1.1 These terms clarify the agreement between Strategic Management Partners (known as SMP) and the client for the provision of consultancy services within the jurisdiction and laws of England.
1.2 These terms are designed to protect the rights of all parties for all work booked verbally or in writing to align mutual expectations of engagement and these terms form our contracted conditions of work.
2.1 Fee rates are quoted for a seven-hour working day. Parts of a day and excess hours are charged proportionately.
2.2 Project fees are estimated in accordance with work specified verbally or in writing by SMP.
2.3 If estimates before work commences are incorrect later SMP will give the client notice of potential changes before delivery.
2.4 Work expenses, VAT and subsistence costs are chargeable to the client at cost.
2.5 Travel is calculated on a basis to and from work as agreed with the client. UK vehicle mileage expense allowances are based on the published Automobile Association rates at the time of travel.
2.6 Payment is due 50% in advance and 50% on completion of the project, or 100% in advance if grant funded, or by separate written agreement with the client.
2.7 Payment beyond 28 days attracts compound interest of 1.0 % per month. Non-payment entitles SMP to suspend further work for the client. This interest charge reflects current statutory UK legal obligations for invoiced charges.
3.1 Reports, documents and advice from SMP to the client are for the sole use of the client and should not be divulged to third parties without the prior consent of SMP.
3.2 Communications and correspondence can be recorded confidentially for training and quality control purposes.
3.3 Confidential information provided by the client for the delivery of the project by SMP will not be divulged to third parties without the prior consent of the client.
4.1 Both parties will safeguard each other respective intellectual property so that any ideas, documents and proprietary rights will be the assigned property of the initiating author.
4.2 Ownership of materials bought for the client will remain with SMP until full payment by the client.
4.3 SMP copyright is assigned to the client only for internal use by the client under each individual project terms of reference.
4.4 SMP and the client can publish project successes to share learning outcomes with relevant parties.
5.1 SMP will work to agreed terms of reference on the basis that these do not imply warranties or guarantees.
5.2 Work is reliant on information and support from the client and SMP is not liable for any consequential losses.
5.3 SMP performance is subject to the timely supply of support information and facilities by the client.
5.4 Liability for any loss or damage sustained by either party as a result of the performance or non-performance of work shall be limited to the amount of the payments falling due under this Agreement.
5.5 Illness or death within SMP or the client will not create liability for consequential loss.
6.1 Time booked can be terminated with SMP's agreement on the following terms:
* 100% payable if cancelled within 30 days of time booked
* 75% payable if cancelled within 60 days of time booked
* 50% payable if cancelled within 90 days of time booked
6.2 SMP can reduce such cancellation fees if the time booked then cancelled is subsequently filled with equivalent paid work for the same time and values originally booked.
6.3 All expenses incurred by SMP on behalf of the client shall become payable irrespective of the date of termination.
]]>Working in partnership with a national training organisation these employers have produced a simple guide for business and financial service providers to improve best practice in areas such as customer service. The framework can be adapted by managers to improve the recruitment, development and retention of high quality people. It also acts as a guide to improve personal progression and business development.
The toolkit was presented by Clive Bonny on behalf of the Financial Services National Training Organisation at a Benchmarking Forum at City College in partnership with Northbrook College. The Colleges have been granted new status as a centre of vocational excellence for financial services. Employers attending these two College seminars shared ideas on how the toolkit will help them develop their businesses.
Experienced managers from large and small employers reviewed the opportunities the toolkit has specifically created for improving service quality. Bonny, who helped organise the event, said “many employers find it difficult to link internal quality standards with a national accreditation system. This toolkit bridges the gap. It will help managers improve service quality and give employees more recognition for jobs well done. And it offers a framework which can be adapted by employers to help grow their business.”
The event was sponsored by the Learning and Skills Council and attendees received a free copy of the competency guide. Follow up seminars are now being planned.
