2015 - Navigate Consulting-Project Management Masterclass

Introduction to Consulting and Strategic Project Management

June 12th, 2015

This information is confidential and was prepared by Navigate Consulting solely for the use of our staff and clients;

it is not to be relied on by any 3rd party without prior written consent.

2

Project Management Approach

Agenda

Sample Deliverables

Introduction to Consulting

Q&A

3

Navigate Consulting is based in Perth, Australia and focuses on the development

of long-term strategic relationships with its clients

ServicesWe provide management consulting services to our

clients across the value chain

Develop Strategy

Optimize Operations

Sell Products & Services

Business Strategy / M&A

Asset Analysis / Disposition

Market Analysis

Organizational Transformation and Design

Business Process Mapping and Optimization

Procurement & Supply Chain Management

Product Strategies

B2B / B2C Lift

Pricing

Customer Management

Channel Development

Marketing Strategy

Procurement & Supply Chain Management

Areas of Expertise

Organizational Transformation and Design

Business Process Mapping and Optimization

SummaryNavigate Consulting is based in Perth, based management consulting

firm whose services are retained by large and middle market companies

Staff CredentialsOur professionals bring former Big 5 and boutique strategy consulting

experience to every client relationship

Our people have worked with clients in multiple industries including

Banking, Telecommunications, Retail, High Tech, Financial Services,

and Not-for-Profit

Our team has a diverse background that includes Tier 1 MBA

education, large systems implementation experience, procurement

transformation initiative leadership and strategy development and

execution

MissionPartner with our clients to develop and deliver critical initiatives that

address their most difficult challenges and build the capability to improve

their top and bottom lines

CommunityAs a firm, we are actively engaged with university programs teaching

and leveraging our relationships to benefit students

Additionally, our Associates are committed to community involvement

and are personally engaged in multiple community organizations

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Management and Technology Consulting firms offer clients a variety of service

offerings, rate structures and value propositions

Firm Type Sample Firms Service Offerings Value Proposition Lifestyle

1 Strategy

• McKinsey & Co.

• Bain

• BCG

• Booz & Co

• Monitor Deloitte

• Corporate Finance

• Operations

• Organizational Structure

• Strategy

• Hardcore analytical skills

• Typically, broad based capabilities with

advanced degree from Tier 1 global

universities

• Strong CXO experience / relationships

• Significant hours and travel

• Extremely challenging work

• Ample internal projects

• Hyper- competitive environment

2Large / Former

Big 5

• Accenture

• Deloitte

• PWC

• KPMG

• E & Y

• Consulting

• Technology

• Outsourcing

• PMO

• Gigantic bench strength

• Leverage industry knowledge, service-

offering expertise and technology

capabilities

• Identify new business and technology

trends and develop solutions to help

clients around the world

• Significant hours and travel

• Engagements often center

around technology

implementation

• Extremely broad range of

services provides opportunity for

project diversity

3Middle Market

Down

• Navigate Consulting

• North Highland

• Slalom Consulting

• CIBER

• MANY others

• Consulting

• Technology

• Staff Augmentation

• PMO

• Flexibility

• Similar value propositions to Firm Types

1 & 2, though on a smaller scale

• Less overhead / levels

• Rate advantage, sometimes

• Varies

• Can be centered around work-life

balance

• More project exposure

• Typically, experienced hires

4Software

Vendors

• SAP

• Siebel

• Cognos

• Oracle

• Implementation

• Data Structure

• Architecture

• PMO

• Optimization of business operations

• Leverage technology to reduce cost

• Business transformation

• Significant travel

• Focus on SDLC

• Often based on Go Live /

Release Schedules

*Sources:

• A variety of firm sites were researched and incorporated into our analysis

• ConsultingMagazine.com

• Vault.com

Consulting Industry Summary*

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Consulting economics are fairly straight forward, however, when you blend rate,

utilization, client budget and competition it gets complex

Consulting Economics Summary

► Professional services have three fundamental

measures to gauge economic performance:

