Executive Education

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is often said that we live in a turbulent business environment, with major changes occurring at an ever-increasing rate. Managers, well aware of this fact, know that they must develop and implement new strategies to overcome the impact of these changes. Developing new strategies, however, is not sufficient to ensure success. No matter how good the strategies are, however, they will fail unless the organization operates in a way that is adequate to execute them. After all, the way the organization operates today reflects the old strategies, now obsolete, and an environment that no longer exists.

Management's strategic challenge, therefore, is to transform their organizations to make them suitable to execute the new strategies. Organizational transformation becomes critical if the organization is to survive and prosper. Yet, there is considerable confusion among managers on the subject of organizational transformation. This is due to the large number of different theories and methodologies that have appeared over the last few years.

Toscano Management Consulting offers an Executive Seminar on business strategy development and organizational transformation. The name of the seminar is "The Strategic Challenge: Transforming the Organization". Its purpose is to explain the conceptual structure and to describe the methodologies required to guide the organization in executing a successful transformation.

Over the last six years this seminar has been taught over 40 times to more than 1,500 executives in the U.S. and in Latin America. The seminar has been taught publicly, sponsored by universities and industrial associations. It has also been taught privately to the management team of many companies, in either a three-day or a five-day format. Before teaching a private seminar, Toscano Management Consulting meets with the executive team of the company to adapt it to their specific requirements and needs.

 

 

 

 

 

THE STRATEGIC CHALLENGE: Transforming the organization

 

 

 

 

 

How to achieve an effective transformation so the organization can succeed when facing radical changes in the environment

This seminar is specially applicable to those organizations that:

  • Have developed or are developing new business strategies
  • Are considering a major change in their operations
  • Have tried to reengineer or transform their operations with unsatisfactory results

The seminar combines lectures, case studies, and workshops to insure that the participants learn the theory as well as the practice of organizational transformation. Many actual examples are used to illustrate the applications of the concepts.

Go Up

SEMINAR OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this seminar are to:

  • Explain the concepts and objectives of organizational transformation
  • Define the relationship between business strategy and transformation
  • Describe the component elements of organization transformation
  • Explain the methodologies required for a successful transformation
  • Explain the important but limited role of reengineering in transformation
  • Show the synergy between reengineering and continuous improvement
  • Describe how to manage the human factor when implementing major changes
  • Explain how to identify the barriers that stand in the way of a successful transformation

Go Up

PARTICIPANTS

This seminar is taught privately to the management team of the client. Since the concepts and methodologies presented are industry independent, the client can be a corporation, a university, a government agency, etc. Or the client can be a well-defined segment of the organization, such as a division, business unit, college or department. It is designed for an attendance of 30 to 50 participants, the number depending on the structure and requirements of the client. It is recommended that as many members of the organization as possible attend to facilitate the transformation process. The seminar fee is the same regardless of the number of participants

Go Up

AGENDA

The typical seminar is three to five days long. The final agenda is customized to the particular needs of the organization. A typical agenda covers the following topics: q Objectives of organizational transformation q The methodology for transformation q The starting point: the customers q Workshop: Improving customer satisfaction q Enterprise architecture: a process view of the organization q Workshop: Description of selected processes q Learning from success: benchmarking q How to reengineer a process q Workshop: Reengineering the processes q Case study: Strategic use of technology q Role of information technology q Aligning business and technology strategies q Organizational culture q The human factor in transformation q Barriers to transformation q Workshop: Identifying barriers and developing strategies

INSTRUCTOR: F. Cesar Toscano, Ph.D.

Go Up

SEMINAR TOPICS

OBJECTIVES OF ORGANIZATIONAL TRANSFORMATION - A frequent error is to undertake the transformation of an organization with the sole purpose of cost reduction or downsizing. While cost reduction may be one of the objectives, a successful transformation must consider in addition other objectives such as defect reduction, customer satisfaction, speed of response, and flexibility. The relative importance of these objectives depends on the nature of the business strategy of the company, and it must be determined before starting the transformation project because the results obtained will depend upon which objectives have priority.

