Getting Started

How to get started

Most new clients begin working with us on a short fixed-fee engagement to solve a specific problem.

These engagements create a lot of value quickly and allow us to get to know one another in a low risk setting. 

We price these engagements very reasonably knowing that, if we do quality and valuable work, you will want to keep working with us.  

After signing confidentiality agreements, we usually interview your controller, CFO, or business manager for 90 minutes.  You then provide us with your financial, sales, and operating data (electronic format is best) and then we go to work.  All of these ways to get started include off-line analysis by our team of experts, a written report of recommendations, and a facilitated working session with your management team (face-to-face or using remote collaboration tools to save money).

After reviewing the different ways to get started, if you would like to have a confidential follow-up from a Managing Director, please email:
AskMD@archbeam.com

 

Company Health Check - An Expert's Review of Your Company's Health

 

	How is our company performing?  What financial and operational measures should we be looking at?  What are the trends that we should be concerned about?  What are the good things that we should do more of? A data-based look at how you are doing and what you could do better.
Description	The Company Health Check is a short-term fixed fee engagement that provides you with an outsider's view of your business.  The health check uses your financial and operational data to construct a set of options and recommendations for you to improve your business operations and profitability. The output includes an analysis of operational efficiency, profitability, and capital structure effectiveness.  Depending on what we find, we will then focus on problem areas for a deeper dive into the root causes in, for example, accounts receivables, working capital requirements, customer, product, or sales person profitability, cash conversion cycle, etc. We generate a final report and facilitate an afternoon workshop with your management team to discuss the results and develop an action plan for you to take forward.
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Crisis Response - Developing Your Immediate Action Plan

 

	You just lost your biggest customer.  Your vendors are demanding payment for past due invoices.  You aren't sure you can make the next payroll. Helping you develop the right approach to face your toughest business challenges.
Description	Crisis Response is a 3-day intensive on-site consulting engagement from one of our expert crisis managers.  They will travel to your location and quickly help you analyze the crisis situation, develop options, and then work with you to develop the crisis response. After quickly assessing the situation, they will work with you to prioritize the most critical actions that need to be accomplished over the next 48 hours and will help you execute the response. Typical work can include: how to respond to vendors threatening legal action, how to deal with cash flow shortages that could lead to missing payroll, bank moves to foreclose on property, etc.
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Cost Optimization - Helping You Create a Sustainable Cost Structure

 

	How do you reduce costs without impacting long-term customer satisfaction and business capability?  What innovative techniques can you consider to improve productivity and capacity?  What costs can you do without? A comprehensive look at where you spend money now and what cost optimization can be done.
Description	The Cost Optimization Workshop combines an expert analysis of your operating expenses and a 3-hour workshop with your management team to prioritize and action cost reduction strategies.  The output includes an analysis of how you are spending your money as well as a set of prioritized actions that you can use to optimize your cost structure.  Typically, the recommendations include some cost reductions that can be implemented immediately, with some longer term ideas for how to better manage your costs. We generate a cost analysis report that can be used to help you move forward.
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Operations Assessment - Identifying Opportunities to Improve Productivity

 

	What is our productivity?  Do we have excess capacity?  Are we making the best use of our assets?  Where should we focus our limited time to improve operations? A expert analysis of your operations with short-term and long-term recommendations for operations improvement.
Description	The Operations Assessment is a short-term fixed fee engagement that provides you with an analysis of your operations, focusing on developing recommendations for how to improve your productivity, efficiency, and return on assets. The output includes an analysis of your operations, including looking at various productivity and efficiency metrics.  For metrics that seem to be out of balance, we will    identify the root causes to help you develop a plan to improve them. We generate a operations assessment report and facilitate a half-day workshop with your management team to discuss the results and develop an action plan for you to take forward.
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