Value
Project impact on operating performance
Projects usually exist to improve operating performance. The project creates something to improve output, speed, quality or safety, to be more competitive, or to save money. Often the project does two or three of those things. Projects help us get better and realise benefits. At least that is what is supposed to happen. Projects need…
Read MoreSuccessful AI Adoption starts with the right Foundations and Capability
New Zealand is moving quickly when it comes to generative AI. Tech NZ’s August 2026 report Digital Foundations First: A Practical Pathway for New Zealand SMEs places New Zealand third among APEC economies for generative AI use among the working-age population. New Zealand is embracing AI, but adoption alone doesn’t drive business transformation. For real…
Read MoreImplementing strategy is a team sport
Image source: Strategy Implementation Institute Experience delivers results I am an experienced consultant but I learn new things every day because I make an effort to do so. Being active in professional associations helps me mix with experts at home and across the world. Last month I joined a workshop where we all talked through…
Read MoreOpen for business
Holiday mode We don’t have a White Christmas in New Zealand. We head off to the beach, lake or river. I like summer holidays as much as the next Kiwi but Hague Consulting is open for business now and in January. Being open for business means being open to opportunities for growth, innovation, optimisation and…
Read MoreCut your coat to fit your cloth
Should we budget based on our bank balance or our wish list? There is an old saying : “Cut your coat to fit your cloth”. We should make our plans based on the resources we have, not what we wish we had. I had reason to reflect on that recently for personal reasons which I…
Read MoreProductivity is simple … and complicated
What is productivity? Productivity is both simple and complicated. Productivity measures the efficiency with which we convert capital, labour and materials into outputs. It is simple because we measure productivity by units of output divided by units of input. Lots of different inputs make productivity complicated. It may not be obvious how those inputs interact…
Read MoreOpportunities we miss
I live in Wellington, New Zealand, the windiest city on earth. But as I walked through Parliament grounds this morning, all the flags were hanging limply. It is a clear, still, mid-winter day. The harbour is flat as a pancake, perfect for kayaking or paddle-boarding but…there are always opportunities we miss. Why we miss opportunities…
Read MoreTransformation creates value. Are you transforming or 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.…
Read MoreData analysis gives us better outcomes
Data helps make things happen. It helps us understand what is happening and what might happen next. Data helps us make better choices for better outcomes. Artificial intelligence (AI) is exciting because it automates and speeds up pattern recognition but we can collect, analyse and learn from data without AI. AI doesn’t work without data.…
Read MoreDoing things badly costs money
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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