November 29, 2022

BEST PROJECT IN THE WORLD

Project Overview

A group of Rural Municipalities in southern Saskatchewan, the South Saskatchewan Ready partnership, was foreseeing that a future economic calamity will unfold in 2030, the closure of the SaskPower coal fired power generating station and the Westmoreland coal mine. As the program lead Lorne Boyle of Mandate Consulting guided the team to provide a four-sector feasibility recommendation to stave off the economic calamity of a $350M GDP reduction caused by the federal government mandated shutdown of the local coal fired generation station in Coronach. A food safety ecosystem is the economic anchor of the new green-energy economy which will propel the region to recover $250M in GDP over a 30 year span. The project was selected as Canadian Champion and won the prestigious 2022 Constantinus Gold Medal for the best management consulting project in the world.

Project Team

Under the banner of Amistra Consulting, five consulting companies formed an expert team to provide a project solution for South Saskatchewan Ready. The consulting project evaluated a multitude of opportunities to recommend a slate of 43 projects for implementation over a 30 year period, the result of which can be a regeneration of $250 million to $300 million of economic activity.

What’s happened since the study was published?

The regional partnership has created a significant momentum by launching projects from the recommendations, it has already launched twelve development projects and South Saskatchewan Ready has been recognized for its foresight by winning a Saskatchewan Regional Cooperation Award.

The Constantinus Award

The majority of the project team are Certified Management Consultants or CMCs. A CMC is a senior consultant who has significant consulting experience and has passed regulatory examinations and interviews to be able to practice at a demonstrated higher level of Management Consulting.

CMCs are a regulated profession in Saskatchewan, governed by legislation administered by the CMC Saskatchewan Council certifying institute. This provincial body is part of a national coalition, CMC Canada, of which there are seven certifying institutes representing the entire country. CMC Canada is a partner with a total of 47 countries in the international governing body, CMC Global.

CMC Global, since 2011, holds a competition annually to bestow the Constantinus Gold Medal for the Best Management Consulting Project in the world.

Our team competed in Canada and has been named National Champion of Canada for 2022

A total of 30 projects submitted to the Constantinus Award, globally.

The South Saskatchewan Ready project was short listed as one of 12 and then received the

Gold Medal as best project of the year in Management Consulting

Projects from Italy and China received the two Silver Medals.

The award presentation was October 12, 2022.

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November 28, 2022

DIGITAL ADOPTION STRATEGY

Our digital advisory services starts our client’s entire business environment in order to create a strategy. The fundamental emphasis on all consulting engagements is how the business problem can be addressed through a more effective use of technology.

Digital Transformation Strategy with Digital Vision, Roadmap and Execution – we use a straightforward process to generate the Digital Vision, a Digital Strategy, an Implementation Roadmap and Execution Plan in order to enable tech people to help the organization to thrive.

The components of our methodology are:

Business strategy, the foundation
Gap analysis through collaboration, define the problem before stating a solution
Review operational efficiency and effectiveness of business processes
Understand and communicate emerging opportunities to eliminate bottlenecks
Document solutions that will solve the business problem
Product selection with technology options match to the solution
Technology project management
Implementation and transition to operations through effective change management
Reinforce operational changes until fully adopted

Zealously communicate, break down siloes, work with the teams and know they have the business solutions, understand and manage risks from start to finish.

Risk management is key to our decision making and will always be used to ensure sufficient consideration is provide to inform business decisions.

Other critical business components we stress is that of cyber-security, data management and access management when considering digital transformation improvements.

Refer to the
Mandate Consulting Digital Adoption Plan
document to see the assessment process used to build this plan

Sample Components that a Digital Adoption Plan may Contain

Incorporating technology advancement in the strategic plan and business planning process
Website Upgrades such that you can build an e-commerce or lead capture component to your strategy.
Digital Marketing to significantly increase website traffic with Google and social media prospects
Search Engine Optimization to establish a strong Search Engine presence that will last for years to come and maintain business visibility
New Technology Installations to improve business effectiveness and customer experience
Advisory Services on particular aspects of the digital adoption plan
Materials & Support Services directly related to onboarding the technology
Staff Development on new onboarded technologies
Infrastructure and architecture advisory services to ensure the most effective use of technology platforms are engaged
Business process redesign to enable the business to exploit new technology functionality

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November 26, 2022

DIGITAL ADOPTION PLAN

As a digital advisor, it is crucial that we consider the client’s entire business environment in order to create a strategy. The fundamental emphasis on all consulting engagements is how the business problem can be addressed through a more effective use of technology.