The first customers have included members of the Croydon Round Table for Inventors. CRTI have received the highest UK and international awards for many innovations. Barry Slayford, Chairman of CRTI at www.croydonrti.com, says “Our members have many good ideas with potential for commercial development. The Innovation Clinic gives us confidential reviews to reduce the risks and costs of getting new products and services off the ground."
Innovation Clinic manager Clive Bonny is an active entrepreneur himself and has launched several new products and services across different industry sectors. His Innovation Clinics are sponsored by Business Link. Clive says “One of the first attendees saved £15000 in new product design fees within an hour of seeing how to use a free Patent Office facility. People have nothing to lose by booking a one hour briefing.”
The new design, called Walkies, avoids roundworm eggs being transferred to children. Toxocara Canis occurs on the site of the droppings and at home where faeces can be carried on shoe soles. Current waste storage by walkers is in small plastic bags which can split and can be seen as unsightly to carry openly in front of other people. This can deter some dog owners carrying them in public places.
New legislation fining dog owners £1000 for leaving excrement in public places has not deterred people from leaving waste on the ground. In almost every public walking area dog waste is still evident. Local Councils do not have the manpower to clean these quickly. This leaves councils exposed to charges by the public when infections occur. The waste creates a particular health hazard in grass parks where faeces lies for weeks before decomposing.
Owner-manager Rick Buckley designed the Walkies bag as a multi-purpose carry case with special features. It has high strength which cannot split, is attachable to belts, buckles and backpacks for ease of portability, and is multilined with inner and outer protective layers. Design versions are being developed to carry anti-odour and anti-infection sprays, with a small torch and mobile phone for night walkers.
Rick won government funding to support their project with the help of Interim Manager for innovation, Clive Bonny, sponsored by DTI to progress the idea from a conceptual design through market research to design protection and a project plan. Rick says “without this interim management support from an experienced individual we could not have quickly moved from a good idea to creating a viable business. Walkies will significantly reduce a long standing public health risk and reduce the exposure of children from suffering a debilitating illness which can cause blindness and long term disability.”
The purpose of this document is to summarise interim management review findings on how a business called Sound Approach Ltd, with an innovative idea for a new product called Klenz-Pod, used innovative interim management support funded by the Department of Trade and Industry to move from a concept to a comprehensive risk assessed project plan. This work confirmed significant potential international opportunities for a new product and recommended it should go forward for additional DTI funding and trials by industry leaders.
The project involved the design, manufacture and sale through global licensing of an innovative wet wipe hand cleansing dispenser. The planned new dispenser enables people who work in any environment requiring clean hands to remove risks of cross-infection and contamination. The market need was indicated through regular press reports of deaths in hospitals, and food contamination in restaurants and food processing companies. The unique aspects of the initial product design were identified: unique tub design to allow easier access to wipes and mounting installation; elegant ergonomics; secure fastening to multiple fixed and mobile sites; materials durability for robust use including hospital trolleys and emergency field medical tents; special designed nozzle to prevent moisture loss and wipe slippage; dual chambers linking wipe containers and disposals tubs. The new product design overcame problems with current gel dispensers and dry wipes which caused cross infection and were unacceptable for many users due to inconvenience and poor protection.
The design was completed with patent protection applied. Initial patent applications had been researched. Partners were identified for manufacture, testing, marketing and sales on a global scale. Potential markets existed across the entire food and drink industry: eg food processing companies, wholesalers, retailers, food stalls, mobile operators (such as burger bars, sandwich sellers and ice-cream vans); additional markets existed in areas of poor hygeine eg hospitals, schools, porta-loos, military camps, domestic kitchens and WC's. New HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) EU legislation Reg EC 852/2004 became law Jan 01 2006 requiring hand cleaning between handling of different meats, fresh and cooked foods, and touching handkerchiefs, towels and other soiled surfaces. It was found that most food handlers were failing to comply to this new law due to no immediate onsite access to effective anti-bacteria wipes.
The project proved the product potential to save thousands of lives in hospitals, reduce sickness and work absenteeism on a large scale, bring millions of pounds to UK GDP, employ many people, and fit recognised needs in healthcare across the world.
