What differentiates Arch + Beam from other consulting firms?

Without a doubt, there are many consulting firms - some large, some small - all claiming that they are the best at what they do. At Arch + Beam, we know that it is very difficult to choose between firms, and so, we believe the best way for you to decide is to work with a firm. As you work with a firm, you will learn if your personalities match, if they can do what they say they can, and if you are getting value for your money. To help facilitate this, Arch + Beam has a set of short fixed-fee engagements that allow you to work with us for the first time in a very low risk way. Thus, if it doesn't work, you aren't out much money or time. We feel so confident in our ability to show you the value we can bring, that we have priced these engagements at below our cost. It is our hope that in working together, we can build the trust with you so we can do larger more significant engagements with you in the future.

• Review the Getting Started section to learn more.

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What industries does Arch + Beam specialize in?

Arch + Beam has worked across many industries including technology, consumer products, energy, telecommunications, marketing services, financial services. What is common to all of our engagements is that we helped our clients navigate through a complex, usually ambiguous, problem - helping them:

• identify the problem,
• analyze the root cause,
• develop a list of options,
• propose recommendations, build an execution plan, and then
• project manage execution.

If we could only list one specialty, we would have to say services type businesses / divisions / functions with many of our prior engagements in areas related to technology.

• Please review our Services for more information.

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Why should we contact Arch + Beam as soon as we see the first signs of financial distress?

Even if you don't contact us, please begin taking proactive steps to address the underlying causes of your financial distress.  The key here is simple and well understood - time buys you options.  While you still have adequate cash flow, this is the time to begin working with a partner who can help you navigate your new management reality.  From our experience, it is quite different to run a company that is falling deeper into distress, so a little expert help never hurts.

• Contact Us

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Who is the Management Team of Arch + Beam and how big is your firm?

Arch + Beam has varied in size between about 15 and 25 people for the past 10 years - so by all measures, we are a small boutique consulting firm. The owners of the company are a father and son team, who between them have a background in law, accounting, industrial engineering, and real estate. They have owned multiple businesses and real estate holdings and understand what it is like to work in a large company environment as well as in a family business.

• Contact Matthew English, Managing Director

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What is the geographic coverage of Arch + Beam? Where can you work?

Arch + Beam has significant experience working all over the world. We have done projects for multi-national companies in United Kingdom, Germany, France, Singapore, China, India, Malaysia, and all over the USA. We are based in the San Francisco Bay Area near Silicon Valley. We have staff in multiple states, so we are quite comfortable working in any state in the USA. For international engagements, we usually send consultants from the USA to run the engagement or work with our local partners in foreign countries.

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What other questions should I be asking when selecting a consulting firm?

Selecting a good consulting firm is unfortunately a little bit science, a little bit art, with probably some luck mixed in.  Here are a few thoughts:

• Interview to ensure the quality of the assigned consultants: The key to your successful engagement has mostly to do with the actual consultants assigned to your engagement and the support that the firm gives them (not necessarily the partner who sold you the engagement or even the consultants who attended the sales call). Even the best firms cannot provide their best people on every engagement, so interviewing the actual consultants that will be assigned to your project is critical.  
• Personality and Expectations:  You want to think hard about what expectations you have and what role you want the consultant to play.  Do you want them to come in to build consensus or do you want them to come in to be the very visible person making tough decisions and taking a lot of the negative emotion from your staff, customers, or vendors.  Depending on what you want, make sure that the personality of the consultant will match this and that you have made it clear the role you want them to play.
•  Specialty Needed- Horizontal or Vertical:  Do you need someone who understands your specific supply chain very well or do you need someone who understands how to coordinate and facilitate your management team through a turnaround process?  Since these are usually two different people, try to figure out what you need.  The problem is that you often times won't know the root causes until you get into the analysis, so we usually recommend to start with a consultant who understands the end-to-end steps you are going through and then augment them with other specialists, on a part-time basis, if needed.

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