When projects stall or priorities compete, a short, focused review can get things moving again. Photo: AnVr.
It’s a familiar scenario for many leaders, the daily juggling of multiple priorities with limited resources available to achieve what needs to be done.
These challenges are often compounded by the noise of day-to-day operations, making it difficult to decide how best to allocate your resources for maximum return.
“It’s in situations like this where a trusted, external adviser can be used to great effect,” RSM Canberra partner Tim Ryan says.
“Clients will often come to us for help because they have a problem, a project that isn’t going well, or a big, strategic objective they can’t quite get around. They know something needs to be done, but aren’t quite sure where to start.”
The scenario is so familiar, the consulting team at RSM has developed the Rapid Assessment tool, a tailored, quick-turnaround consulting service to help leaders identify and address improvement opportunities.
“The idea is for us to come in, take a look at the problem or the project and equip leaders with actionable insights and a practical roadmap to reduce risk and improve outcomes,” Tim says.
“We interview staff, review plans and data, and benchmark against best practices. Our team can then deliver an unbiased, 360-degree assessment of your organisation or a targeted project in just four to six weeks.
“Sometimes all it takes is a fresh set of eyes to offer the clarity that’s hard to get when you are busy with day-to-day issues.
“When you do a Rapid Assessment like ours, you’re no longer operating on hunches. You know which initiatives are on track and which need adjustment.”
RSM’s senior manager Pete Duncan, partner Tim Ryan and director Chris Perry from the management consulting team in Canberra. Photo: RSM.
Tim says this can prevent costly missteps like pouring resources into a project that isn’t aligned with your strategy or launching a product that doesn’t fit your market. There’s also a significant risk management benefit.
“The process will flag potential issues early,” he says.
“Perhaps there is a key dependency that’s been overlooked or a major capability gap is causing delays, this tool will propose solutions before they escalate.
“Catching these red flags early means you can solve problems on your own terms, instead of scrambling later when they’ve grown.”
Tim says the Rapid Assessment tool can help tell the difference between the real issues and just looking at symptoms.
The tool can also answer some key questions such as whether the right people and processes are in place, or are there hidden inefficiencies that could derail a project.
“An assessment like this isn’t an academic exercise. It zeroes in on actionable insights to get a clear set of recommendations, which usually include a few quick wins, improvements you can make right away for immediate impact, as well as longer-term fixes.”
Tim says feedback from clients has been positive.
“One client described the Rapid Assessment as ‘insurance for their strategy’. A few weeks for a check-up and they avoided pitfalls that could have cost them a year.”
For more information visit RSM in Canberra.
Original Article published by RSM Australia on Region Canberra.
