- Business Management
- Financial Management
- Operations
- Process Management
- Management Systems
- Work Arrangements
- Leadership
Our business management consulting services provide you with improvements in the areas of…
Planning, Reviews & Strategic Management
We sincerely believe consistent business planning and reviewing can significantly increase the capability of businesses.
BUSINESS PLANNING
Clarifying and defining the desired business direction is not always easy and an independent outlook can often be valuable. We provide a robustness to the planning process, incorporating into the process, practical applications of a number of theories, including The Balanced Scorecard* principle (to ensure a holistic view of the business is taken) and risk management techniques (to assist in prioritisation and in measuring contribution).
We also ensure that the process of planning is appropriately customized for your business, so that it is a practical, not academic, exercise. We work actively with a business’s management team and other key stakeholders to ensure they own the plan.
Furthermore, we encourage clients to look at planning as a continuous process and to recognise that medium (tactical) and short-term (operational) planning is also necessary.
*Kaplan, R Norton, D, 1996, The Balanced Scorecard, Harvard Business School Press, Boston, Massachusetts USA.
CASE STUDY – Business Planning
RTB Solutions was engaged to formulate a commercial Business Plan for a new entity in the Downer Edi Group (Downer Edi Energy Systems). The plan described the entity’s business direction and niche services to various stakeholders.
BUSINESS REVIEWS
One of the most valuable and yet most under-utilised “tools” a manager can have, is the ability to thoroughly review the business’ current performance and to identify the root causes of under-performance. We can assist businesses to review performance, having formulated a 10 step review process that incorporates a number of analytical theories.
We have found that the power of this review process extends to illuminating the difference between extending energy in activities that have little impact on the “core” of the business and extending (often less) energy on critical areas.
CASE STUDY – Business Review
City Design (an Engineering / Architectural Services business within Brisbane City Council) commissioned RTB to provide it with an independent review of its business performance (in finances and service delivery) and internal capabilities (robustness of processes and competence of its people).
STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
We believe that formulating and demonstrating a competitive advantage is the essence of strategies’ management. RTB not only assists in the analysis and development of organisations’ policy documents, strategic directions papers and vision / mission statements but, in addition, offers change management services to ensure that people are clear, committed and engaged in the new direction.
We also ensure that strategic management concepts are cascaded and imbedded throughout an organization, by re-engineering management reports and key staff accountabilities.
CASE STUDY – Strategic Management
The Construction Branch within City Works (BCC) requested assistance in developing appropriate strategic key performance indicators (using the Balanced Scorecard* framework), to enable it to align its group and motivate and measure key individuals’ performance.
*Kaplan, R Norton, D, 1996, The Balanced Scorecard, Harvard Business School Press, Boston, Massachusetts USA.
Structure & Governance
It is not uncommon for an organisation’s structure and management decision-making practices to impede the business’ ability to achieve its strategic direction or performance targets. Given structure and governance are so intrinsically related, we often find these issues need to be resolved together.
When developing an organisational structure, we ensure that the proposed structure promotes the organisation’s strategic advantages; facilitates clarity of purpose to key staff; reduces inefficiencies and /or increases effectiveness; enhances workforce flexibility; and provides opportunities for staff to develop career paths.
In governance/accountability assignments, RTB Solutions’ consultants spend quality time conferring with stakeholders/client’s teams/unions, debating/explaining information and “workshopping” and negotiating possible solutions to perceived constraints. We have found this open dialogue approach greatly improves cooperation, lifts morale and promotes ownership of changes.
CASE STUDY – Structure
RTB worked with management to analyse, design and implement a new branch structure in the Systems Planning and Operations Branch within Ipswich Water.
CASE STUDY – Governance
We assisted Brisbane Water to establish its first large-scale business improvement portfolio (in essence, creating a PMO), which then changed structure and approval and decision making arrangements and ‘commercialised’ critical internal processes and management controls.
Reporting
Too often, reporting is left in the hands of technicians gifted in the manipulation and extraction of data but with little idea of what makes a valuable business performance report. RTB has designed and built strategic, tactical and operational reports for business managers by deploying a ‘customer’ or ‘top down’ approach (including financial reports). We take the time to understand the performance expected from the business then, in turn, work with management to ascertain the decisions they typically need to make and therefore, the information they require to make those decisions.
CASE STUDY – Reporting
The executive managers of Brisbane City Council’s budget, City Governance, commissioned RTB Solutions to review its executive reporting and then develop a more ‘balanced’ reporting framework that is not solely focused on financials but rather has a strategic business and community focus as well.