DIGITAL ADVISOR PROFILE

Mandate Consulting began in 1987 and is a full service management consulting firm with offerings in all areas of business development, operational performance, business transformation and succession planning. Mandate Consulting and its associate consultants are readily available to review and deliver digital adaptation assessments; Mandate is independent of any hardware or software technology vendors.

Lorne Boyle, as President and Principal Consultant has over 35 years of consulting experience. As a Fellow, Certified Management Consultant (FCMC©) Lorne has provided extensive technology and business consulting services to small enterprises, large and international corporations and municipal, civic, organizations and provincial and national executive government ministries and crown corporations. Lorne holds a BSc (Computer Science and Mathematics) from Brandon University and has held the prestigious Information Services Profession designation from the Canadian Information Processing Society. Lorne was the lead consultant on the award winning team that won the 2022 Constantinus Gold Medal recognizing the best management consulting project in the world.

Mandate Consulting’s risk management methodology complies with the ISO31010 Risk Management model and has been acknowledged by the Saskatchewan Provincial Auditor as an effective method for managing program and enterprise risks.

As a Management Consulting firm, Mandate Consulting is ISO 20700 certified and has led and delivered on significant business and technology transformations with many clients.

As a Certified Management Consultant firm, Mandate Consulting is bound by the Code of Professional Conduct of the Canadian Association of Certified Management Consultants (CMC-Canada). This code of ethical conduct ensures the emphasis of all consulting engagements put the client first.

Mandate Consulting Ltd, as a digital adoption advisor, is partnered with a full service Marketing/Advertising agency. Together, we provide clients with a powerful solution for all technology adoption needs.

Mandate Consulting – The Digital Advisor Advantage

Business strategy is the foundation of the execution of a digital adoption framework. Working with the client enterprise team, the Mandate Consulting approach begins with a business strategy assessment including the analysis of their current technology adoption. It is important to ensure all recommendations are tailored specifically to the client’s needs and to provide a strategic and tactical plan structure to enable the client to successful implement technology improvements.

Next, a gap analysis is completed. A collaboration including key client and Mandate Consulting resources candidly determines areas of weakness to determine the business areas needing improvement. We always communicate extensively and collaborate with the business team so we are able to select proper application improvements.

To enhance operational efficiency, we review the effectiveness of business processes and recommend process improvements prior to engaging in a technology solution. An adjusted operating process fully enabled with technology will pay dividends to the business.

We must understand emerging opportunities – The best way to seize emerging business opportunities is by completing a business review of bottlenecks that can be improved with the use of the correct digital platform. Matching the selected platform to the business problem to deliver the solution is done only after the problem is clearly understood. This puts the best solution in place for the business. Solutions can be an e-commerce, social media or service platforms to increase marketing, sales or operational results. Recommendations will only be brought forward to solve a business problem.

The product selection process includes analysis of all technology options to ensure the best solution is chosen for the client. Once a solution is recommended, the priority shifts the successful transition of new technology to the operation of the business. Technology adoption means so much more that installation of a software product. Mandate will work with the client to ensure a successful application adoption through effective formal change management.

By implementing effective information decision systems, Mandate Consulting enables a more informed client who can improve their technology management decisions. After an assessment of the information needs of executives and managers, we identify the silos of information and plan an analytical and reporting structure that contribute to more informed decision making.

By assessing current application portfolios and business capabilities, we help the organization to articulate requirements and generate an application modernization plan.

Risk management is key to our decision making and will always be used to ensure sufficient consideration is provide to inform business decisions.

Other critical business components we stress is that of cyber-security, data management and access management when considering digital transformation improvements.

THE MANDATE CONSULTING BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY-ADOPTION ASSESSMENT

The Mandate Consulting analysis of operational components will determine the client’s digital maturity across eight key operational indicators that we feel are critical for success in today’s digital business world. These indicators are compared against our internal benchmarks. The digital maturity score represents the company’s ability to respond to market change and take advantage of technological developments to remain relevant in their marketplace. Our report will also illustrate priorities and focus areas as that will enable the client to start and success at digital transformation.

