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Business Framework Engineering
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Business Framework Engineering

Introduction

Effective leaders provide a framework in which people and business partners can work efficiently and effectively, both individually and collectively, and succeed for mutual benefit. Business Framework Engineering creates an organisational environment in which people think and act for themselves, yet behave as one.

Analogy

Consider a flock of birds that wheels in unison because of the commonality of purpose and knowledge, such behaviour is highly flexible. Think how quickly the flock changes direction without decreasing speed or loosing formation, this is what is needed of organisations in today's business climate.

Goal

The speed of business today demands that your organisation function without continual referrals up the line for direction, authorisations and approvals. Your people need to be able to respond immediately with confidence - their confidence that they know the right course of action, and your confidence that you can trust them to get it right.
Moreover your organisation must be able to change strategic direction quickly, and at low cost. The business framework must not only be adaptable, but must be self-directing, able to generate new tactics and strategies in response to opportunities and threats, and communicate these so that all parts of the organisation are synergised.

Business Framework Model

Stratege uses a unique Business Framework Model that defines all of the capabilities and competencies required for building and maintaining the business framework. These are separate from the functional capabilities and competences provided by Marketing, Sales, Operations, Finance, HR, etc, although these functional groups may be able to resource the Framework activities because of the skills they possess.

Business Framework Engineering Team

It is essential that the organisation own its Business Framework, the team that undertakes business framework engineering is led by a Stratege consultant but has team members from the client organisation.

Business Framework Engineering Phases

Assessment

An assessment is completed to identify systemic business issues, problems and opportunities in the organisation and its value chain, i.e customers, suppliers and other stakeholders are consulted. This reveals current weaknesses in the organisation’s framework and enables the team to gain a rapid system view of the business model and how it works in practice. The team then determines which are the critical Framework capabilities and competences for the business, and the current level of achievement. Additional capabilities and competencies may be specified or elevated from lower levels of the Stratege Framework model to provide emphasis.

Assessments may be commissioned in response to individual operational and business process issues identified in Problem Identification, but are separated from ‘war room’ or firefighting activities.

Solution Design

In Solution Design the Business Framework model for the organisation is completed, and all of the components are defined in terms of purpose, function, specification, metrics and design specifications.
Designs must be both individually complete as well as integrated components of the whole system. It is the internal consistency and reinforcement that creates the high performance that is so much more than the sum of the parts.

Most business are ‘designed’ by aggregation of incremental changes, projects and initiatives over time. Time creates mismatches between recent and older parts of the business. Business Framework Engineering introduces by design a new synchronicity as well as new energizing components.

Some parts of the framework may exist already, and be perfectly acceptable. These are reviewed for fit and consistency with new initiatives. Other parts may only require modest changes. The secret is to draw all of the parts together and see how they impact on each other, and to ensure that they are synchronised and mutually supportive.

Planning

Changes which are to be undertaken to implement the new Business Framework are identified and stated as high-level requirements.
As framework implementation can be complex as a whole, initiatives may be spread over a long period. It is important to proceed with well-understood projects whilst learning more about less certain areas, Program Management processes ensure this.
Specifications are prepared for each change initiative, but detailed planning is kept at a high level until its start date approaches. This enables learning and feedback loops to be incorporated into the plans without continual rewriting.

Implementation

The key tool used for Business Framework Implementation is Change Management, because changes are far reaching and complex. Program management is used to manage the overall program and Project management is used for roll-out. Many people become involved in framework planning and implementation so as to get the best from the changes whilst minimizing disruption of normal business.

Managing Strategic Initiatives (MSI)

Because strategic change programs are essential for all modern enterprises and are so difficult to implement successfully Stratege has developed a specific framework for MSI that it offered in several service models in association with associated and business partner organisations. Click here for more >>

Business Framework Services

Many of the tools Stratege uses in Business Framework Engineering can be used separately to deal with specific business problems when the organisation is not able to commit to a complete Business Framework program. Go to the Business Framework Services section.

Please contact us if you have any further queries about Business Framework Engineering >>

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