Aaronrichards.com

Our operations consulting expertise includes:


Benchmarking & Best Practices: We assess a client's performance against global best practices, providing much-needed insights and tools that can drive project excellence. Our expertise includes benchmarking processes across industries and geographies, evaluating performance from both a technical and transformational perspective. By bringing our benchmarking expertise across our client’s organizational spectrum, our clients not only meet their immediate goals but also transform their organizations in preparation for all future endeavors. Research reveals a strong correlation between consistent use of business best practices and the ability to operate at lower cost and deliver greater value.

Complexity Management: Not all complexity is bad. There's a crucial difference between value-creating complexity, which should be actively and efficiently controlled, and value-destroying complexity, which should be reduced to a bare minimum. Our approach is to address both those areas that are visible to the company's customers (packaging and product variants, for example) and those that are not, such as manufacturing processes, supply chain configuration, or organizational structure. We do this by reallocating costs at activity level to calculate real profitability levels ("pocket margin"), carefully assessing complexity's strategic value in both quantitative and qualitative terms, and building a "multi-cube" data model to simulate and actively manage tradeoffs across the value chain.

Service Design & Operations: We help define the target customer experience, translate it into operational requirements, and ensure consistent service delivery across channels in the most cost effective way. Our work helps companies’ jumpstart a cycle of increased employee satisfaction, improved service quality and improved customer loyalty that impacts both the top and bottom line.

Business Process Redesign: AaronRichards works with each client to prioritize key processes based on the value at stake. For each priority process we develop a view of the current state based on operational data, using detailed process maps and analysis to help identify major gaps. We then work together with a cross-functional client team to define a series of principles that will guide the solution generation phase, and create a vision of the future state of each process from the ground up, along with the roadmap to achieve the near and long term results.

G&A Optimization: Top-performing companies have top-performing General and Administrative (G&A) functions that help enable their broader business strategy and objectives. In ouur experience, optimizing within each G&A function creates improvement but is rarely enough to reach full potential. The biggest gains come from looking within and across G&A functions and fundamentally changing the way people work together to deliver the highest-value G&A support.

Capability Sourcing: We help companies achieve sourcing excellence through a range of services including blueprint/design, outsourcing partner selection and transition, strategic offshoring implementation and support, and value delivery. Outsourcing and offshoring have evolved into much broader opportunities to drive transformational change.

Research & Development Optimization: We help companies, across a range of industries, maximize their returns on R&D investments. But delivering superior returns often requires transformational change: treating R&D as an integrated innovation system rather than as a functional silo.

Cash & Capital Management: AaronRichards helps clients around the globe in liberating cash, increasing the velocity of capital through the system, improving ROIC and instilling a disciplined approach to driving cultural change. In most cases, the effort is self-funded with very short payback

We offer clients a disciplined approach to deal making and M&A end-to-end support. We bring our expertise to all elements of the deal value chain, including:


M&A Strategy: The question behind every deal should be: "How will buying this asset make my existing business more valuable, and how will I bring value to the asset I am buying?" We help companies build their M&A programs as a vector of growth strategy. We will work with companies to decide where to invest and where to divest in line with corporate strategy, prioritize growth opportunities and develop tailored M&A programs based on a client’s previous experience.


Acquisition Screening: We help clients develop an investment proposition that is aligned with strategy and growth opportunities. We work to enhance deal flow by screening targets based on criteria set in the M&A acquisition strategy process and develop a road map to approach targets.


Due Diligence & Valuation: We collaborate seamlessly with client teams to help companies make better investment decisions. We generate insights through world-class diligence to valuation, to prove or disprove the value of the deal, to realistically assess synergies, and chart the course of integration early.


Merger integration Planning: The integration planning is pivotal in determining the foundations for a successful integration. Its objectives are mainly related to laying out plans to integrate both businesses and preventing, or at least dealing with, a plethora of issues; identify the synergies which offer the biggest gains; sequence them; set a pace for the integration; make the process as smooth as possible to curb the natural increase in suppliers/customers churn rate and employees turnover whilst carrying on the day-to-day operations of both businesses.
​

Merger integration Execution: Once the integration planning is completed and the Change of Control consummated, the next step is a race against time to integrate some or all functions as much as possible whilst at a pace which will not hurt the business, the morale of both company´s employees and the objectives of the overall M&A project.
​

Joint ventures and alliances: AaronRichards assists clients throughout the joint venture process: strategy development, partner selection and operating implementation. We have found that alliances go wrong most frequently due to neglect of the first stage–strategy development. Therefore, we focus disproportionately on ensuring that deals are structured correctly from the outset, with a very clear, shared vision and a solid understanding of mutual economics.
​

Divestitures and Separations: AaronRichards works alongside companies to manage their portfolios and decide where to grow and where to shed. Sometimes, by thoughtfully divesting non-core assets or separating organizations, management can better focus its attention on its core business and unlock substantial shareholder value.

