As an Independent Consultant with extensive experience in Business Strategy & Planning, I am well aware that effective and efficient business strategies combined with proper planning are critical for a company to succeed.  Therefore, I provide several professional services to established organizations in order to assist them in achieving their strategic business goals.  I also provide Business Development & Re-engineering services to assist new and emerging businesses in determining their strategic direction.

These services help organizations to minimize risk and capitalize on opportunities.  They allow senior managers to address critical issues that they are confronted with on a daily basis and bridge the gap between their organization’s present and desired future states.  Don’t let another opportunity pass you by.   Contact me to start planning for success today.


EXPERTISE

Rachael L. Harris provides the following consulting services:

           * Business Development
           * Business Operations Re-engineering
           * Entity Total Value Assessment
           * IS & Business Alignment Management
           * Process Development & Optimization
           * Strategic Planning
           * Strategic Plan Execution Facilitation
           * Strategic Management Training


Business Development helps new businesses establish their strategic business direction and clearly define their mission and vision by analyzing their capabilities and limitations in regard to their industry and market.  This ensures that new business owners are able to pursue the most promising path to success.


Business Operations Re-engineering assists companies with restructuring their businesses and improving performance by conducting in-depth analyses of business operations to determine what changes are needed.  If major issues or inefficiencies are exposed, new business policies, processes, and strategies are devised to correct them.


Entity Total Value Assessment is the explorative assessment of a client's business environment in order to evaluate its general health and ability to satisfy the company’s long-term needs.  Determinations are made in regard to its efficiency, effectiveness, and overall success potential.  A status report is prepared outlining areas of concern.  A Preliminary Strategic Action Plan is also developed to provide senior business leaders with guidance for addressing critical problems and strategically leveraging technology, people, capital, and processes.


IS & Business Alignment Management is the management of a client's Information Systems department (IS) and Information Technology components (IT) {e.g., hardware, software, systems, websites, networks, databases, etc} so they serve to fulfill the company's strategic business goals.  I help IS managers fully understand their company's challenges and future direction, as well as, their role in assisting the company in meeting its overall strategic goals and objectives.  The goals, strategies, priorities, standards, and processes of IS are revised to ensure that they fit the needs of the company, deliver business value, and facilitate the successful completion of projects.

I perform an unbiased analysis of the working relationship between IS and other business areas of the company.  If problems are exposed, I devise strategies to expeditiously address them.  When necessary, plans are developed to increase IS’ customer satisfaction rating in order to gain respect from senior executives and peers.  Thus, enabling IS managers to become trusted business advisors.

I also assist senior executives and business-unit leaders in clearly understanding their Information Systems environment in order to utilize IS skills and IT assets as effectively as other business resources.  They are shown how the appropriate integration of technology into daily operations enables business managers to obtain maximum benefits from technological advancements.

IS and business managers are encouraged to work together as a team to exchange ideas and identify opportunities for IT-enabled business improvements.  The primary purpose of this service is to break down barriers between departments, align IS properly with the business, and achieve the performance excellence required to accomplish the company’s strategic business goals.


Process Development & Optimization is the analysis of business processes in order to streamline them and resolve problems that can be costly to the organization.  The root causes of waste, inefficiency, and underperformance are thoroughly examined.  Existing processes are enhanced and new processes are developed to eliminate problems.  An improvement plan is designed to maximize efficiency and increase productivity.


Strategic Planning is the process used to determine the technology, skills, and processes necessary to achieve goals established by senior managers of an organization as they envision their future.  I work side-by-side with senior managers to guide them through the strategic planning process and formulation of a Strategic Plan.  Comprehensive analyses of all business operations included in the scope of the project are evaluated for effectiveness and efficiency.  This process reveals the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of an organization, so they may be properly managed.

Three levels of Strategic Planning are available to clients: corporate-wide, strategic business unit, and functional/departmental (e.g., Information Systems).  If the client chooses to include the entire company in the scope of its strategic planning initiative, well-defined strategies for each of the company's major lines of business will be developed to ensure alignment across all functional areas.  Recommendations made as a result of the strategic planning process are realistic and attainable.  They are accompanied by a detailed implementation plan.  Timelines, milestones, and performance measures are also established to aid senior managers in making their vision a reality.


Strategic Plan Execution Facilitation assists senior managers with the execution of their company’s newly developed Strategic Plan.  This ensures that the Strategic Plan remains a top priority for the company and that strategic plan initiatives are executed within a reasonable timeframe.  The successful execution of the Strategic Plan provides the company with the greatest chance of achieving its mission and vision.


Strategic Management Training provides clients with customized workshops designed to demonstrate how to manage strategically by utilizing strategic planning, thinking, problem solving, and decision making methodologies.  In addition, training sessions are available to show business managers how to successfully implement their strategic plan on a daily basis and effectively communicate the company's vision.  These training sessions focus on reinforcing the conception that the strategic plan is the guideline for virtually all day-to-day managerial decisions and thus, provides the company with the greatest chance for success.

Strategic Management Training participants are taught to manage proactively instead of reactively in order to shape their company’s future.  They are given numerous tools and techniques that enable them to develop highly-qualified leadership skills.  These skills empower them to add significant value to their company.