All stages were supported by Clive Bonny, a qualified interim manager registered with Business Link. Bonny was authorised as a DTI Innovation Mentor to move new products and services into risk assessed project plans with funding from DTI.
The initial step was a diagnosis of the strengths and weaknesses of the concept. This diagnosis analysed the potential project risks and returns using a structured process whose outputs were summarised in an software-based risk management tool. The diagnosis showed particular strengths in environmental and social impact as the project concept would significantly improve public and private health capability to save lives and reduce illness for thousands of people in UK and abroad.
Bonny identified project opportunities and potential strengths through a technique known as appreciative enquiry. These included the business owner’s experience in international commerce, his links with additional specialist advisors, his past management skills and the strategic fit which this project offered for his business development. Areas identified for additional support included project planning, market assessment, risk management, financial resourcing and competitive analysis. This diagnosis led to a submission for further funded support and an application was submitted under the DTI iii scheme for Investigating an Innovative Idea.
The application specified the following activities required to bring the innovative service to market more quickly: a project plan identifying timelines, milestones and deliverables; investigation with potential customers of product viability, market trends, routes to market, regulatory requirements; analysis of project risks, identifying strategies to minimise risks, consulting with supply chain interests; future financial, commercial, project management and human resource requirements and contingencies; potential for future strategic marketing alliances; steps to protect the core business benefits; competitive position and steps for IPR protection. The DTI Secretariat approved funding for interim management support by Bonny to lead the project in the areas above on the basis that the business owner provided specialist technical knowledge to support complementary areas of the project.
The first formal meeting with Bonny resulted in agreeing how they would work with each other and what would be achieved by each party over the next four months. Activities were specified to cover the gaps identified in the initial risk assessment so that the final output, a written project plan, would summarise timelines, milestones and deliverables enabling the business owner to move from the concept stage to priority actions as a preface to a further submission for a DTI Micro Business Award with a full business plan.
These joint activities included onsite and offsite reviews and visits. Agendas included:
Reviewing and confirming the validity of previous primary research with selected potential users and specifiers; clarifying the benefits of the offer using the “elevator pitch” model, enabling a clear statement on why customers would approve the product concept; identifying existing and potential network contacts with support roles, with key individuals who could support the project in different ways; facilitating introductions within other relevant networks including Ideas21, the Croydon Round Table for Inventors and the Royal Society of Arts, manufactures and Commerce; benchmarking with best practice on innovation processes recommended by Business Link and DTI; this included analysing innovation approaches taken by James Dyson, published in Against The Odds; clarifying the project vision, mission, values and objectives, licensing and distribution options; joint development of market assessment reports to identify market trends, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats within the key sectors of medical healthcare, food manufacture, preparation, wholesale and retail distribution; identifying potential buyer behaviour and product positioning; introducing other software entrepreneurs to share innovation techniques and stimulate viral marketing and joint referrals; exploring different product users, applications and services to enhance differentiation and marketability.
The final review looked at the initial diagnosis of gaps, and resulted in a written list of forward actions for the business owner. Actions included ongoing research and development, market assessments, further IPR protection, submissions for Business Award schemes on best practice, and drafting a business plan to facilitate further funding from public and private sources.
The project cost was co-funded by DTI. Costs-savings in other third party fees previously quoted for market assessments and external consultancy advice more than offset the net cost of the project for the business owner. The product offer became clearly differentiated with unique features and benefits relevant for user needs. Statistical information from the secondary research and qualitative information from the owner’s primary research was used in the business plan enabling supporting marketing and sales plans to be drafted to develop the project into a successful international business.
“Klenz-Pod is a concept with a high opportunity for commercial success for many reasons. The business owner manager has relevant international commercial experience with skills in qualitative and quantitative market research and links with key potential stakeholders. These future support partners have commended his product, and his ability to make things happen. Gordon is now well networked into a wide range of experienced business managers who can be called upon for ongoing risk assessment. He has an underpinning passion for the success of the product and negotiates commercial issues with confidence, as shown in his recent presentations on TV and Radio.
