Consulting
In addition to serving the general business audience with our stable of public seminars, Orion Development Group has seven targeted service lines that are designed to help individual companies on their journey toward long-term success via process excellence. These service lines leverage our “Four Waves of Process Management” expertise to provide the appropriate level of training and consulting support to achieve desired results. Our service lines include:
Each of these service lines will have a well-defined methodology that includes assessment, design, education, facilitation and other support elements.
Process-Oriented Strategic Planning
The fourth wave of process management will be “process-based competition.” In Beyond Reengineering, Hammer refers to this as “Enterprise Management.” Regardless of the term, it is the natural convergence point of business process reengineering, supply chain management and strategic planning. To be successful in the world of process-based competition, companies must be proficient in both leveraging core process capabilities to select appropriate markets/positioning and deploying strategy through effective core process management.
Orion’s strategic planning services deliver that proficiency.
Balanced Scorecard Development and Implementation
Since the introduction of the Balanced Scorecard in a Harvard Business Review article by Kaplan and Norton in 1993, implementation of this strategic performance management system has increased steadily. Today’s senior executive wants to know that the entire organization is aligned and moving toward the strategic vision. Linkage is the key. Properly designed and implemented, the Balanced Scorecard delivers a set of measures designed to bridge the gap between big picture vision and day-to-day employee action. It helps assure that internal systems and processes are directed toward customer satisfaction and sound financial performance.
Orion Development Group’s implementation method (CARD) blends modern measurement and management techniques together in an unique way. The step-by-step progression incorporates cutting edge strategic planning and data analysis principles to deliver an easy-to-follow implementation process. Our support can also include services that address related issues, such as aligning compensation/reward systems with strategic goals.
In addition, a Balanced Scorecard implementation is a natural platform to launch process improvement and management initiatives, our core competency.
Design and Implementation of the Process-Oriented Organization
The third wave of process management is “process-oriented organization design.” In Beyond Reengineering, Hammer makes the case for such organizations and gives examples of companies that have successfully changed structures/management techniques to manage core processes instead of just functions/departments. A 1995 Economist Magazine Intelligence Report also supports this approach to organization design and management. That report cites Chrysler, American Express Financial Advisors, 3M and other notable companies as case studies of success. It is a difficult transition that must be guided by true process management mentors.
The walls (silos, fiefdoms) of modern organizations were created early in the industrial age. Task specialization led to functional management which in turn led to the hierarchical bureaucracy (a.k.a. the classic org chart). The walls have been reinforced over the years by layer upon layer of management systems. It is no wonder that it is so difficult to enact meaningful, sustainable cross-functional process redesigns. Orion has supported several clients in the wide-ranging changes required to make process-oriented management a sustainable, profitable reality.
Process Reengineering and Continuous Process Improvement
Total Quality Management and Business Process Reengineering (the First and Second Waves of process management) are part of the same continuum: Managing processes to achieve operational excellence.
Although Business Process Reengineering has lost its luster as a buzzword, companies continue to have the need to reengineer, redesign and improve processes. Orion has helped hundreds of companies implement successful process redesign projects and institute internal structures/expertise for maintaining ongoing process excellence. Our services include the development of Process Management Black Belts, internal experts and change agents who can help make your company's process excellence a sustainable competitive advantage.
Process Definition and Design for ERP Implementations
Companies worldwide have spent billions to implement Enterprise Resource Planning systems (SAP, PeopleSoft, Baan, etc.) to automate all administrative functions. Unfortunately for the companies that have made the investment (or are planning to make it), the structure of ERP software in geared to functions, not business processes. This often leads to operational difficulties post-implementation and disappointing ROI.
The need to integrate packaged enterprise applications with the enterprise processes is acute.
Orion Development Group helps companies during ERP planning by documenting and designing processes that can be effectively implemented with major ERP systems. We will also offer “process recovery” services to companies that are struggling to achieve acceptable levels of efficiency and effectiveness after ERP system implementation.
Business Process Integration (Post-Merger/Acquisition)
Mergers and acquisitions have become a normal part of the business landscape. Companies whose main objective is growth, rather than efficiency (i.e. head count reductions,) require a different type of post-merger tactics. These firms need to absorb acquired companies in a way that is invisible to suppliers and customers and retains the business process strengths of each firm.
Orion Development Group’s “business process integration” enable an acquiring company to seamlessly incorporate new process capacity while also capturing the best process practices of the acquired company. For companies that anticipate ongoing acquisitions, this service can include developing “process SWAT teams” - internal process integration experts.
Supply Chain (or Enterprise) Management
Supply chain management is both an operational efficiency issue (procurement costs, cycle time) and, ultimately, a strategic issue (e.g. WalMart). Both types of opportunities are significant for Orion’s clients.
No supply chain management or enterprise management effort can succeed without proper business process strategy, design and management. Orion Development Group uses its expertise in these areas to help clients truly realize the benefits of the significant information technology investment required for supply chain management solutions.
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