1. Actual Engagement Rate

2. Actual Consultant Cost

3. Utilization/Chargeability (How often a

consultant is actually earning their rate)

► Firms within the industry are focused on:

1. Obtaining the highest rate

2. At the lowest cost

3. For the longest period possible

4. The problem is, it never works that way

5. No revenue and no pipeline = bad

► Given how fragmented consulting is, pragmatism,

interpersonal skills and the desire to compete means

anything goes:

► Selling is different than delivery

► Client budget is a limiter

Firm

TypeRate, Cost, Utilization Limiters

1 Strategy

• Rate: Very High

• Cost: Very High

• Utilization :Relatively Lower

• Demand for strategy work is

limited

• Extremely high cost

• Often 1 and done

2

Large /

Former

Big 5

• Rate: Low to High

• Cost: Low to High

• Utilization :Higher

• Extremely large projects

sought to staff extremely

large teams needed

• Clients get tired of being

sold the kitchen sink at every

opportunity

3

Middle

Market

Down


• Cost: Low to Medium

• Utilization :Highly Variable

• If aggressive or high rates,

client’s may perceive as

Strategy / or Big 5 “I thought

you guys were different?”

• “Who are you again?”

4Software

Vendors


• Cost: Low to High

• Utilization :Higher

• Technology implementations

are intrusive, expensive and

large ones often under

achieve expectations

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Agenda


Sample Deliverables

Introduction, Background, and Objectives

Q&A

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The ability to effectively manage projects is vital to career progression

Background

• You have a real-world BHP Billiton case study that you are already working to tackle

• You’re excited about challenging yourself in the workplace after graduation

• Effective project management can help in both instances

Meeting Objectives

1. Discuss the critical components of effective project management

2. Present a practical approach that works

Takeaway Goals

• Learn a thought process you can use immediately

• Get advice you won’t find in your text books

Use the BHP case study as an opportunity to build your project management skills

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Project management skills are a key component to maximizing your potential as a

consultant

• Long-term corporate viability depends on effective project management

1. Corporate strategy defines what the company needs to be to in the future to be successful

2. To accomplish the corporate strategy, many initiatives/projects must be completed

3. Failed or marginally successful projects can derail the corporate strategy

• Effective project management unifies and motivates the workforce to accomplish more than

otherwise would have been possible

• Differentiate yourself; the world is full of people who “do stuff”, but there is a shortage of those

that take the initiative required to successfully drive projects to completion

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• Identify project team in addition to

list of key stakeholders

• Create relationship

management plan

• Determine primary project goal(s)

• Define detailed project

requirements

• Create detailed project plan

Chronologically, there are a number of key activities that should be performed

throughout a project’s lifecycle

Define Implement Present & Transition Goals

Objective

Key

Activities

Key Exit

Criteria

1. Build or maintain

a competitive

advantage, or

reduce a

competitor’s

advantage

2. Build relationship

capital with key

stakeholders

• The project has a clear purpose

• The project team has been defined

• All key stakeholders have been

identified and relationship

development plans are in place

• Detailed project requirements have

been defined and a project plan has

been created

Determine project goals and

create detailed project plan

Execute project plan while

building unified support

Communicate project

completion and transition as

necessary

• Update and communicate project

task plan

• Identify and mitigate issues

• Perform quality checks on key

tasks and deliverables

• Communicate progress and

escalate issues

• Transition ongoing support if

applicable

• Make project completion presentation

to sponsor

• Always look for additional

opportunities that were uncovered

during project execution

• Execute relationship management

plan

• All project tasks have been

completed and validated for quality

purposes

• Critical risks to project budget and

timeline were identified and

proactively mitigated

• Ongoing support team is positioned

for success

• Official approval has been received

from the project sponsor

• Related additional opportunities have

been reviewed for operational and

financial viability

1

2 3

We are going to dig into the details in three parts: 1 2 3Relationship Development Project Planning Project Execution

