Business Consulting Services | Twyla Garrett

1
Business Consulting Services

• Twyla Garrett

2
Agenda

• Problem Definition discussion
• Problem Definition Exercise
• Objectives
• Understand the Problem Definition Process
• Be Able to Define a Clients Problem

3
Ultimate Goal HereHow Do You Get Here?
Get Here
4
5 Fatal Flaws of Consulting

• Projects not defined in terms of client results
• Unrealistic solutions beyond the resources
• Unrealistic solutions one big change
• Non-collaborative consulting
• Labor intensive use of consultants (instead of
  leveraged use)

5
Good Consulting Techniques

1. Project goals are defined in terms of measurable
   improvements in client bottom-line results.
2. Project scope determined by assessing what the
   client organization will be willing and able to
   absorb and implement.
3. Projects divided into steps to produce rapid
   results and experience that lay foundation for
   further progress.
4. Client and consultant work together as
   partnership at every stage of the project.
5. Client teams take major responsibility for the
   project, and consultants provide unique, focused
   support.

6
Whats a Problem?

• Something that isnt right that has finally
  reached the point that it cant be ignored any
  longer.

7
Problem Definition

• Excellent Consulting
• begins with
• Accurate
• Problem Definition

8
Problem Definiton

• What is the difference between
• The Symptoms and The Problem?

9
Presenting Problems Symptoms

• Symptom - Back Pain
• Ask questions
• Where? In the middle of my back sometimes my
  neck.
• How long? About 2 hours.
• When does it hurt? It started when I was
  shoveling snow. It goes away if I sit down and
  rest.
• Are there any significant medical issues in your
  family? Dad died from a heart attack.
• Do Research
• Check Pulse rapid
• Check BP high
• Check Breathing labored and shallow
• Check Skin pink, cool and damp
• Hypothesis Heart attack.
• Treatment Immediate cardiac care.

• Symptom - Back Pain
• Ask questions
• Where? In the middle of my back.
• How long? About 2 hours.
• When does it hurt? It started when I was
  shoveling snow. It goes away if I sit up straight
  and dont turn my head.
• Are there any significant medical issues in your
  family? No.
• Do Research
• Check Pulse normal
• Check BP normal
• Check Breathing slightly elevated and shallow
• Check Skin pink, warm dry
• Hypothesis Strained back muscles.
• Treatment Ibuprofen, heat, relaxation.

10
Presenting Problems Symptoms

• Symptom - Back Pain
• Ask questions
• Where? In the middle of my back sometimes my
  neck.
• How long? About 2 hours.
• When does it hurt? It started when I was
  shoveling snow. It goes away if I sit down and
  rest.
• Are there any significant medical issues in your
  family? Dad died from a heart attack.
• Do Research
• Check Pulse rapid
• Check BP high
• Check Breathing labored and shallow
• Check Skin pink, cool and damp
• Hypothesis Heart attack.
• Treatment Immediate cardiac care.

• Symptom - Back Pain
• Ask questions
• Where? In the middle of my back.
• How long? About 2 hours.
• When does it hurt? It started when I was
  shoveling snow. It goes away if I sit up straight
  and dont turn my head.
• Are there any significant medical issues in your
  family? No.
• Do Research
• Check Pulse normal
• Check BP normal
• Check Breathing slightly elevated and shallow
• Check Skin pink, warm dry
• Hypothesis Strained back muscles.
• Treatment Ibuprofen, heat, relaxation.

11
Presenting Problems

• Presenting Problem Profitability
• Ask Questions
• What has happened to sales? Remained steady.
• What has happened to expenses? Increased
• What areas have increased the most? Cost of Goods
  Sold (COGS)
• Why? Im not sure.
• Research
• Industry Norms
• Historical COGS up
• Break down components of COGS shipping costs
  30 above industry norm.
• Hypothesis Examine ways to lower shipping costs
  of raw materials.

• Presenting Problem Profitability
• Ask Questions
• What has happened to sales? Declined.
• What has happened to expenses? Increased
  slightly.
• What products have declined the most? Our pink
  widgets.
• Why? Im not sure.
• Research
• Industry Norms
• Historical Pink Striped widget sales are down
• Competition, trends, pricing, etc.
• Hypothesis Competition has increased in the Pink
  widget business and technology has made Striped
  widgets unnecessary.

12
Presenting Problems

• Presenting Problem Profitability
• Ask Questions
• What has happened to sales? Remained steady.
• What has happened to expenses? Increased
• What areas have increased the most? Cost of
  Goods Sold (COGS)
• Why? Im not sure.
• Research
• Industry Norms
• Historical COGS up
• Break down components of COGS shipping costs
  30 above industry norm.
• Hypothesis Examine ways to lower shipping costs
  of raw materials.

• Presenting Problem Profitability
• Ask Questions
• What has happened to sales? Declined.
• What has happened to expenses? Increased
  slightly.
• What products have declined the most? Our pink
  widgets.
• Why? Im not sure.
• Research
• Industry Norms
• Historical Pink Striped widget sales are down
• Competition, trends, pricing, etc.
• Hypothesis Competition has increased in the Pink
  widget business and technology has made Striped
  widgets unnecessary.

13
Defining the Problem
1. Uncover the Presenting Problems.
2. Identify the key questions to ask and
investigate further.
3. Answer the key questions and define the
overall issue.
4. Define a course of action.
14
Issue Decomposition

• Issue Decomposition A tool to define/structure
  key questions to be answered to solve a business
  issue (i.e., Issue Tree)
• Issue Tree Enables You to
• Clearly state a business problem
• Understand the business problems key drivers and
  components
• Identify interrelationships between factors
• Comprehensively answer/address the business
  problem
• Organize efforts to collect relevant information
• Communicate your approach, and, eventually, your
  recommendations in a logical fashion