THE METHODOLOGY FOR TRANSFORMATION - There is much more to organizational transformation than simply improving the processes of the company. Five different component elements must be considered if the transformation is to be successful. These components are: customer analysis, process improvement, role of information technology, organizational culture, and the barriers to transformation, including the most important barrier, the resistance of people to change. The remainder of the seminar is dedicated to the explanation of these components.

THE STARTING POINT: THE CUSTOMER- A successful transformation does not start by redesigning processes but rather by focusing on the customers. The organization must identify who they are and determine their needs and requirements. It also must understand how the customers see the organization and how their expectations change over time. Measuring customer satisfaction in a continuous and systematic manner is of fundamental importance. A practical methodology to develop strategies to improve customer satisfaction is explained.

WORKSHOP: IMPROVING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION - The participants work as a group to identify the key types of customers of the organization, then are divided into work teams to apply the methodology explained in the previous presentation to those customer types. The results of this work are presented by each team and discussed by all the participants.

ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE: A PROCESS VIEW OF THE ORGANIZATION- To improve the quality of the organization's products or services it is necessary to improve the processes that create those products or services. Developing an enterprise architecture, which describes the organization from a process point of view, is the most effective way of improving the processes. This enterprise architecture is complementary to the organizational structure. The organizational structure defines how the organization runs its operation, the enterprise architecture how it improves that operation. Analysis of the enterprise architecture is carried out in two phases: first at the enterprise level, and then at the operational level for the processes that need to be modified to fit the new strategies. The methodologies for each of the two phases of analysis are described.

Go Up

WORKSHOP: DESCRIPTION OF SELECTED PROCESSES -Prior to the seminar, senior management of the organization selects six processes they consider to be candidates for major modifications. Also prior to the seminar, one member of each team is given the assignment to learn how the process is currently being done. During this workshop the seminar participants are divided into teams and each team is assigned to work independently on one of the selected processes. The purpose of this workshop is for each team to learn how the process is being performed today so it can be prepared to start the reengineering work in a later workshop.

LEARNING FROM SUCCESS: BENCHMARKING - In the context of transformation, benchmarking is the systematic comparison of the processes of an organization with similar processes in other organizations that are recognized as excelling in those particular processes. Benchmarking can be carried out with organizations in the same industry or with organizations in different industries. It stimulates new ideas on how to perform the process and enables setting realistic targets for the performance of the improved process.

HOW TO REENGINEER A PROCESS - Reengineering is not synonymous with transformation. Reengineering, which is the radical change of a process to achieve great improvements in its performance, is only one of the five component elements of a transformation. Although reengineering can be of great value, it is the most risky, difficult and costly way of improving a process. Before undertaking it, the organization must consider alternative process redesign techniques or whether one of the other components of a transformation can solve the problem. This presentation explains the steps required to reengineer a process.

WORKSHOP: REENGINEERING THE PROCESSES - The same teams that worked in the Process Analysis Workshop apply the techniques explained in the Reengineering lecture to their processes. Because the teams are using real processes from the organization, this workshop, in addition to providing practical experience in reengineering, can become the start of actual reengineering projects that continue after the seminar. The teams work independently but, at the end of the workshop, present and discuss the results of their work with all the participants.

Go Up

CASE STUDY: THE STRATEGIC USE OF TECHNOLOGY - This real life case is read by the participants and discussed in class. The case shows how an organization identifies its critical problems, develops a vision of what it wants to become, and formulates strategies to achieve that vision, using information technology as a key tool to execute the strategies and transform the organization. The case clearly demonstrates how the alignment between business strategy and information technology strategy is a critical factor for the success of a transformation.

THE ROLE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY - Information technology has a double role in organizational transformation. One role, the more visible one, is providing the new, emergent technologies to improve the process by performing it in a radically different way. The second role, less visible but of equal importance, is to create an information infrastructure that enables the organization to obtain the flexibility and capability necessary for a successful transformation. Information technology is the most powerful tool for organizational transformation.

ALIGNING BUSINESS AND TEHNOLOGY STRATEGIES - This lecture describes the Strategic Investment Methodology (SIM), a proven technique to develop information technology strategies that are based upon and support the business strategies. The methodology is explained in detail so the participants are able to use it in their organizations. Actual examples of the results obtained with the methodology are presented.

ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE - Organizational culture is the invisible but powerful force that often determines the success or failure of a transformation. If the changes proposed are not compatible with the organizational culture, the transformation is doomed to fail since organizational culture will always prevail over change. Therefore, if the changes are inconsistent with the culture, the culture must be modified to make it compatible with the changes before they are implemented. Management tools to modify the culture, such as leadership, empowerment, team building, and measurement systems are discussed.

THE HUMAN FACTOR IN TRANSFORMATION - Transforming the organization requires that the persons that make up the organization change the way they do their work. It is well known that human beings resist change -- they resist the way change disrupts their lives and the uncertainty associated with change. This resistance is frequently the reason transformation projects fail. Therefore transformation teams must include personnel with human skills as well as those with process analysis and information technology skills. This presentation covers some of the key factors that must be considered, from a human viewpoint, if the transformation is to be successfully implemented. Tactics and strategies to manage change effectively are explained.

Go Up

BARRIERS TO TRANSFORMATION - Before undertaking any transformation project, the organization must identify the internal and external barriers that may block or impede the transformation. These barriers must be anticipated so that strategies to overcome them can be developed before the start of the project. Failure to do so may cause the failure of the project. This presentation describes a practical but effective methodology to identify the barriers and to develop strategies and action plans to overcome them.

WORKSHOP: IDENTIFYING BARRIERS AND DEVELOPING STRATEGIES - Prior to the seminar, the senior management of the organization defines the two or three major objectives of the transformation. Based on these objectives, the participants identify the internal or external barriers that exist using the methodology described in the previous presentation. Using a highly interactive technique, they work together as a group to reach consensus on what are the principal barriers. They then form teams to address these barriers and develop strategies and action plans to address them. At the end of the workshop the teams present and discuss the results of their work with all the participants.

FOLLOW-ON REPORT After the seminar concludes, Toscano Management Consulting prepares a report for the sponsoring executive summarizing the results of the Barriers and Strategies Workshop. This report has proven to be of great value to senior management because it enables them to understand what the managers that run the organization perceive as standing in the way of achieving the transformation objectives and what strategies they recommend. The report serves as a practical guide to action for senior management to prepare for the actual transformation project. To produce such a report by traditional consulting techniques would be a very lengthy and costly process. In a single-client seminar, it is an automatic by-product of the educational effort.

Toscano Management Consulting, Inc., 2001

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHAT HAVE SOME PARTICIPANTS SAID ...

  • Over the last six years, Dr. Toscano has taught seminars like the one just described over 50 times to over 1,500 managers and professionals. Here are some typical comments of executives who attended: "It was excellent. To me, it was the best class I have attended. It is designed for the highest management levels and for those persons involved in reengineering" (MAJOR COMMERCIAL BANK)
  • "The material is excellent. But what makes it most valuable is the high quality of the instructor. He knows how to handle theory, has practical experience, and, what is best, knows how to teach, how to communicate." (MANUFACTURING COMPANY)
  • "It is a subject of transcendental importance. All the executives in any type of enterprise must be familiar with it." (UTILITY COMPANY)
  • "The design of the seminar seems to me to be very important because it combines theory with practical business considerations. There are clear messages about the positive as well as the negative aspects of reengineering." (DISTRIBUTION COMPANY)
  • "Given the topics covered, the high academic excellence of the instructor and the perfect logistics of the seminar, I think it has been one of my best experiences in education at a professional level." (INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION)
  • "I think it was absolutely enriching! I recommend this seminar to all the executives in my Agency and to other agency directors in the State." (GOVERNMENT AGENCY)
  • "Very good seminar in its academic content, integration of topics, and stimulation of knowledge and creativity. I would recommend this class to all the managers in my company." (PETROCHEMICAL COMPANY)
  • "Excellent course to learn the basic concepts and fundamentals of transformation and its implementation, which is why I have decided that 100% of the managers in my company should attend this class as soon as possible." (MINING COMPANY)

Go Up

 

 

 

 

38 Rolling Hills Lane, Harrison, New York 10528-1712 Phone 914-777-1901 E-mail: mail@toscano-consulting.com

 

 

 

 

Home | About Us | Contact Us  | Experience| 

 

 

 

 

Copyright©2005 Toscano Management Consulting Inc. All rights reserved.