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Understanding and accommodating for the human element is invaluable

Project

Management

Project Planning Project Execution

Illustrate how the strategic

objective will be accomplished,

step by step

Manage the execution of the plan

while mitigating risks and issuesPurpose

Why This

Matters

Relationship

Management

Planning

• The best plan in the world won’t

work if the people don’t

understand it, don’t buy into it, or

don’t trust you

• Relationship capital is the ace up

your sleeve that enables you to

escalate issues and request

additional support when needed

• This will raise your game and

awareness

Build the relationships needed

to gather the required

information and support/buy-in

Internally Managed Externally Managed

1 2 3

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Building strong relationships with key stakeholders enables you to

collect difficult to find information, attain buy-in, and escalate issues

Relationship

Management

Identify all Key

Stakeholders

Define the Role

and Perspective

of each Key

Stakeholder

Create

Relationship

Management

Plan

PurposeIdentifies the list of

people that hold

keys to the project’s

ultimate success

Defines how each

key player

contributes to

project dynamics

Details the steps

necessary to build

each key relationship

Overview: Relationship Management Planning

Having an separate plan for managing relationships may seem like overkill,

but in practice it may be the most important planning you can do

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Sample questions to identify key stakeholders:

1. Who are the key advisors to the decision

maker? Who are their advisors?

2. What types of hard-to-get information might I

need? Who has access to this data?

3. If critical issues arise, who might I need in my

corner to offer advice, additional resources,

executive support, etc.?

Identifying and analyzing the key players is more art than science

Relationship

Management

Identify all Key

Stakeholders

Define the Role

and Perspective

of each Key

Stakeholder

Create

Relationship

Management

Plan

• Identify all stakeholders that can have a

significant impact on project success

– To the good and the bad

• Identify not only decision makers, but also key

influencers

– Sometimes the most influential on a given

project aren’t the highest on the ladder

• Understand what each stakeholder cares about

– Work expectations

– Personal values

Key Activities Practical Advice

Refer to appendix for Stakeholder Analysis template

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• Gain credibility by taking initiative where other

people make excuses

• Any time you raise an issue, have an opinion on

how it can be fixed

• Collaborate frequently to expand on your ideas

and build support

• Present yourself appropriately – dress for the

job you want

Win the support of key stakeholders by having a plan and staying on

top of it

Relationship

Management

• Set a relationship goal for each stakeholder

– Be realistic, and know the minimum

requirement

• Account for where you currently stand to assess

relationship gaps

– Again, be realistic

• Define the steps required to build each desired

relationship

– Usually these revolve around demonstrating

capability, building rapport, and getting

things done


Refer to appendix for Relationship Management Plan template

Identify all Key

Stakeholders

Define the Role

and Perspective

of each Key

Stakeholder

Create

Relationship

Management

Plan

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A project plan is the proof-of-concept that you will use to gain support and motivate

the team

Project

Management


• Turns a complicated project into

a set of smaller, more

manageable pieces

• Provides the roadmap to build

and maintain buy-in from project

team and extended stakeholders

• Done well, the plan provides

meaningful opportunities for

others, offering personal growth

and increasing their commitment



step by step

Manage the execution of the plan

while mitigating risks and issuesPurpose

Why This

Matters

Relationship

Management

Planning

Build the relationships needed to

gather the required information

and support/buy-in


1 2 3

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Project Planning

A good project planning process ensure that you not only create a

technically sound task plan, but that it makes sense to others

Purpose The overriding

purpose of the

project, often tying

directly to a

strategic initiative

Breaks a complex

project into a set

of smaller, more

manageable

components

Sets a series of

small objectives

that in aggregate

accomplish the

primary goal(s)

Identifies current

capabilities and/or

progress relative to

requirements

Define Primary

Project Goal(s)

Create Project

High-Level

Milestones

Define Detailed

Requirements

Assess Current

State

Create Project

Task Plan to

bridge the Gaps

Details, step by

step, how gaps

between current

state and future

requirements will

be met

Overview: Project Planning Process

A good project plan is the proof you need to sell your approach

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Defining a primary project goal is critical in not only ensuring the

proper direction, but also in motivating and unifying the project team

Project Planning

Define Primary

Project Goal(s)

Create Project

High-Level

Milestones

Define Detailed

Requirements

Assess Current

State

Create Project

Task Plan to

bridge the Gaps

• Have a comprehensive understanding of the

goal and how it should improve the company’s

efficiency, intelligence, return on invested

capital, market share, compliance, etc.

