Business Technology Consulting
The consulting projects I've undertaken over the years tend to fall into "strategic" and "operational" categories. Another way to segment the work is into "diagnostic" and "prescriptive" categories where assessments of technologies, investment strategies, processes, and marketing plans often lead to specific recommendations to buy, build, outsource, invest or divest. The projects last anywhere from a few days to several months; some longer. I’ve consulted for government agencies, private and public companies, private equity venture funds and investment banks. The kinds of projects I’ve undertaken and conduct today – include:
Business Technology Strategy
These services focus on the development and communication of business technology strategies designed to optimize the contribution that technology can make to business. The result is often a formal business technology strategy that is published within the client company.
Business Technology Auditing
These services help senior executives better understand their technology investments and how those investments provide business value. The audits look at strategic, tactical and operational issues connected with business technology optimization. The outcome of these audits is usually recommendations for reorganizing the business technology relationship to improve business results and reduce costs.
Oversight
These services help organizations with large scale project, program and portfolio management. Often large enterprises let important, sweeping applications, architecture, data base and other projects with major vendors and integration partners. Oversight is provided to assure the enterprise that the right approach and technologies are implemented in the most timely, cost-effective way possible.
Technology Trends Analyses
These services look at the technology and market trends that will present the greatest opportunities and risks for buyers, investors and entrepreneurs. They examine a range of trends areas including: communications, applications, data, infrastructure, security and enabling technologies. The purpose of these services is to identify the most and least promising investment areas and to help investors and entrepreneurs from making the wrong investments at the wrong time.
Product/Service/Company Positioning & Messaging
These services help companies position their technology products or services in the industry especially within larger competitive trends. The services also include the development of key messages about company products and services, messages targeted at the investor community and the media. Special emphasis is placed upon differentiation, the development of quantitative value propositions, and the development and communication of sustainable business models.
Road Show Planning & Support
These services help companies develop strategies for raising money from the private and public markets, including: marketing and positioning documentation, interaction support with investment bankers, the development of private placement memoranda, the development of presentation graphics and decks and presentation coaching.
Technology Watches
These services identify the technologies most likely to impact specific business models and processes by vertical industry. The ultimate outcome of this work is the development of a “technology watch” strategy that will help companies track the trends most likely to impact their business.
Competitor Assessments
These services identify and profile conventional and unconventional competitors and how value propositions across the competitive landscape differ.
eBusiness Strategy
While the distinction between “business” and “eBusiness” is fading fast, there are still specific steps that should be taken to define and deploy extended business models and processes, and specific technologies suited for continuous transaction processing. The services here help define workable business/eBusiness strategies and tactics.
Product & Service Assessments
These services kick the tires of an existing or planned product or service. Think of this service as a “devil’s advocate” process that will ask tough questions about the products and services do – and don’t do.
Program Design & Development
Consulting here involves assessing existing academic programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels, assessing competitive programs, and designing new – or evolving existing – programs that will better serve college and university constituents.
Industrial Training Program Design & Development
Work here helps companies identify the skills their employees will need to succeed in the early 21st century. It identifies “skills gaps” as well as cost-effectively learning opportunities using different delivery mechanisms including of course eLearning platforms.
Due Diligence (See the Larger Discussion on “Due Diligence” Services)
Criteria-based analysis of business technology investments from the perspective of vendors, end users and venture investors.