Our Consulting Services

Business Process Optimisation and Redesign

What We Include in Business Process Optimisation

• Detailed mapping of current business processes including all steps, decision points, and involved parties
• Identification of process inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and opportunities for streamlining
• Analysis of cycle times, resource utilisation, and costs associated with current processes
• Benchmarking of processes against industry standards and best practices where applicable
• Facilitation of process improvement workshops with operational staff and management
• Design of optimised process flows that eliminate unnecessary steps whilst maintaining necessary controls
• Development of implementation plans including process documentation, training requirements, and system changes
• Support with initial implementation and transition to new processes

Process Optimisation Methodology

Our approach begins with detailed process mapping conducted through interviews with staff involved in the process, review of systems and documentation, and observation of actual process execution where feasible. This creates a clear picture of how the process currently operates, who is involved, what systems are used, and where delays or inefficiencies occur.

We then analyse the mapped process to identify improvement opportunities. This includes identifying non-value-adding steps that could be eliminated, activities that could be combined or resequenced, decision points that could be simplified, and opportunities for automation or system integration. We benchmark your process performance against industry standards to understand how your cycle times and costs compare to comparable organisations.

We then work with your operational team through facilitated workshops to develop improved process designs. These improved designs are evaluated for practical feasibility within your organisational context, system capabilities, and resource constraints. We develop implementation plans that address process changes, supporting system modifications, staff training requirements, and management oversight.

Expected Benefits from Process Optimisation

• Reduced process cycle times and faster throughput
• Lower process costs through elimination of redundant activities and improved resource utilisation
• Reduced errors and rework through clarified process steps and improved controls
• Improved customer or stakeholder satisfaction through faster, more responsive service delivery
• Enhanced employee satisfaction through clearer roles, reduced frustration with inefficient processes, and better workflow
• Improved compliance and control through documented processes and clear accountability
• Capacity created to handle increased volume or to redeploy resources to higher-value activities

Process Optimisation Exclusions

Our business process optimisation service focuses on process efficiency and workflow improvements. The following are outside the scope of this service and would require separate engagement or different service offerings:

• Major IT system implementations or replacements (may be mentioned as supporting change, but system selection and implementation is client responsibility)
• Strategic business model changes or major organisational restructuring (covered under separate services)
• Significant capital investment decisions or facility changes
• Market strategy or product development initiatives

Operational Efficiency Review and Improvement

Key Components of Operational Efficiency Review

• Organisational structure assessment including roles, responsibilities, reporting relationships, and spans of control
• Headcount and resource utilisation analysis to identify over-staffing, under-utilisation, or skill gaps
• Cost structure analysis including direct operating costs, overhead allocation, and cost drivers
• Capacity analysis to understand how effectively current resources are utilised and identify bottlenecks
• Cross-functional coordination assessment to identify opportunities for improved integration
• Management information systems review to ensure leadership has timely, relevant information for decision-making
• Benchmarking of operational metrics against comparable organisations to identify performance gaps
• Supplier and vendor management assessment including contract terms, performance, and negotiation opportunities

Operational Efficiency Improvement Approach

We commence with a comprehensive diagnostic phase involving financial data analysis, interviews with management and operational staff, review of management information systems, and benchmarking against comparable organisations. This diagnostic creates a clear picture of your current operational model, identifies specific areas of inefficiency or underperformance, and establishes baseline metrics for measuring improvement.

Based on diagnostic findings, we facilitate development of improvement recommendations covering structural changes, resource reallocation, process improvements, cost reduction opportunities, and performance monitoring enhancements. Recommendations are prioritised based on potential impact, implementation difficulty, and strategic alignment. We develop detailed implementation plans and support initial implementation of highest-priority improvements.

Typical Operational Improvement Outcomes

• Reduced operating costs through headcount optimisation, cost reduction, and overhead rationalisation
• Improved resource utilisation and capacity to handle increased volume
• Enhanced service responsiveness and quality through better coordination and customer focus
• Improved financial performance and return on invested capital
• Better decision-making through improved management information and reporting
• Clearer accountability through improved organisational structure and role definition
• Reduced duplication and improved coordination across functions

Organisational Structure and Design

Organisational Design Assessment and Redesign

• Analysis of current organisational structure including reporting relationships, roles, responsibilities, and spans of control
• Assessment of how well current structure aligns with business strategy and operational requirements
• Identification of structural issues creating silos, communication difficulties, accountability problems, or inefficiency
• Benchmarking of organisational design against comparable organisations and industry best practices
• Development of alternative structure options addressing identified issues
• Evaluation of alternatives considering strategic alignment, operational effectiveness, implementation feasibility, and change impact
• Development of recommended structure with detailed role definitions and accountability matrix
• Change management planning to support transition to new structure

When Organisational Redesign is Appropriate

Organisational redesign is typically beneficial when your organisation is experiencing rapid growth requiring new capabilities or structure, when structural issues are creating identified problems such as unclear accountability or communication difficulties, when strategic direction has changed requiring different operational focus, or when merger or acquisition integration requires structural changes.