We bring a range of technology capabilities that help our clients address five key areas:


​​Business/Technology Strategy Alignment: Business/Technology Strategy is the creation of a business technology vision and strategy that links enterprise objectives and technology capabilities based on a common business operating model, and focuses on increasing business growth and profitability. Technology helps companies transform themselves and grow their business. AaronRichards helps clients that are embarking on major growth or change that is heavily technology-dependent to identify the optimal future state of IT, aligned with business needs, and then jointly develop an implementation blueprint.


IT Benchmarking & Performance Improvement: IT Benchmarking & Performance Improvement evaluates overall IT organizational effectiveness and efficiency (including spending) in comparison with peer and World-Class organizations, and provides detailed recommendations, improvement initiatives, and transformation road maps. Underperforming IT negatively affects business performance. AaronRichards works with companies seeking to address their IT efficiency problems to not only reduce costs, but to improve and develop capabilities that enable innovation and agility.


IT Program & Project Management: AaronRichards’ program management approach helps our clients manage several IT projects, some which are integrated and some of which may be stand alone. All of which is intended to improve an organization's overall IT performance. Our IT Project Management approach helps our clients with the process of planning, organizing and delineating responsibility for the completion of an organizations specific or individual IT project(s).




IT Service Delivery Model: The IT Service Delivery Model (SDM) comprises the design, development, and/or deployment of the way in which IT services and solutions are delivered and supported across the enterprise. The SDM includes service placement, process sourcing, process design, enabling technology, skills & talent, governance & organization, information. AaronRichards helps organizations determine the best way for IT to deliver and support technology services and solutions across the enterprise.




ApplicationPortfolio Management: AaronRichards’ application portfolio management services offer a framework to decide on a portfolio strategy and then assess and govern the portfolio on an on-going basis. We enable IT organizations to align more closely with business, respond quickly to environmental changes, address regulatory concerns, enhance the quality of IT budgeting, and lower the total cost of IT by enhancing the IT portfolio.

Our commitment is to meet your needs by applying current best-practices to the search process, assessing and identifying the ideal candidates for your needs, and delivering superior client service and satisfaction. We deliver on this commitment through providing our clients with the following three services:

Executive Search: Our ability to provide top talent for mission-critical process, combined with two-way communication, accountability and reliability, has helped create long-term relationships with clients in a wide selection of industries. As an invested staffing solutions provider and partner, your success is our ultimate objective.

Board Recruitment: Our Board Search Practice Group understands the vital importance of corporate and local culture in placing directors who will help to shape the direction and future of our client companies and deliver success. Equally importantly, we are committed to finding the person who will bring a balance of diverse perspectives and business acumen to a team of corporate directors.

Interim Executive Placement: Unlike consultants, interim executives are called in to fill an existing position within a company - typically one that's gone vacant due to the loss of an employee for one reason or another.

We inspire. We incite. We shape ideas to move companies and organizations forward. We get people thinking and acting in new ways so they connect with and advocate for your brand. And we do it with a level of commitment and expertise that is simply unmatched by anyone, anywhere.

Branding: AaronRichards, can help you develop a strong and successful brand strategy. Branding is one of the most important aspects of any business, large or small, retail or B2B. An effective brand strategy gives you a major edge in increasingly competitive markets. Simply put, your brand is your promise to your customer. It tells them what they can expect from your products and services, and it differentiates your offering from your competitors'. Your brand is derived from who you are, who you want to be and who people perceive you to be.Your brand strategy is how, what, where, when and to whom you plan on communicating and delivering on your brand messages. Where you advertise is part of your brand strategy. Your distribution channels are also part of your brand strategy. And what you communicate visually and verbally are part of your brand strategy, too.

Research: AaronRichards consultants work to help our clients improve their projects and programs. We have the expertise to tackle the evaluation and research projects that strike fear into the hearts of your most industrious staff members. No matter how large or small your project is, we will help your program be as effective as possible—from program evaluation design, to support for grants and proposals, surveys, focus groups, quantitative and qualitative data analysis, and more, we make sure you have the data you need and know how to use it. It may seem like there’s an ocean between where you are and where you want to be, but we make the trip easy and we make the trip fun. We help you get the insight you need to answer key questions about your business and your competitors—ones that drive strategic planning and effective action. Our customized services are designed to provide extraordinary insight. When assessing your strategy and competitive readiness, it is important to consider key aspects of your organization—and your competitors’
We know how to listen, crystallize essential information, and think creatively. We do much more than just delivering information; we work together to get results.

