consulting4results Approach and Products - Business Performance Management

Approach and Products - Business Performance Management

This page describes the generic approach and lists the typical products/deliverables you can expect on a consulting assignment.

Approach

1) Health-Check

Best practice to have 15 to 20 key business performance indicators, a focus on measuring what counts and what can be controlled/ influenced rather than things that are easy to measure, and a balance of ‘leading’ and ‘lagging’ indicators of performance. This health check examines these and other best practice characteristics of an excelling performance management system. At the end of the ‘health’ check you will get a report.

2) Review business vision and/or strategy

Using a range of structured analytical techniques we will
work with you to review and develop your business vision and/or strategy. This is typically done in workshops to reduce the impact on busy staff and senior executives

3) Review/design performance indicators

A typical assignment lasts around 10 days, during which we will normally:

Review existing strategy documents, business plans and performance indicators; design and prepare for a one-day Workshop

Deliver a one-day Workshop to design a balanced and manageable set of business performance indicators derived from strategy that conform to best practice criteria (e.g., devising a balance of ‘leading’ and ‘lagging’ indicators; focussing on the most important business levers that you can control/influence; choosing indicators that will drive good behaviour)

Create and approve a data dictionary describing for each performance indicator: what is being measured, how and why; frequency of measurement; ownership/accountability; data source and availability; baselines; targets; and tolerances. Systems Thinking, Benchmarking, Process Mapping, and Value Chain Analysis are just some of the structured techniques used to augment the development of the data dictionary

4) Systems Thinking

We would create a model showing the dynamic cause and effect relationships between your performance indicators. This understanding will help the owners of the performance indicators to a) conduct structured root cause analysis and therefore solve problems; and b) consider the impact of corrective action to fix business performance issues problems thus minimising the risk of unintended consequences.

5) Project portfolio alignment

This is a systematic review of the links between planned/existing projects and strategic goals normally conducted in Workshops. A range of structured techniques can be used - for example: cost/benefit analysis; Systems Thinking; and Benefits Mapping

6) Creating robust line of sight

Typically there are a number of stages to this work:

Identifying with staff at all grades the extent to which performance indicators can be cascaded to: business unit level; departmental level; team level; and individual level

Creating a process or Flow Chart for cascading, negotiating and signing-off performance indicators and associated targets. This involves designing a blueprint, walking staff through the new process in a ’model office’ environment to get feedback; testing the blueprint against real indicators and targets; and then finalising the blueprint

Designing a detailed annual planning timeline showing when the cascade activities will happen

7) Transition planning

Organisations will often run the old and new set of business performance indicators in parallel until the ‘go live’ date. There are a number of issues that need to be addressed to ensure a successful switchover. We can help you plan for the transition to avoid the many pitfalls that can arise

8) ‘Critical Friend’ advice

You can call on an ad hoc basis (normally facilitated by a call-off contract) to provide advice and guidance

9) Training

Off-the-shelf training courses are available

which can be customised to meet your specific need. More information is shown on the training page of this website

Products

Here are typical products/deliverables you can expect from a business performance measurement and management consulting assignment:

Health Check Report with recommendations for improving the way in which you measure and manage business performance

New/refreshed strategic goals (an important pre-requisite for designing performance indicators)

Balanced set of business performance indicators, including a comprehensive data dictionary

Systems Thinking model

Prioritised portfolio of projects aligned to strategic imperatives

Quantified risks for inclusion in your Risk Register

Process and planning timeline for cascading and negotiating business performance targets

Transition strategy/plan from old to new business performance indicators

Demonstrable and measurable skills transfer

Training courses

If you have any questions, or would like to discuss how we might be able to help you, please send an e-mail to:

info@consulting4results.co.uk