circle 5

CHANGE AND ORGANISATION MANAGEMENT

Circle 5's approach focuses on engaging and advising executive stakeholders. We recognise that there is no best way to structure an organisation as those at different stages of their lifecycle require different structural models. Other factors will include sector, market conditions and culture. An optimal model enables an organisation to grow as its strategy develops over time, and addresses the key client challenges that are evolving. We help align organisational design to strategy, and support detailed design in order to realise this optimal model.

We also understand that to transform organisation culture effectively and achieve business results, people have to be aligned and fully engaged in the execution of the business strategy. Our methodology aims to encourage and empower individuals to collaborate in order to achieve extraordinary results together, and recognises that improved performance is sustained longer if people believe in what they have been asked to do and the way in which they have been asked to do them.

ACHIEVING EFFICIENCIES & PROCESS

RE-DESIGN

Efficiency is ultimately a balance - reducing time taken and likelihood of generating errors, versus complexity and cost.

Most processes can be performed faster, sometimes by increasing the  complexity but is it worth the cost? At Circle 5 we encourage going back to basics, 'what is the process aiming to achieve', 'what is the problem' and 'what is the underlying requirement?'. Is there any process or element of a process that is surplus. Often a process is "the way its always been done" or its a combination of methods as different organisations have come together.

A set of detailed requirements achieved by mapping processes and questioning every element along the path, will generally provide the best basis for most efficiency reviews. We have experience of producing these in co-operation with staff, users, managers and executives via interviews, surveys, workshops; whatever best suits the organisation and situation.

STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

Businesses are about people, engage with people effectively and that's a significant step on the road to aligning resources and achieving success.

The art of engaging with people doesn't just happen, when it works well it may seem effortless but this requires conscious, detailed  planning, preparation and continual review. Our approach provides tools to help identify, assess and categorise the needs and powers of stakeholders to then select the appropriate methods of communication and develop a programme for engagement. In business as in life, relationships then need constant servicing and maintenance to ensure needs, expectations and results are aligned.

Establishing some simple rules or guidelines will additionally help maintain consistency and clarity to ensure stakeholders are clear and  achieve a common understanding, avoiding potential confusion and increasing efficiency.

PLANNING,  BUDGET  AND FORECAST

A financial plan should be at the heart of every business strategic plan. The plan must also be detailed enough to allocate responsibility for achieving the various elements to staff and business heads so they can be held to account. This then must link back somehow to the strategy so that one fulfils the other.

Too often plans either don't match or they become so detailed that they are not understood or cannot be monitored and reported against. The use of software will sometimes contribute towards the answer but this alone will not necessarily be the answer. Understanding how the business is structured, what are the key elements and how best to  choose and use from the array of software available on the market will be the path to success.

With our extensive experience running planning, budget and forecasting processes, Circle 5 will be able to advise an approach and help avoid the common pitfalls which are sometimes otherwise only evident when it's too late.

SYSTEMS IMPLEMENTATION

Systems are a major element of everyday business life, the value they can bring to an organisation can be hard to quantify but if chosen, implemented, operated and maintained correctly they can be the difference between success and failure.

People and process go hand-in-hand with technology and it's often these elements and not the technology that fail to be understood and managed correctly during a systems implementation project.

The system or subject may change, but whether for example your need is for a Finance System, CRM, ERP or PMS Circle 5 can help manage the stages of a systems implementation project. mmmWe are experienced in gathering requirements, creating a specification, workshopping with users, engaging with vendors, project management, writing test scripts, managing the UAT process, providing  QA services and advising steering committees.