There is a high potential market for the product which offers significant operational benefits and cost-savings for medical healthcare and the food and drink industry. The applicability of the product across many diverse supply chains will ensure business sustainability. The market assessment has shown the new product is positioned well to sell. There are clearly identified routes to market. The wide-ranging market assessments with future stakeholders, suppliers and customers have been extremely positive”.
Client managers had achieved significant success to date and were a valued contributor to their corporate and shareholder objectives. In order to maintain and increase this level of contribution the senior management team wished to establish a stronger infrastructure to customer-focused process and improve client relations.
An initial customer survey of strengths and weaknesses identified skills and processes for greatest potential improvement. This identified and prioritised issues from customer perspectives to focus managers and staff on necessary improvements to day to day activities.
The customer survey highlighted to senior managers the fundamental need for their business to become more customer-centred integrating the internal and external supply chains. They wanted a coherent and integrated strategy to support company-wide goals, measures and accountabilities. This required the creation and communication of a business plan which was flexible enough to meet the fast changing nature of the market and which was to become a focus for teamworking across the organisation to align the priorities of the organisation as a whole.
Line managers desired tools and techniques for problem analysis and prevention, and to install processes for more effectively managing their teams. This required their understanding of current and future business priorities and their ability to successfully manage change to proactively improve performance. The scope of external consulting support therefore covered two phases:
* Strategic analysis of the external survey results by senior managers.
* Action Learning Sets to improve internal customer processes and skills for front-line staff and team leaders.
The consultancy approach was underpinned by consultation around process change. This required
* Openness in sharing the survey results showing HOW AND WHY change was required and in explaining risks as well as benefits.
* Teamworking with all cross-functional teams supporting company-wide ownership of the customer issues.
* Respect for individuals who needed time to change the way they worked.
* Innovation to ensure each challenge was examined afresh and solutions were tailored accordingly.
* Achievement of assignments being recognised following agreed outcomes within clear terms of reference.
Each project had clear links to business objectives with measures and milestones to map progress. Ownership was kept internal with the external consultant positioned as facilitator and coach for the action learning sets. Each project also followed the principles of the learning cycle: plan, do, review. This ensured active assessment of the business outcomes and benefits during assignments, which subsequently allowed for appropriate mid-term amendments to the programme.
After the external survey a strategic planning workshop was set up to determine organisation-wide business critical issues, key objectives, measures and accountability within the organisation. This was supported with a staff survey so that gaps between manager perceptions and staff were analysed and prioritised. Tactical planning workshops for functional managers converted strategic goals into departmental objectives and measures using the results of the customer survey to analyse current issues related to customer expectations. This phase required consulting support to:
* Assist in the design and implementation of the customer and staff survey
* Analyse the survey results and prepare the initial workshop
* Facilitate the strategic planning workshop
* Review the workshop output and communicate to line managers and staff.
This responded to the following key objectives:
* define the gaps in the customer experience
* identify changes to job design
* provide appropriate skills to front-line employees
* provide problem solving support in action learning sets
* create and publicise measures of success
* ensure active leadership involvement at all stages
* provide ongoing reinforcement to employees to ensure change would be embedded over time.
Bonny steered the creation of cross-functional improvement teams. In these, employees were given the opportunity to master skills and tools for effective team-working, problem solving and process improvement driven by customer experiences. This transferred knowledge across functions whilst simultaneously improving the way people worked.
The following components of Action Learning ensured successful implementation: reviews with senior managers; implementation planning with process owners;
project management reviews; team leader workshops covering front line issues of:
* behavioural improvement
* team working
* problem-solving
* measuring customer satisfaction
* continuous review of action plans
* learning with peer group and customer feedback
Training of staff included:
* Understanding customer relationship strategy
* Planning with project team members.
