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Drive Explosive Growth With Comprehensive Business Assessment

Jan Malasek • Oct 09, 2020

An Independent Business Assessment presents an often overlooked opportunity to drive dramatic value creation and profitable growth.  Given the ever-increasing pace of change driven by enabling technologies and emerging risks such as pandemics, it is more essential than ever for businesses to drive their offerings and performance to the highest possible levels. The Assessment can be done quickly (typically 4 to 5 weeks for small to medium sized businesses), does not require a significant resource commitment and delivers prioritized opportunities to improve business performance and mitigate risk. This comprehensive Assessment covers Business Strategy, Deployment, Value Stream Core and Support Processes, Organization Design, Competencies and Performance, and Hard Assets (Footprint, Systems, Facilities, Equipment).

Below are several areas where opportunities are often found:

  • Business Strategy, Plan and Deployment – maintains a realistic, actionable Strategy Deployment with demonstrates progress on plan.
  • Management Operating System – has effective PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) based Business Management System with effective design of KPIs, reports, meetings to plan and achieve the business annual and strategic goals.
  • Value Stream Best Practice Processes – standard work is documented, deployed and managed for compliance, effectiveness and continual improvement
  • High Performing Team Culture – maintains and demonstrates progress to plan on an Organization Development Plan driven by Business Strategy

Jim Schoen, a member of our OnDemand Professional Network has has completed many assessments during his Executive and Consulting career and has a structured approach for delivering the best value creation opportunities. His recent work is highlighted in the Case Study below.

CASE STUDY – $25M Consumer Packaged Goods (Cannabis) Supplier

The Venture Capital Board of a $5M Cannabis start-up asked for a comprehensive business assessment reflecting concerns about slower than expected growth rate. A four-week business assessment delivered findings and prioritized recommendations including Financial Modeling, Process Standard Work, Management Operating System (MOS) and Organization Development (OD). The Board approved the implementation phase to develop and deploy those four immediate priorities. The Management Operating System consisted of a Plan-Do-Check-Act Management Process to lead business success including KPIs, reporting and meeting cadence and design. Standard Work included SOP Standard Operating Procedures for nine core processes and thirty two sub-processes. Organization Development included the documentation of process lead job descriptions matched to the standard work and leadership coaching of the process leaders. Financial modelling entailed the development of a pro forma cash flow model to sustain liquidity with reserves at all times. 

Results were dramatic: Sales increased within 10 months from a $5M to a $25M annual run rate and were projected to reach over a $36M run rate.  Cash Flow and Profit both went from negative to double digit positive % of Sales. Team productivity and morale improved dramatically based on clear job descriptions and process design.

GUIDELINES FOR EFFECTIVE BUSINESS ASSESSMENT INITIATIVE

  • Thoroughly prepare prior to engagement with information request and review, best practice tailoring, workplan, value stream assessment framework (“Business Assessment Value Stream Mapping”)
  • Conduct robust kickoff meeting to communicate assessment goals & plan and meet process owners and key stakeholders
  • Engage Leading Executive Sponsor for Business or Business Unit
  • Engage Process owners in limited interviews
  • Assess performance through Gemba kaizen walks and selected meetings
  • Just Do It – Identify &/or implement quick wins as they surface
  • Present Deliverable of prioritized opportunities (“Opportunity Radar Chart”), fact based performance dashboards (“Performance Dashboard”) and process scorecard and assessments (“Business Assessment Summary and Scorecard”)

MEET JIM SCHOEN

OnDemand Professional Network Member Since 2015

Jim is an experienced Operating Executive and Management Consultant focused on assessing, improving and growing businesses across diverse industries including Aerospace, Industrial Products, Consumer Packaged Goods, Food & Beverage and Logistics. He has worked for and with companies of all sizes ranging from $5M to over $50B in sales – A.T.Kearney, Danaher, Colfax, Boeing, Northrop-Grumman, Raytheon, General Motors, FedEx, Treehouse Foods, Los Angeles Department of Water & Power and many others. With depth in General and Program Management, Operations/Supply Chain, Product Development, Lean process improvement and Leadership / Team Development, Jim brings a full consulting toolset to client success including Business Assessment, Strategy, Value Stream, Problem Solving, Project Management, and team and best practice process development. Jim has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and an MBA from UCLA.

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