The key analysis area in the client organization are identified and we indicate what and why these areas are of importance

Customer Experience:
How the business is able to use digital technologies and processes to design seamless, intentional experiences for customers, employees and partners, supporting the customer value propositions and delivering business objectives
Products & Services:
Deﬁnes the business appetite to invest in digital technologies in order to develop compelling customer value propositions (pricing, products and services, promotions) and intelligently engage with the customer base to drive proﬁtable growth
Strategy:
Is the overall vision built with respect to digital and data, which would include developing a digital vision and associated strategic actions to exploit data, institutionalize advanced analytics for data driven decision making and having a real-time understanding of the customer and the business. Data driven insights are a key to shaping integrated business decisions and planning actions
Interactions & Data Security:
Denotes the business’ ability to securely interact with its customers through digital channels and technologies and protect against privacy and cyber security threats
Technology:
Depicts a business’ approach to its technology platforms, tools and architecture in order to create secure, scalable and cost-eﬀective digital services
Operations:
Deﬁnes the business capability in adopting digital technologies to operate the business with enhanced eﬃciency and agility from a front, middle and back oﬃce perspective
Organization:
Deﬁnes how a business is structured from a people and leadership perspective to use digital technologies to become data-driven, employee-friendly and customer-centric
Partners & Alliances:
How open a business is to engage with, integrate and manage partners and alliances

Detailed analysis in each operational area is completed based on further inquiries. We analyze the response to the following areas to establish an operational rating.

ANALYTICAL QUESTIONS
Customer Experience	How would you rate your digital marketing eﬀorts? Do you provide your customers with online access (website, eCommerce, portal, mobile app)? To what extent are the customer related processes digitized ( customer relationship management, customer support)? To what extent do you utilize data to understand needs of your customers and to manage their experience? How does your organization collect customer feedback?
Products & Services	To what extent does your organization utilize a multi-channel marketing approach? Do you utilize any customer analytics platform to target customers? Does your organization invest in digital capabilities ( virtual assistant for customer service, online access to products and services, mobile apps) to address customer needs? How much of your brand and marketing investments are allocated towards digital assets? How would you rate your organization’s ability to connect digitally with potential customers and use digital tools as part of your customer acquisition process?
Strategy	Does your organization understand the opportunities oﬀered by digital for the overall business? Is your digital strategy aligned to your business strategy? How often does your organization review its digital plan/ roadmap? To what extent do you plan for investments in digital initiatives? How integral is data and analytics to support your organizational/ business-level decision making? To what extent do you utilize data analytics for reporting/ dashboards? Do you have a strategy to handle data from a security, privacy, quality and consistency perspective? How do your rate your organization’s ability to store, track and analyze customer data? As part of your strategic planning, does your organization consider investments in digital technologies to improve internal functions (such as inventory planning, pricing, ﬁnance and HR)?
Interaction & Data Security	How does your organization manage digital content? How does your company use social media? How deﬁned is your policy around cyber and data security? How do you protect the privacy of your data?
Technology	How would you rate the quality of your organization’s IT Service Management? To what extent does your organization utilize cloud services? How would you rate your capacity for technology experimentation and advancement? How would you rate your capacity of managing risks resulting from digital initiatives? Does your technology architecture enable you to meet the current and future needs of users?
Operations	To what extent are your back-oﬃce functions ( IT, Procurement, Finance, Human Resources) digitized and interconnected? To what extent are your middle-oﬃce functions ( Operations, Supply Chain, Customer Delivery) digitized and interconnected? To what extent are your front-oﬃce functions ( sales, marketing, customer services) digitalized and interconnected? Does your organization use technology ( inventory management, procurement) for supply chain management?
Organization	Is there a clear structure in the organization for developing and delivering digital initiatives? How would you rate the skills of personnel available for data analytics? How clear is the accountability to support digital initiatives? How would you rate the digital leadership in your organization? How would you rate your change management capability to support digital initiatives? How would you rate employee digital engagement? How would you rate your capacity to oﬀer employee mobility? How would you rate cross-functional collaboration in your organization?
Partners & Alliances	To what extent is your organization aligned to work collaboratively with partners as part of your digital transformation?

Our analysis process cross references client response to enable our process to provide a business technology rating in five key strategic technology pillars.

