Transformation creates value. Are you transforming or tinkering?

Transformation creates value. Will your rocket fly or are you just tinkering?

Transformation creates value while tinkering just keeps us busy. Transformation is driven by a strategic focus on being in a different place in the future. Strategic transformation redefines an organisation’s operations, identity and direction. That can mean entering new markets, shifting from products to services, digitalisation at scale, switching from physical stores to online etc.…

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Doing things badly costs money

Silly image of two people multitasking

One short piece of free advice: “Doing things badly costs money.” I’m a management consultant. Recently someone asked me if that meant giving people advice all the time. I replied that it was more about observing and asking questions. We then analyse and apply lessons from one context to a different one while taking account…

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Global shocks and taking stock

Globe in devastated landscape

How do we manage big global shocks? How do we prepare for the next one? Today I attended a guest lecture at The Treasury – New Zealand. The speaker was Dr Allan Bollard, former Secretary of NZ Treasury & Governor Reserve Bank of New Zealand and currently Professor at Victoria University of Wellington. Dr Bollard…

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Ghost benefits and real project benefits

Ghost benefits are scary. They threaten to use up your money, time and reputation with nothing to show for it. Ghost benefits are the imaginary gains from projects that haunt business cases, PowerPoint presentations and project meetings. Most people know they aren’t real but they won’t say anything in case little Jimmy still believes in…

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Project rescue – a simple guide

A project rescue is a structured approach to save a failing project. Your project fails when quality, scope, budget, or schedule does not meet expectations. It can also fail because the business case no longer stacks up. Projects exist to implement strategy so a project rescue saves your strategy and maybe your business or your…

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Project success vs organisational success

people celebrating success - rocket ship taking off

Projects implement strategic change. If a project meets its goals (succeeds) then the organisation meets its goals (succeeds). Right? Well maybe. Let’s take a closer look at success, value, strategic goals and what they mean for projects and organisations. What does success look like? Are project managers responsible for project delivery or for strategic goals…

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Back office projects can deliver clear payback

Image of people working in office

Payback on back office productivity projects Back office productivity projects should deliver clear payback. That may be reduced process time, less rework, fewer errors, faster throughput, less waste, fewer handoffs, fewer complaints, higher staff satisfaction, better profitability, more timely data, higher customer satisfaction, etc. These benefits can and should be defined and measured. They can…

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How does ERP add value in a property business?

Hologram of suited figure holding tbalet with holograms of business icons hovering above it

An Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system can help a property business deliver its strategy. It is up to each business to decide what that means. How does ERP help deliver strategy? Strategy delivery may mean ERP or any system is not a magic bullet No ERP or other property system is a silver bullet for…

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The Value for Money (VfM) gap

Unicyclist on tightrope bridging value for money gap

What is the Value for Money gap? The value for money gap is a lack of confidence that money is being spent on the right things and in the best way to get desired outcomes. It arises when spending choices do not reflect perceived priorities and when spending is seen as wasteful. It is subjective…

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What is a feasibility study?

A feasibility study is an early examination of the merits of an idea, proposal or project. It looks at whether or not it can be done, its likelihood of success and, perhaps most importantly, identifies the factors that could lead to success or failure. It gives an independent assessment that examines all aspects of a…

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Back office key to delivering strategy

Operators controlling aircraft to symbolise key role of back office

The back office is key to delivering strategy. Operational excellence is a deliberate state created by people, processes and systems aligned to create value. It doesn’t happen by accident. We know that making back office functions work better is more effective than wholesale cuts. Optimising back office operations is strategically important. In fact, a well-designed…

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Budgets are strategic tools so pruning is better than slashing

Image of woman pruning & shaping topiary

Budgets are strategic tools – they allocate resources to strategic priorities. Pruning and shaping spending is better than slashing and burning. It is easy to cut costs by slashing but it is hard to prune and shape an organisation. Strategic budgeting shapes long-term value. Pruning and shaping needs a focus on value streams I made…

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ERP return on investment (ROI)

Stylised flat image of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems promise benefits but it takes time and effort to achieve the promised results. You need a recipe for success. An ERP system return on investment (ROI) is not guaranteed. In 2012, Auckland city forecast a NZ$10 million per year return on its SAP ERP system investment of NZ$71million. By 2014…

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Data analysis is exciting

Female professional examining data on laptop - biting nail.

Data helps make things happen. Data helps us understand what has happened and data can tell us what might happen. Data helps us make better choices for better outcomes. Artificial intelligence (AI) is exciting because it opens up new ways to work with data but we can collect, analyse and learn from data without AI.…

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Unleashing the improvement mindset

Abstract image of coloured streams by Julia Kuris to show unleashing mindset

Unleashing the right mindset for improvement is key to success. This week’s blog is different. It is not about our firm, our work or our people. It is about a book from one of the most positive people I know – Darcy Mellsop of CILab. Productivity and continuous improvement New Zealand needs to improve its…

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