Sep 062016
Nick Fryars
Aug 102016
The reason that most people hire me is that I help them make complexity manageable. If one cannot make a complex situation manageable, one cannot manage it. Ton de Leeuw‘s management model shown in the picture below helps us understand why. To control a real situation, you need some kind of a (mental) model of […]
May 062016
May 062016
Apr 232016
As the population of Europe ages, the demand for healthcare will continue to rise. Yet the weak competitiveness of many European economies, low growth and high state debt means that little or no additional funds will be available for healthcare. This situation presents European health authorities and institutions with a stark choice: offer less care per head or raise healthcare productivity.
Apr 022016
Assisted the CEO in detailing a strategy and translating this into short- and long terms plans for (international) expansion and the associated scale-up of the organization. Facilitated periodic progress reviews and adaptation of the plan in co-operation with CEO and management.
Apr 012016
Mar 012016
The Bank needed to replace its core Peoplesoft HR system, which had been in use for many years and was heavily customised. A set of SaaS solutions including Workday, beqom and SabaCloud was chosen, in line with the Bank’s IT policy to focus more on core banking systems and less on support functions such as HR. […]
Mar 012015
This marine electrical engineering company with international growth plans needed to replace an obsolete ERP system with a platform more suited to larger scale and increasingly international operations, with greater specific functionality for its core project, refit and service activities. The company selected 4PS Construct, a system based on Microsoft Dynamics NAV, to serve as this […]
Jan 052013
The company was growing rapidly and questions had arisen as to whether current and anticipated projects, which typically last for one to three years, could all be staffed effectively. However, there was also concern that overshoot could lead to too high a fixed cost base. Nick worked with line and project managers to develop an […]
Jul 012012
A supplier of web-based geostatistical software was considering entering the UK market. Nick conducted a feasibility study combined with initial prospecting activities. The supplier later entered the market in a specific niche.
Apr 222012
The radiology department of a major teaching hospital was faced with ongoing budget cuts for both research and teaching. In order to maintain its leading position it was necessary to find significant extra third party funding. Discussions with a manufacturer of imaging systems revealed that potential demand for training of radiologists existed in several emerging […]
Mar 032012
The best strategy will fail unless it is coupled to effective execution. Yet driving effective execution is an issue with which the best of companies sometimes struggle. Establishing and maintaining an overview of how key goals are linked to specific projects and activities in the face of constant change requires both discipline and an effective […]
Feb 292012
This major multinational supplier to the healthcare sector had grown through multiple acquisitions. As a result, one of its product portfolios in surgical disposables contained a large number of partially overlapping product lines without a clear overall positioning. Issues included: Sales staff hade difficulty with presentation of the value propositions, thus running the risk of […]
Feb 232012
Communication is an essential part of the work of managers, staff and consultants. Yet they often fail to get their message across. This applies especially to complex communications. Common business examples include new product proposals, proposed acquisitions, reorganizations and business cases. “Arguing for Action” is a technique that structures communication to engage and persuade the […]
Feb 222012
Our clients are often individuals faced with a new challenge. This may be a new role, a change in responsibilities or an unfamiliar set of circumstances. Their organization may face a major issue such as a market discontinuity or new ownership, ‘trouble’ in the shape of a new market entrant or a foundering project, or […]
Feb 212012
Feasibility Exploration uses the Business Model Canvas as a framework to explore the viability of a potential new business or product. The core of a Feasibility Exploration is formed by 3 major activities: Mapping: often this means articulating and thinking through concepts of which parts have been discussed for some while; Quantification: initial market sizing, […]
Feb 212012
Entrepreneurs starting a new venture need to answer a basic question: what is your business model, how will you earn money? Answering this question requires a framework for describing a business. A good recent definition of a business model is a description of “how an organization creates, delivers and captures value” (Osterwalder & Pigneur). An […]
Dec 012011
This anaesthetic supplies business was insufficiently profitable. A key cause was that large sums had been spent on the development of ‘high value’ products that were not performing in the market. Nick redesigned the product portfolio with as key element a lower price point for one of the non-performing high value products. The benefits obtained […]
Sep 012011
Lumesse (then StepStone Solutions), a leading European provider of talent solutions, was acquired by HgCapital in 2010. The new owners required strong growth from Lumesse, both through organic growth and through acquisitions. Rapid growth in turn required professionalisation and standardisation of the sales process and sales management, and the effective integration of current and previous acquisitions. […]