Digital Modernization:
Align the business strategy with a digital strategy and develop a digital transformation roadmap along with a data management strategy
Digital Restructure Finance:
Align ﬁnancial and digital transformation goals, identify key partnerships and tools to ﬁnance a digital transformation program
Sales & Marketing:
Integrate sales and marketing strategies into the digital transformation journey leveraging technology for enhanced customer management
Structural & Regulatory Alignment:
Align legal structure with the digital transformation program focused on protecting its organizational assets such as IP, trademarks, copyrights, patents while navigating gaps in law and regulations as related to new technologies
Technology Infrastructure:
Develop a data architecture, integrate multiple hardware, software, and platform tools, adopt cloud services into business operations and ensure end-to-end security as part of its digital transformation journey

When the analysis is complete, we are able to provide a rating in each of the transformation areas which will guide the business in establishing a go-forward plan. Embarking on this plan will allow the business to improve on the digital adoption capability-maturity model that we have established, as follows:

Components of the Digital Adoption Maturity Model are brought forward to create the short, medium and long term technology change and business integration plans required to enable the business to successfully develop a more mature technology business platform.

Sample Components that a Digital Adoption Plan may Contain

Incorporating technology advancement in the strategic plan and business planning process
Website Upgrades such that you can build an e-commerce or lead capture component to your strategy.
Digital Marketing to significantly increase website traffic with Google and social media prospects
Search Engine Optimization to establish a strong Search Engine presence that will last for years to come and maintain business visibility
New Technology Installations to improve business effectiveness and customer experience
Advisory Services on particular aspects of the digital adoption plan
Materials & Support Services directly related to onboarding the technology
Staff Development on new onboarded technologies
Infrastructure and architecture advisory services to ensure the most effective use of technology platforms are engaged
Business process redesign to enable the business to exploit new technology functionality

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November 25, 2022

SUCCESSION READY – A plan for Founder-Led Companies

We believe that successful business growth is transformational, not transactional. We work with you to identify and improve the key drivers of your business and work with you to mitigate risks and optimize performance.

Preparing your business for growth or sale is a multi-step process designed with one goal in mind – maximizing the value of your business at exit. Even if you’re not wanting to sell your business now, it’s important to create a business that is “built to sell.” Business owners leave a lot to chance and will not get the most value out of their business if they’re not ready for prime time.

Your best approach to adding value in your business is to gradually implement key changes to your business to maximize its value. Basically, anything that increases transparency, efficiency, revenue or profitability, or decreases risk or costs, should be considered.

Set some time away from the day-to-day.
Start early…(now!)
Bring your family and key team members into the process.
More here on the process of gathering data
- People. Increase the value of your business through partnerships with your family, key team
- Process. Identify, document, and streamline your systems and processes, and support with the team and end in mind
- Leadership. Develop the talent for key leadership positions with the right people to ensure continuity
- Sustainability. Drive and maximize the value of your business.
- Legacy. Preserve your legacy.
Partner with the right experts.
Don’t stop once the planning is done.

A Model for Succession Planning for your Business

What is the state of your succession plan?

If you have a blank look when asked this question then you are not alone. 65 percent of you have had a 55th birthday on or before 2021 but only 12% of you have that plan.

Why?

Is it because you don’t know where to start, or you don’t know who to ask?

If there was a planned approach, a proven model that will allow you to take the chaos out of your succession, to allow you to have a plan and allow you to be control rather then having to leave things to chance when a calamity arises, would you consider it?

The fact that succession planning is usually unspoken and that there is really, very little focussed thinking about this other than on the late night drives back from the field, doesn’t get around the fact that your large, well planned, well run and expanding business also needs an innovative, comprehensive, systematic, and dedicated series of planning activities to develop this part of your business.

We’re not getting any younger, but we can start now and take a different look at things.

It is time to think about succession from the standpoint that the founder-owners of businesses who have earned a retirement plan. As with everything, help from qualified and trusted advisors will set you up for success. Although there seems to be a tremendous growth of consulting services throughout the country, there doesn’t seem to be a complete focus on the overall succession from a business approach. Plans might arise from conversations with another specialty like accounting or law firms which may not have the complete business perspective.

A team-based consultative approach will allow you to see your business through a variety of lenses. Clarity for the future of your business is the only goal of this approach. You will be invigorated as your interests, your thoughts and hopes for succession will be brought forward. Your values, your vision, mission, and goals will be clearly defined and everyone will know of the succession path your business will take. The creation of your succession plan will reduce the risk of an unknown event causing havoc in your future.

