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Consulting

This category contains 21 posts

In selling consulting understanding wins more work than persuading

It’s time to listen and understand the explicit needs of clients. This means that turning up to a meeting with a prospective new client and presenting a slide show of your subject matter expertise is just plain missing the point. I think consulting is about the difference you make and not what you do. So [...]

Consultancies that are only good at delivery will fail

In today’s economic climate being great at delivery is no longer enough. Having a team of seasoned professionals who measure their success by the success of the projects they have worked on is not a sustainable model for the future. Many consultancy and business services firms have build a business based on many one-off projects. [...]

Nano project management

Project management principles such as Prince 2 are fine if the team is trained and the culture encourages the right behaviours. However on my experience projects are full of business people who don’t get the right kind of training or support. Thoughtcrew has developed a new method called Nano Project Management. Business participants in a [...]

The next big thing in consulting

Biomimetics is the next big thing in consulting acording to a group of senior business leaders that attended the latest briefing by Phil Richardson of Thoughtcrew.
Exploring the application of the new models and theories developed by Phil on his PhD at the University of Bath the invited audience were enthusiastic about the application [...]

Growing a premium brand

Exclusively Kitchens
Exclusively Kitchens is a high end bespoke kitchen designer and installation company. Focused on providing the best possible quality and value Exclusively Kitchens operated from its base in Bath across the South West. Having been in business for 12 years the directors of the business felt it was time to take a strategic [...]

Creating a customer centric property division

Northern Rail
Northern rail is a successful train operating company with 472 stations and 11 million passenger journeys per year. A key component in running the railway is the development and maintenance of stations. At Northern the quality of stations has an impact on the customer service score carried out by the DfT and failure [...]

Creation of an integrated remote working process for Environmental Service

Newcastle City Council
Newcastle City Council wanted to implement remote working for both its people and its assets. However there are 26 wards (districts) within the Council and each has its own way of working so the implementation of a common way of working was proving a challenge. Thoughtcrew working with the solution provider APD [...]

Ensuring process compliance

Iron Mountain
Iron Mountain Incorporated helps organizations around the world reduce the costs and risks associated with information protection and storage. As part of its rigorous approach to data management the company already embraces the need for clarity around internal processes and documentation. Thoughtcrew were asked to review and update the current processes on behalf [...]

Creating a customer centric supply chain

Inbev
Inbev’s supply chain managed products such as Stella and Boddingtons from the brewery to the installation of the latest tap installed in a pub, club, restaurant or hotel. The processes span a number of departments including, trade sales, customer service, brands dispense, finance, third part delivery, third party installation and merchandising.
Thoughtcrew were asked if [...]

Enhancing the corporate sales team

First UK Bus
The challenge at First was to take the next step in developing the corporate sales team for the UK Bus division. This project entailed the creation of an agreed sales strategy, the development of sales management and selling skills and the creation of business solutions as opposed to product sales.
The real challenge [...]