Execution Management

A major financial entity retained us to help it re-negotiate the contract with its outsourced IT vendor. We isolated the key issues, including the allocation of development resources, client oversight of project management, and operational improvement. We also re-wrote service level agreements and associate penalties, resulting in a more responsive relationship with the vendor.

A major provider of business information retained us to make its distribution channels more efficient. We conducted a situation analysis and recommended restructuring its geographically-based sales force into industry-based groups, augmented by less expensive, alternative channels, such as online marketing, telemarketing and direct mail. We also recommended ways to better align products with industry needs and sales resources.

A diversified publisher requested a forum for giving its top executives a working knowledge of new media. Working closely with the chief executive officer, we developed and conducted a workshop covering the critical trends, issues, and business models for publishers in new media.

A consumer publisher in the midst of building an online information service asked for our help in designing the systems required for customer administration, billing, and customer support. Working closely with a team of the client's marketing, customer support, and technical specialists, we led a project to write functional specifications for these systems.

An online services company asked us to recommend ways to use technology to reduce its customer support staff, while maintaining its service quality. We developed a "best practices" framework based on how other companies in the online services, software, and computer equipment fields support customers through different electronic technologies.