It is important to provide your legacy to the next and next-after-next generation to allow them to continue careers in your business. As the Founder, you must have engagement of all of the people integral to your business. They will be your investment into the future.

A succession plan doesn’t have to be complicated and shouldn’t take long to develop. This is the development of the plan. Implementation, or those bits of work to line up your business to prepare for a success, could, and maybe should, take months, if not years. Your business is complex and you want a thoughtful approach to change. This will take time.

For this succession planning process to be most impactful, you will set a limited number of focused priorities encompassing business effectiveness and succession.

A team of qualified and trusted advisors will help by applying the tools and techniques to formulation your recommendations for the positive outcomes of your business succession. Throughout the process, you will gain insights on developing people, improving processes, and increasing your team’s leadership capacity so that their business can grow and thrive.

If you would like to “take care of the company so that it takes care of you” we couldn’t agree more! We can use this as guiding principle when cultivating, nurturing, and fulfilling your vision in sustaining a positive legacy.

By applying a well-defined and proven process, we help our clients design a plan that takes a whole-system approach that identifies your key business elements. It is also concise and easy to communicate to your potential successors and your key advisors.

Doing the right things in a planned approach will increase the likelihood that your succession will be a success so that you can control and contribute to your own successful and rewarding outcome.

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November 24, 2022

SUCCESSION READY – A case study

Context

A BC-based, founder-led and family-owned cidery and farm to table restaurant was at an important junction — they had grown their business rapidly and needed to take the time to plan for next steps to ensure the long-term sustainability of their labour of love. SuccessionReady is the result of a partnership of three expert consulting companies: Wirk Consulting, Catalyst Strategies and Mandate Consulting. The founders brought in SuccessionReady to engage in their simple, effective, and real-world approach to succession planning for founder-owned businesses and to work alongside them and their family members to develop a Succession Plan for the future of their business — to grow and scale in a structured way, transition to the next generation with intention, and leave a legacy that endures.

Approach

Reviewed relevant background information provided by client and conducted research to inform subsequent planning. Conducted interviews with key stakeholders including the founders, family members, and professional service providers. Facilitated a series of workshops with the founders and their family members to develop a Succession Plan Framework and accompanying Tactical Plan (in progress).

Outcome

Clarity and a shared understanding about the future for the founders and their family members.
Input from professional service providers who will be integral in helping the founders implement their Succession Plan. A clear and effective Succession Plan Framework and accompanying Tactical Plan (in progress).

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November 23, 2022

Flexibility and Continuous Learning

Mandate Consulting has a number of resources that can be available to provide management consulting, project delivery and change management guidance.

FLEXIBILITY, INNOVATION AND CONTINUOUS LEARNING

Mandate Consulting has a number of resources that can be available to provide management consulting, project delivery and change management guidance. The coalition of partners within Mandate Consulting is very experienced; resources can be brought in to solve individual problems or deliver on key initiatives to address specific engagement needs. Ongoing and continuous learning and development is a hallmark of Mandate Consulting resources.

THE VALUE PROPOSITION

The key differentiator that Mandate Consulting brings is its service focus. To support clients independent from all other sales and service providers and to ensure the business needs of the clients are foremost in all of our efforts, is extremely important – There are no hidden agendas for additional sales of products. Mandate Consulting has had a rich history in assisting clients in the delivery of key business objectives and will continue to provide excellent guidance and project delivery in all engagements.

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November 22, 2022

Change Management Heat Map

Mandate Consulting has a number of resources that can be available to effective organizational management of change.

MANAGING ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE

Mandate Consulting has a number of resources that can be available to effective organizational management of change. Business transformation is a big deal. It is a large effort, it affects peoples’ lives, those of your staff, your customers and your management team.

Managing change must be planned.

Client: “YOU CAN RATE OUR CHANGES WHATEVER COLOUR YOU WANT BUT WE’RE ONLY SHOWING THE BOARD GREEN.”

But……What if your change readiness scorecard was like this? What would you do?

What should we do?

Business change impacts both staff and customers. Let us partner with you to build a plan to develop an understanding of the impacts of your business change, to initiate knowledge transfer plans for your team and manage the change from planning to implementation through to an effective and accepted transition to your new operation.

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