Organisational Design Approach

We begin by understanding your business strategy, current operational model, identified structural issues, and constraints that must be accommodated (such as specific skills that must be retained or cost limitations). We then work with your leadership team to design structures that address identified issues whilst aligning with strategy and accommodating constraints.

Recommended structures are developed with clear role descriptions, accountability matrices defining specific responsibilities and decision rights, and succession planning considerations. We develop change management and communication plans to support transition to the new structure and address potential employee concerns.

Change Management and Implementation Support

Change Management Components

• Change impact assessment identifying affected departments, roles, and staff
• Stakeholder analysis and engagement planning to address concerns and build support
• Communication planning including messages, timing, channels, and responsible parties
• Training needs assessment and training programme design
• Development of implementation roadmap and detailed project plan
• Leadership coaching to support managers in implementing changes within their areas
• Implementation monitoring and issue escalation
• Post-implementation review to assess success and identify additional improvement opportunities

Supporting Successful Implementation

Successful change implementation requires attention to people, processes, and systems. Even well-designed changes fail if staff are not adequately trained, understand the rationale for changes, or have concerns that are not addressed. We provide comprehensive change management support covering communication about why changes are happening, training on new processes or systems, management coaching to support leaders implementing changes, and ongoing support during transition.

Change Management Methodology

Our change management approach includes detailed change impact assessment identifying what changes will be required, who will be affected, what training or support will be needed, and how to sequence implementation to minimise disruption. We develop communication plans ensuring staff understand the rationale for changes and what is expected. We design training programmes ensuring staff have the knowledge and skills needed to operate effectively under new processes or systems. We provide leadership coaching and support to ensure managers can effectively lead their teams through changes.

Strategic Business Reviews

Strategic Review Components

• External environment analysis including market trends, competitive landscape, regulatory developments, and technology changes
• Internal capability assessment of organisational strengths and weaknesses relative to competitors
• Financial and operational performance analysis
• Customer and stakeholder feedback and satisfaction assessment
• SWOT analysis integrating external and internal findings
• Strategic options development and evaluation
• Recommended strategy with supporting implementation roadmap

Cost Reduction and Procurement Optimisation

Cost Reduction Assessment Includes

• Spend analysis to understand what your organisation spends money on and with whom
• Supplier performance and contract assessment to identify renegotiation opportunities
• Competitive benchmarking to understand whether you are paying market rates for services and supplies
• Specification and requirement analysis to identify where specifications may be overly stringent or outdated
• Sourcing strategy development and supplier negotiation support
• Implementation support for new suppliers or revised contracts

Engagement Model and Service Delivery

How We Work With You

Our consulting engagements follow a structured approach ensuring clarity about objectives, methodology, timeline, and expected outcomes. Engagements typically commence with a scoping discussion to clarify your objectives, key issues, constraints, and success measures. We then develop a detailed engagement proposal specifying scope, methodology, timeline, resource requirements, and fees.

Typical Engagement Phases

• Discovery and diagnostic phase involving assessment of current situation, identification of issues, and stakeholder engagement
• Analysis and recommendation development phase involving detailed analysis, benchmark comparisons, and development of improvement recommendations
• Implementation planning and support phase involving development of implementation plans, training requirements, and change management planning
• Implementation support phase providing ongoing consulting support as changes are implemented
• Closeout and transition phase ensuring documentation is complete and your team has knowledge to sustain improvements

Our Engagement Commitments

• Clear communication about what we will do, when, and what you should expect as outcomes
• Regular progress reporting and structured review meetings
• Flexibility to adjust approach based on findings and emerging priorities
• Documentation of all findings, recommendations, and implementation plans in formats you can use
• Knowledge transfer ensuring your team understands recommendations and can implement independently
• Professional conduct and strict client confidentiality

What We Do Not Offer

Whilst we provide comprehensive consulting services covering business processes, operations, and organisational design, there are areas that are outside our service scope or where we recommend other specialists:

• IT system selection and implementation - we assess requirements and recommend system capabilities, but implementation is typically client responsibility or requires IT implementation specialists
• Human resources strategy including compensation design, talent acquisition, and workforce planning - we provide operational structure recommendations but employment strategy is better served by HR specialists
• Financial auditing and account preparation - handled by accountancy firms
• Legal advice - handled by solicitors or legal counsel
• Tax advisory - handled by tax specialists
• Recruitment and executive search - handled by recruitment specialists