Our Approach
“I often find our clients are surprised by how smoothly an assignment or a project has been accomplished, the magnitude of cost saving, and how few problems or obstacles were encountered. Avoiding a problem from ever occurring in the first place is the best possible outcome and it only comes with experience and forethought.”
– Colin Stonehouse, Principal
Innovation is normal business is a frame of mind that has
no up-front cost but delivers the potential for incredible benefit. Whether for a small task or a major project, our approach is to systematically plan in way that encourages questioning and diverse insights that lead to innovations and better outcomes.
Everyone is accountable within our teams but also our suppliers and clients. Accountability only brings benefits though if it is delivered on. Our approach is to clarify all accountabilities at the outset and then to routinely monitor and report on them. Our experience is that problems are detected and remedied early, or avoided completely, by genuine attention.
Avoiding unnecessary costs can be achieved in many ways. Whilst it is counterintuitive, our approach to cost reduction will normally also reduce time and improve quality. Key elements of our approach are to validate the “critical success criteria” at the outset to avoid unnecessary hold-points later; structure the activity to eliminate unnecessary processes, overheads, fees and margins; provide routine transparency and reporting; and, facilitate continuous stakeholder feedback or direction.
Streamlining the delivery pathway as set out above in our approach to cost reduction, has the added benefit of also dramatically improving the probability of success. Not just through the tangible benefits of improved cost, time and quality, but because there is greater alignment of stakeholders, a clear delivery pathway and reduced obstacles, resistance and burden to management.
Building capability is not just a philosophical consideration but is delivered on the job as a normal outcome. Capability is comprised of know-how, experience and skills but also processes and knowledge systems. It is impossible to commence a new activity already having perfected all of these capabilities, and it is impossible to successfully complete an activity without further building on capabilities along the way. Our approach recognises the capability building that naturally occurs in people and systems on all activities, we systematically encourage it for our stakeholders and us, and manage it for our future benefit.
