both. The project included modeling site expansion costs, site
relocation costs, one-time costs (e.g. moving expenses, lease buy-outs,
etc.), ongoing operating cost increases/reductions (e.g. lower per square
foot rent, higher delivery charges, etc.), key employee relocation costs,
employee commuting allowances, etc. In addition, the applications and
architectures of each company were reviewed for synergies. Result:
The majority of the systems running at the Waltham data center could
be migrated to those running in NYC, thereby allowing the phase out
of the Waltham data center and an annual cost savings of $ 1.9 million.
DFM
Software CEO
Implemented new product worldwide for over 500 global corporations.
Established and led a 30-plus person worldwide business unit that designed,
developed and supported large scale project management software for
a top-five global consulting company. Support included authoring documentation,
developing and delivering education, creating marketing materials and
establishing a 12 hours by 5 days worldwide telephone and e-mail customer
support center. Collaborated with corporate attorneys on development
of a standard license agreement. Used external and internal marketing,
industry influencers and “word of mouth” success stories to
generate demand. Result:
Product was developed, implemented and supported successfully at over
500 sites in 20 countries which enabled over 5000 worldwide users to
increase productivity and quality of implementation projects with annual
worth over $500 million. DFM
Interim CFO and
Private Equity Financing
As acting CFO for an established online, pre-publishing company servicing
the scientific and medical society and pharmaceutical markets. Responsibilities
included becoming an active member of the senior management team, guiding
them through the planning stages in preparation for rapid growth, assisting
in the completion and marketing of a $5 million Private Placement Memorandum,
providing the financial leadership and establishing the infrastructure
for the company. Result:
Built a new finance team and implemented financial controls and policies
that will enable the company to grow fivefold over the next four years.
$5 million Private Placement Memorandum is complete and is being marketed.
CNM
Interim Back-Office
and IS Manager
Facilitated operational turnaround of the back office of a large west
coast Florida commercial property management company. Project included
removing a processing bottleneck; redesigning workflow, job descriptions
and organization structure; re-implementing accounting applications;
rescheduled closing cycles and computer operations; realigned responsibilities
and retrained existing staff. Result:
Processing which could not finish overnight was completed by 3:00AM,
closing cycles were reduced from twenty to seven days, past-due rents
reduced 90%, overtime dropped to almost zero and department morale improved.
DFM
Project Management,
Conflict Resolution, Problem Solving
Provided complete project management services for a $2.5 million statewide
security lighting retrofit encompassing over 800 ATM locations for the
largest bank in Florida. Numerous challenges and problems including
communication bottlenecks and product defects were encountered and resolved
over the course of the project. Full fiscal responsibility included
site survey verification, site lighting designs, subcontractor relations
management, subcontractor scheduling, inventory management, all payable
approvals, job completion verification, client invoice management, and
conflict resolution. Result:
Project completed in spite of numerous and significant challenges that
threatened project termination. TCB
Project Management
Led two multi-national project teams for the United Nations successfully
overcoming the cultural differences and competitive natures of team
members who are their country’s “best and brightest”.
Result:
Two high performance teams which developed and implemented a new treasury
management system and a financial and ownership information database
of the 1000 largest global corporations. DFM
Project Management
Established and led 34-plus person team on “crash” product
development project. This team building challenge included finding,
acquiring, training and managing a broad mix of personnel, from senior
subject matter experts to new graduates of an entry-level education
program. Result: The
team successfully designed, constructed, tested and delivered the product
in four months. DFM