Typical engagements
What working with us can look like
Every engagement is shaped around the client's problem, so no two are the same. To give a picture of how hands-on we are, we describe six typical engagements below: the situation that usually leads to them, what we actually do, and what you are left with.
These are general descriptions of the kind of work we do, not accounts of specific clients.
A strategy the organisation can follow
The current strategy is a few years old, the market has moved and the leadership team no longer agrees on what matters most. The plan exists on paper, but daily work carries on much as before.
Typical duration: Two to four months- Interviews with leaders, employees and customers, and time on the floor where the work happens
- Fast analysis of where value is created, and quick tests of the riskiest assumptions
- Workshops where the leadership team makes the hard choices
- Launching the first initiatives together, so the strategy starts moving right away
- Three to five clear priorities, and what you will stop doing
- Owners, milestones and a simple way to follow up
- A leadership team that can explain the strategy in its own words
An organisation built around the strategy
Growth or a new strategy has outgrown the structure. Roles overlap, decisions land on the leadership team's table and good people spend their time working around the organisation.
Typical duration: Two to three months- Mapping how work and decisions really flow today
- Designing structure, roles and decision rights with the people affected
- Rolling out the change step by step, and adjusting as we go
- A clear organisation chart with roles that people understand
- Decision rights that move most decisions closer to the work
- A transition plan with communication and timing
Lower costs without losing what matters
Costs are rising faster than income, and the organisation is asked to do more with the same. A cut across the board is on the table, but nobody believes it will last.
Typical duration: Six to twelve weeks- Working next to the teams to see where time and money leak out
- Testing better ways of working in one team before scaling them
- Measures with effect, cost and risk, implemented together with you
- A plan of measures that protects quality and customers
- Realistic savings, with owners and a timeline
- Simple measures to follow up month by month
Getting a change programme back on track
An important change was decided a year ago. The programme has lost momentum, priorities compete and people have started to wait it out.
Typical duration: From a few weeks to several months- An honest review of what is blocking progress
- A reset of goals, scope and steering, agreed with leadership
- Stepping into the programme ourselves for an agreed period to drive it
- A realistic plan that people believe in
- Clear steering, ownership and follow-up
- Visible progress within the first weeks
Testing a new market before committing
There is an opportunity in a new market, segment or service. Opinions are strong, facts are few, and the investment is large enough that the board wants a solid basis.
Typical duration: Four to eight weeks- Talking to potential customers and partners before building anything
- Simple prototypes, offers and small tests in the market
- A business case built on the test results, and a plan to launch
- A clear recommendation: go, adjust or stop
- A business case the board can make a decision on
- If it is a go, a plan for the first steps
An independent view before a major decision
The board or leadership team faces a major decision, such as an investment, an acquisition or a large project, and wants an outside view before committing.
Typical duration: Two to six weeks- Clarifying the decision and what really needs to be known
- Testing the facts and assumptions behind the proposal, the way an owner would
- A short decision paper with options, consequences and a straight recommendation
- A decision basis that is short, honest and easy to act on
- A clear view of the risks and how to handle them
- Confidence that the important questions have been asked