Strategy & Approach

 

Whether at the corporate level, or within a specific business unit or function, a well developed strategy can make an enormous difference, both to an organisation’s performance and to the alignment and morale of its people.

However, many organisations struggle to make the time required to develop an effective strategy or keep it up-to-date.  So they hire external consultants to tell them what their strategy should be. But this can lead to serious issues getting buy-in when it comes to actually delivering on the plan. How can people get behind a strategy they played no part in creating?

 

Aviant’s approach to Business Strategy

 

Aviant’s approach to strategy consulting focuses on working alongside client teams in developing their strategy.  Not “telling clients what their strategy should be” but ensuring success by maximising engagement and building strong ownership of the strategy with key stakeholders.

 

Whilst using a common framework, Aviant firmly believe that no two strategy exercises are the same.  Different businesses invariably face different kinds of constraints, challenges and choices, influencing the best approach to be taken.

 

The Aviant difference

 

Clients say that the Aviant approach to Strategy differs from other consulting firms, the key differentiating features being:

 

• Experienced consultants – Aviant consultants typically have between 7 and 25 years’ experience – consultants who “hit the ground running” and start to add value very quickly, and who can provide valuable insight and judgement based on experience elsewhere, rather than simply following a cookbook approach.
• Combining strategy and delivery skills – It is widely recognised that most strategies fail not through design but through execution.  Aviant consultants bring a strong combination of both strategy and delivery skills – Aviant’s philosophy is that the two should not be divorced.  So Aviant consultants will help challenge and validate client thinking, such that not only is the strategy based on robust commercial assumptions but that it is practical to deliver.
• Not overwhelming with large teams – Typically Aviant provides the best consultants to work as part of the client team in developing the strategy, guiding the client through the process through the provision of structure, challenge and insight.  In this way, ownership of the thinking and control of the process remains clearly with the client – they do not feel that the strategy is being ‘done to them’, but that they are developing it for themselves.
• Independence – Sometimes in strategy work, particularly in looking at operating model options, there will be a need to consider partnerships with third parties.  Aviant is able to do this unencumbered by any consideration other than acting in the client’s best interests.
• Quality – At the heart of what Aviant do, quality starts by recruiting the best people through stringent recruitment processes. Aviant then build quality in through the way they work and through their internal assurance and support processes.  Aviant’s exceptional reputation for the quality of its work is evidenced by the very high level of repeat business, at over 95%.

In summary, Aviant makes the best possible use of the client organisation’s own people and their knowledge, building energy and enthusiasm through the strategy formulation process.  And Aviant consultants also have experience of delivering the business change that frequently follows a strategy review, so they will help to ensure the strategy has delivery considerations “built in” meaning that once the strategy is approved, implementation swiftly follows.