• Be prepared to effectively communicate this

message to the project team and leadership

• For projects directly tied to the corporate

strategy, the goal should be obvious

– Be realistic, and know the minimum

requirement

• For projects not on the strategic radar, define

the expected business benefits

– Make sure your project doesn’t conflict with

the corporate strategy


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By breaking a complicated project into it’s key subcomponents, you

can more easily define requirements for overall project success

Project Planning

• This is your biggest opportunity to simplify the

project… simple is good

• Break the overall goal into its various

components (top-down approach)

– Incorporate the project team to get their

valuable insight and build commitment

• Perform a sanity check on your diagram to

ensure that all endpoints sum to the primary

goal (bottoms-up approach)

– Again, leverage others


Define Primary

Project Goal(s)

Create Project

High-Level

Milestones

Define Detailed

Requirements

Assess Current

State

Create Project

Task Plan to

bridge the Gaps

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Once a diagram is in place, defining future requirements relative to

current state identifies project gaps

Project Planning

• Goals should be very specific and date oriented,

otherwise it may be difficult to know whether its

been achieved

• Don’t take guesses – work with subject matter

experts to define requirements

– Having good relationships here is crucial

• Set goals for each component of the project

diagram

– Define what “done” looks like

• Define the requirements necessary to reach

each component’s goal

• Assess current state in relation to each future

requirement

– This identifies the gaps the project plan will

need to address


Define Primary

Project Goal(s)

Create Project

High-Level

Milestones

Define Detailed

Requirements

Assess Current

State

Create Project

Task Plan to

bridge the Gaps

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A task plan is used to show how each goal/requirement will be met,

who is responsible for its completion, and when its due

Project Planning

Tips for building task accountability:

• Build strong executive sponsorship

• Sell the importance of each due date

• Offer your help… most people will not need

it but will appreciate knowing it’s there

• Create a fair balance of work for each team

member

• Provide growth opportunities for others

through task assignment

• Assess the gaps identified from the previous

step

• For each gap, define all steps required to

achieve the requirements

• Assign an owner for each task

• Explicitly define start and due date for each task

– Account for dependencies and their impact

on project schedule


Refer to appendix for Task Plan template

Define Primary

Project Goal(s)

Create Project

High-Level

Milestones

Define Detailed

Requirements

Assess Current

State

Create Project

Task Plan to

bridge the Gaps

20

A good idea without good execution is a waste of time

Project

Management


• Maintains the sense of urgency

and importance

• Identifies risks and issues early

so they can be assigned,

escalated, or otherwise mitigated

• Serves as a platform to

complement and reward to

maintain morale and incent

desired behavior



step by step

Manage the execution of the

plan while mitigating risks and

issues

Purpose

Why This

Matters

Relationship

Management

Planning

Build the relationships needed to

gather the required information

and support/buy-in


1 2 3

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Proactive day-to-day management is required to properly execute a

task plan and ultimately drive successful project completion

Update &

Communicate

Project Task

Plan

Identify and

Manage Risk

Perform Quality

Checks

Communicate

Progress

Purpose

Keep project plan current

and communicate task

expectations to ensure

all task owners are

explicitly aware of what

is required

Effectively identifying

and managing risks

ensures that project

tasks are completed

accurately, on time, and

within budget

Validating the accurate

completion of critical

tasks is critical in

upholding a consistent

standard of quality

throughout a project

Communicate how the

project is progressing –

keeping leadership and

the project team aware

of progress, successes,

and risks/issues

Ongoing Project Management – Parallel Activities

Project Execution

Advice

Prevent people from

using the excuses:

•“I didn’t know I was

responsible for that”

•“I didn’t know when it

was due”

• Use a structured risk and

issues process

• Know when to escalate

risks/issues

• Procrastination is the

surest way to turn risks

into issues… start strong

and maintain momentum

• Effectively communicate

quality expectations, this

will increase their quality

of work

• Be constructive with

feedback

• Be concise in readouts

• Have an opinion with

executives – “kinda”

doesn’t cut it

• Learn when and how to

give callouts (good and

bad) to incent behavior

Refer to appendix for

Risks & Issues Log templates

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Agenda

Sample Deliverables

Introduction, Background, and Objectives

Q&A

23

Appendix: Stakeholder Analysis template

Key Stakeholder Role How are they measured? Other insights

VP Procurement Executive Sponsor Overall operational performance Under pressure from COO to reduce

inventory levels to improve liquidity

Supply Chain Manager Requestor of new

functionality

Material cost, quality, and

timeliness

Tasked by VP to cut inventory levels in half

by Q4 2010

FP&A Manager Primary FP&A

contact

Accurately and quickly perform data

collection, forecasts, and

calculations

Very limited knowledge of supply chain best

practices and current supply chain

functionality

IT Manager In-house systems

expert

Project completed on time, within

budget, and meets functionality

requirements

Often seems to get caught up in the “cool

factor” rather than company profitability

ERP sales manager Primary ERP contact

point

Sales volume Has identified the IT manager as a key

proponent and they seem to sell in lock-step

Example: Company ABC is seeking to enhance supply chain capabilities through an enhancement to their

currently existing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system

Relationship

Management

Identify all key

stakeholders

Define the role

and perspective

of each key

stakeholder

Create

relationship

management

plan

Execute plan

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Appendix: Relationship Management Plan template

Relationship

Management

Identify all key

stakeholders

Define the role

and perspective

of each key

stakeholder

Create

relationship

development

plan

PersonRelationship

OwnerRelationship Goal Relationship Progression Tasks

Execute plan

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Appendix: Task Plan template

Define primary

project goal(s)

Create project

diagram

Define detailed

requirements

Assess current

state

Create project

task plan to

bridge the gaps

Tasks can be grouped by either

the endpoints or midpoints of

the project diagram

1

Assigning owners

creates accountability2

A simple readout of

task status helps

summarize progress

3

Managing start and end dates help ensure the timely

completion of critical tasks. Alternatively, some projects

are better served using dependencies and durations.

4

Task Status Start Date Due Date

Task 1 John Complete 11/15/2009 11/17/2009

Task 2 Stephanie Complete 11/17/2009 11/20/2009

Task 3 Karen In Progress 11/17/2009 11/30/2009

Task 4 Karen In Progress 11/18/2009 12/4/2009

Task 5 Steve Complete 11/17/2009 11/18/2009

Task 6 Steve Complete 11/18/2009 11/25/2009

WEEK ENDING

12/411/20 11/27Owner

Gantt charts are often

used to graphically

show task expectations

5

Project Planning

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Appendix: Risk & Issues Log templates

Project Execution

Risk

ID

Date

Entered

Opened

By

Risk Condition & Consequence Risk Type

Pro

bability

Impact

Exposure

Contingency

(Include Triggering Event)

Mitigation Mitigation

Due Date

Risk Owner Status Date

Closed

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Risk Management

Issue

ID

Date

Entered

Opened

By

Description Resolution Severity Priority Status Assigned To Date

Assigned

Date

Resolved

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Issues Management

Risk: A potential threat to the project that hasn’t yet occurred and may be prevented with proper, timely action

Issue: A threat to the project that is already in motion and needs to be mitigated

Basic examples of both a risk log and issues log are shown below to outline what needs

to be considered to either prevent or mitigate threats to project success.