* Coaching & facilitation skills
The organisation development programme was supported by consultancy with three components: clear deliverables to track results; aligning survey results with internal changes; an experienced and qualified external advisor working closely with internal team leaders to plan and implement the programme; an internal programme Director and sponsor to monitor and quality control at board level.
Training Workshops included:
Awareness of customer relations so people could:
* identify their role in the improvement of customer relations
* recognise the moments of truth in customer activities
* apply best practice to improve processes that had a high positive impact on customers
* recognise the importance of getting support and involvement across functions.
This focused teams on the customer in order to ensure that resultant improvements were relevant to customers.
Team working so people could:
* understand their goals and processes
* identify success
This shared knowledge about improvement.
Identifying cycles of service so people could:
* identify the moments of truth that customers faced
* analyse processes from the customer’s point of view
The training showed how to analyse customer experiences and mapped out each step of a customer’s experience from a customer’s point of view in order to improve a process.
It improved moments of truth so people could:
* assess customer expectations in a cycle of service
* identify behaviours and processes that detracted from the customer relationship
* develop behavioural and process improvements that could be implemented immediately
* plan how to recover when mistakes were made.
This focused on how to improve the customer experience. Some issues could be fixed immediately, while other improvements took more time. If a particular process was poor they could minimise the problem while a longer term solution was created. Recovery was a method for keeping customers feeling positive despite breakdowns in the core processes.
It included customer interviews so people could:
* determine customer issues
* assess their level of importance
* picture what success looked like
* identify resources needed
* identify potential constraints
Teams started on their process improvement projects and found outcomes the customer wanted in future.
They also prioritised and proactively improved moments of truth.
This covered choosing the most critical moments which mattered to focus on. A danger in process improvement was the desire to do it all at once. Teams needed to assess which fixes had the most impact and the logical starting point so a quick success could be won. People designed points of contact that customers experienced and identified how to build a process to support the new point of contact beyond the reactive fixing of problem
The client said “They tracked success. People were clear about the goals critical to the success of the project. Measures were published for teams to compare the “before” state with results afterwards. Teams had to choose the most important existing measures for improvement and where appropriate they created new measures to ensure that their desired results were achieved.”
Besides success measures they wrote a list of all the tasks and underpinning behaviours involved in the improvement, clarifying roles and responsibilities. Teams functioned best when each person on the team was clear on their role and goals. Team members agreed on their roles, assigned responsibility for the tasks they set in an action plan and established project deadlines and deliverables. This allowed the team to plan key dates and milestones as they worked through their process analysis and improvement. Checkpoints were set to monitor progress.
Learning support materials were supplied in Pocketbook format.
A consultancy approach which builds customer relationship skills in line with customer service strategy is essential to the success of such projects. Aligning behaviours and processes with external customer needs ensured success with active and visible top level support and involvement with all those involved. This required a planned and structured approach with a high level of communications and training across all levels. Finally “Action Learning Sets” provided the glue to embed change successfully.
We support organisations in developing their strategy through:
* Surveys and Audits
* Business Planning
* Benchmarking
* Corporate Communications
*Some example outcomes of our support are:*
We support organisations through their development with:
* Performance Measurement
* Knowledge Management
* Process Improvement
* Management Development
*Some example outcomes of our support are:*
We support organisations in their marketing through:
* Planning and Target Setting
* Alliance Partnering
* Sales Development
* Customer Relations
*Some example outcomes of our support are:*
We support organisations by helping them with:
* Goals
* Information
* Learning
* Energy
*Some example outcomes of our support are:*
We support individuals to develop their values through:
* Principles
* Paradigms
* Codes
* Hotlines
*Some example outcomes of our support are:*
* Recruiting
* Coaching
* Motivating
* Rewarding
*Some example outcomes of our support are:*
We support individuals to develop their motivation around:
* Job
* Training
* Individual
* Team
*Some example outcomes of our support are:*
* Stress
* Resolving
* Asserting
* Networking
*Some example outcomes of our support are:*