Crisis & Risk Management: AaronRichards can help you manage crisis when they arise and manage risk to help mitigate the potential for a crisis to arise. Unfortunately, crisis happens more than we imagine. They are not always easy to see unless they affect our own lives. A crisis is anything that has the potential to significantly impact an organization. The overall coordination of an organization's response to a crisis, in an effective, timely manner, with the goal of avoiding or minimizing damage to the organization's profitability, reputation, or ability to operate. Crisis management involves identifying a crisis, planning a response to the crisis and confronting and resolving the crisis. Good crisis management is essential, but never a substitute for daily risk management processes.

CEO Transition Communications: A CEO transition is a rare opportunity for board members and companies to directly improve trust and shareholder value. In protecting the board’s decision, you will be ultimately setting the new CEO up to win. AaronRichards assists clients in communicating how, when and why a CEO transition is taking place.

Executive Coaching and Positioning: The problem that confronts every organization is that no one is perfect—no one. This includes CEOs, top executives, and, yes, senior HR professionals. As result, there are occasions when the behavior or the performance of a member of the C-Suite may not be optimal or effective. In these instances, the executive in question is likely to benefit from the advice, counsel, and suggestions from AaronRichards executive coaching consultants. The ultimate goal of any coaching effort is to improve the effectiveness of the other person in their current or future roles, especially if the role involves leadership of an organization.

Coaching can be employed to enhance an executive’s s performance and assist other employees in the organization at all levels.

Reputation and Trust Management: It can take decades to build a reputation, but only an instant to damage it. There is perhaps nothing more precious, or more intangible, than a reputation. AaronRichards can help you regain, retain and management your organization’s valuable reputation. Today, it’s life under a magnifying glass for companies and their leaders. No ethical lapse, moral shortcoming or other misstep — real or perceived — goes unnoticed thanks to the convergence of globalization, instantaneous news and online citizen journalism that magnifies any wrongdoing or error. To help clients work toward the best outcomes (but prepare for the worst), AaronRichards global Reputation Management services cover the full range of reputational issues — from creating and maintaining an enduring reputation to recovering reputation after a crisis to managing reputations online to building CEO reputations.

Contingency plans are important, but taking proactive steps to manage and reduce reputational risk are also essential.

Speech Writing, Presentation Development & Proposal Preparation:

Speech Writing

At AaronRichards, our speechwriting service addresses all your speechwriting needs. We are passionate about public speaking and believe that everyone has it in them to give a great speech. Our mission is to provide a service that will help you achieve and exceed the aims and objectives for your speech, covering every situation in which you could need to give a speech. If you have a speech, pitch or presentation to give, then let us help you with it. Our speechwriting is designed to perfectly complement your natural style of voice so that you get a great speech that is unmistakably yours. There is no great mystery to giving a great speech. It is not a privilege reserved for only the greatest orators and world famous political figures and business titans. Great Speeches are given every day by ordinary men and women alike in all sorts of situations and circumstances.

We can help you craft a speech that will have a great impact on your audience

Presentation Development
You know the needs of your audience and AaronRichards can help you match contents of your presentation to their needs. We can help you put what you have to say in a logical sequence and ensure your speech and/or presentation will be captivating to your audience as well as worth their time and attention. We will help you prepare for your presentation as well by helping you know what your strong and weak points are and teaching how to emphasize your strong points during your presentation.

Proposal Preparation and Management
Many of AaronRichards consultants are former big-5 partners, managing directors, and senior managers who have significant proposal development experience, a record of winning proposals, and years of hands-on project experience. This depth of knowledge helps our clients in three important ways.

First, our team knows how to bid and deliver large and complex multi-million dollar projects

Second, we know the ins and outs of large consulting organizations and how they work. Dealing with the mechanics of internal review, risk assessment, legal compliance, and approval structures and rules are all second nature to us

And third, and we think most important, is our ability to garner the best thinking of your most busy people and secure their essential input to your proposed solutions and responses without upsetting their commitments to other client work.

How we help local businesses by offering the following social media and reputation management tools on a single, simple to use platform called www.myarsocial.com.

These tools include:

Social Media Management -
Create new customers with engaging and shareable social media content. Now includes a Banner Ad feature!

Social Contests -
Amplify your social marketing with powerful sweepstakes and email list building.

Social Deals -
Increase new and returning customers with social deals that also builds email lists.

Social Analytics -
Comprehensive analytic reports across all social channels, deals, and sweepstakes.

Social Shopping Carts -
Create a social shopping cart so your business can sell food or products on social media.

Reputation Monitor -
Protect your online reputation by monitoring and responding to customer feedback.

Comprehensive Online Review Management Software includes:

Mobile Review Apps -
Create custom review apps to spawn feedback from customers before they leave your store.

Manage Online Reviews -
Manage and quickly respond to reviews from all the top review websites in one dashboard.

Real-time Review Alerts -
Get your reviews emailed to you in real-time as they get posted to the top review websites.

Spy on Competitors -
Monitor the feedback and reviews your competitors are getting from customers.