Our Approach

The consulting industry tends to be less advanced than the industries it serves. Consulting is characterized by small firms (few have more than 5 staff) who focus on one-of projects, make little use of opportunities for leverage, and face significant limitations in their ability to accelerate projects or gear up for peak periods of high demand. There is little specialization. Rather, consultants are jack-of-all-trades, participating in all aspects of the business from writing proposals to conducting research and preparing reports. With few exceptions, there is little brand name awareness. There is high turnover amongst both firms and industry participants, facilitated by the ease of market entry and exit. Unlike many other professional industries that have progressed towards efficient operating models, consulting remains very much a cottage industry.

We intend to change that. We recognize that the consulting process is very much open to specialization. While the focus may vary from assignment to assignment, the process does not. Each assignment consists of the same basic components:

• Preparation of the proposal;

• Secondary and primary research;

• Analysis;

• Report write-up (or delivery of the output);

• Presentation of the results; and

• Assistance with implementation.

We do not believe that the traditional model, where one consultant is involved in each stage of the process, is best for the client, the firm or the consultant. Few consultants are equally effective at all aspects of the business. Skills associated with certain components tend to be in short supply while others are relatively easy to access.

Rather than having just one consultant perform an entire project, our business model creates project teams of specialists who each focus on one or several components of the project. One staff member will write the proposal, one may manage the project and write the report, and others may assist in the research and the analysis. Our business model is designed to be:

• Specialized. Staff focus on developing their skills and gaining experience in specific aspects of consulting assignments. Specialized skills improve the quality of the final product.
  

• Cost-efficient. The model achieves cost-efficiencies by breaking the assignment into smaller components and clearly defining the roles and responsibilities of each project member in that process. In addition, for components that are easier to perform, the model substitutes less expensive staff for more expensive staff.
  

• Leveraged. Key staff members can focus on those areas where they add the greatest value, rather than participating in all aspects of the assignment.
  

• Standardized. Common approaches, procedures, formats, and tracking mechanisms exist for each of the project components.
  

• Responsive. A model that facilitates the participation of multiple staff members on a single assignment reduces the turnaround time on assignments. It is easier to gear up to get the project out the door faster. The time required for the research component of the project can be reduced which can increase the time available for analysis and write-up.
  

• Focused on continuous improvement. A key objective of the model is to continuously improve our processes, formats, materials, and tracking systems and incorporate those improvements into our business processes to extend and deepen our competitive advantages.

We place a high priority on customer service and strong quality control. We establish a single senior contact person for each assignment, implement strong project planning and management procedures, obtained approval of the study work plan prior to commencing the field research, maintain close communication with clients over the course of the assignment, and conduct exit surveys with clients to identify opportunities for further improvement.