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Insights from the front line of transformation

Articles, guides, checklists and perspectives for every service and sub-service.

A clean, simple automated line in a modern facility
Perspective

Redesign before you automate

Automating a poor process makes the problem faster. Why redesign should come first, which steps to remove and combine, and when a process is ready for technology.

Business process reengineering (BPR) / 4 min read
Factory floor with an operator recording production at a line-side station
Article

Plan to produce: connecting plans to the shop floor

Production plans often fail because information moves slowly between planners and operators. How sharing one plan, capturing actuals promptly and reviewing variances weekly closes the gap.

Business process reengineering (BPR) / 5 min read
Procurement specialist reviewing an order against a delivery document
Guide

Procure to pay: controls without delay

Purchasing needs control, but too many approvals slow the business and encourage workarounds. How to tier approvals, match before paying and use preferred suppliers well.

Business process reengineering (BPR) / 6 min read
A small seedling growing on an office windowsill
Article

Start small: why the first release should be modest

A small first release gets feedback early and reduces risk. Solve one complete job for a small group, ship it quickly and let real use guide what comes next.

Custom Application Development / 5 min read
Warehouse dispatch area with finance office above
Guide

Order to cash: where redesign pays back

The path from customer order to cash collected touches sales, operations and finance. Small gaps add up. A practical guide to the redesign points that pay back fastest.

Business process reengineering (BPR) / 6 min read
Hands passing a folder between colleagues in a corridor
Article

Control gaps hide in handoffs

Many control failures occur not inside a step but between steps, where responsibility passes from one person, team or system to another. How to find and close those gaps.

Process diagnostics and business process evaluation / 5 min read
Procedure binder on a workbench with work going on behind it
Perspective

Documented is not actual

Written procedures describe how work should happen. Observation shows how it does. Why the gap exists, why it matters, and what to do once you have seen it.

Process diagnostics and business process evaluation / 4 min read
A path dividing into two routes through woodland
Guide

Build or buy: a decision guide for business software

Custom software is right when your process is a source of advantage or packaged products force costly compromises. Here is how to decide.

Custom Application Development / 6 min read
Laptop showing a timeline of process durations
Article

Reading process data without a mining tool

Specialist process mining tools help, but much can be learned from simple exports of system data and a spreadsheet. How to find cycle times, the long tail and the gap between data and opinion.

Process diagnostics and business process evaluation / 5 min read
Tangled industrial conveyor routes representing a complex process
Checklist

Seven signs a process needs redesigning

Some processes can be tuned, and others need a fresh design. Seven signs that point to the second group, and how to decide what to do next.

Process diagnostics and business process evaluation / 4 min read
Sticky notes mapping a process on a wall
Guide

How to map a process in a day

Process mapping does not need weeks. A focused one-day session with the people who do the work can reveal most of the issues and produce a practical improvement list.

Process diagnostics and business process evaluation / 6 min read
A simple performance dashboard on a monitor in a quiet office
Checklist

Designing KPIs that leaders actually use

A good performance framework has few measures that people understand and can influence. A checklist for linking KPIs to strategy, assigning owners and retiring reports nobody reads.

Operating model design / 3 min read
Central hub building connected to surrounding offices
Perspective

Shared services: when centralising helps and when it hurts

Centralising common work such as finance or procurement can save cost and improve control, if done with discipline. Three conditions separate shared services that help from those that hurt.

Operating model design / 4 min read
Phone, tablet and laptop showing the same layout at different sizes
Guide

Designing for mobile first

For many organisations, most first visits happen on a phone. Starting the design there forces clear priorities and improves the experience on every screen.

Design Services / 6 min read
Open-plan office organised into connected teams
Guide

How to choose between functional, divisional and matrix structures

No organisation structure is perfect. Each optimises something and costs something else. A practical guide to choosing between functional, divisional and matrix designs.

Operating model design / 6 min read
Documents waiting in an in-tray for approval
Article

Decision rights: the hidden cost of slow approvals

Many organisations are slow not because people work slowly but because it is unclear who may decide. How to map decisions, remove layers and set clear limits.

Operating model design / 5 min read
Three diverging paths representing routes to growth
Article

Choosing between organic growth, partnership and acquisition

Each route to growth trades speed, control and risk differently. A simple comparison helps leaders choose on purpose rather than by habit or opportunity.

Market positioning and growth strategy / 5 min read
Business traveller arriving in a new city market
Checklist

A first-year plan for entering a new market

Entering a new market is easier with a plan that sequences learning before large spending. A quarter-by-quarter checklist for the first twelve months.

Market positioning and growth strategy / 4 min read

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