Consultants‘challenges can include:
– narrow services offerings
– long lead times in developing new clients
– extended discovery phases before adding value
– clients not following through on recommendations
Consultants‘ goals can include:
– broader offerings
– faster new client acquisition
– accelerated value delivery
– stronger implementation of recommendations
ActionMap offers a software-based “process workshop in-a-box” solution that can help consultants, coaches and advisors start to achieve those goals within a week.
The core of ActionMap’s value proposition is the rapid creation of strong shared understanding of team members’ activities and interests. This forms the basis for a wide range of organizational improvement goals.
Background
We developed a highly repeatable, widely applicable, easy-to-use flipchart-based method for conducting high-energy process-focused workshops.
We have conducted over 100 of these workshops for organizations including those shown here:
These workshops cover a wide range of process-focused activities, including the following:
– Sample Engagements – Summary
– Sample Engagement – Details
– Testimonials
With our software application, these workshops can be economically offered to organizations across a wide range of sizes, geographies and industry sectors.
Great for business development too
We have also used the ActionMap method as a business development tool, both for selling the workshops and for initiating large-scale Tier 1 Consulting engagements.
An Underserved Market = A Market Opportunity
We believe there is a large underserved market for providing process-related services to situations of “medium complexity”, typically found in small to medium sized businesses and organizations.
While skills with process methods can be beneficial to many small organizations, as currently offered most methods:
– are too complicated for small organizations’ needs
– are too costly to learn in terms of staff time and training fees
– require too much culture change for small organization workplaces.
The value of having the method in software
The ActionMap Toolkit software application addresses the market for process services to small organizations with the following features:
– requires no advanced training for workshop participants,
– requires no advanced knowledge of client content for the workshop leader,
– includes step-by-step real-time guidance for leading a group session through a compact process improvement cycle,
– provides highly-automated process mapping, which reduces the need for graphic diagramming skills,
– features rapid capture and organization of structured discussion comments for faster-paced meetings,
– supports online delivery for flexible scheduling,
– is powerful enough to serve as an “on-ramp” to more comprehensive process approaches, e.g. Lean,
– is sufficiently nimble that it can add process review and improvement capabilities to standard business meetings.
Built-in methods training
In addition the application provides detailed training in how to use the method without the software, for example on flip charts or in office automation tools, for offline and informal situations.
Specific benefits for consultants, coaches and advisors
Extend service offerings
ActionMap workshops can be used for all the activities described above, extending service offerings into a general process improvement space.
Accelerate new client acquisition
ActionMap demonstrations on subjects of interest to prospects can that you want to understand their business and can quickly provide tangible value.
Faster Value Delivery
ActionMap workshops can be used for rapid knowledge sharing of the client’s business operations in order to quickly get to the areas that need focus.
Stronger Implementations
ActionMap workshops cover all goals and issues and create employee engagement which supports full implementation of recommendations.
An Ecosystem for Delivering
the Value of Process Methods
to Smaller Organizations
Who will deliver this process-based value to smaller organizations?
While the Toolkit is designed for use by smaller organizations themselves, in practical terms the services will be primarily delivered by people who have acquired experience in using the software.
The best people to address this market are smaller consultancies (including coaches and advisors), because they:
– are familiar with the communities and industries in which their clients operate,
– have subject matter expertise related to the client’s business, such as manufacturing, retail, finance and so on,
– are well-positioned to develop trusted-advisor relationships with smaller organizations’ owners and managers.
How ActionMap can create value with partner consultants
We are developing an informal network of consultants, coaches anda advisers who can:
– use the Toolkit themselves, to conduct workshops for their clients, and to achieve the goals at the top of this page,
– provide training in the Toolkit to their clients,
– refer clients to other network members, based on industry specialization and subject matter expertise, and
– collaborate on ideas for increasing process capabilities among their clients
ActionMap adds value to this network in the following ways:
– Provide, maintain and add to the software and the support and training materials
– Offer software subscriptions, currently priced at $27 per month, or $14 per month annually
– with discounts for early adopters.
– Provide training to consultants in the network
– currently at no charge, to jumpstart the network
– the initial free, online self-training to start using software takes about an hour
– Conduct initial client workshops with network members to accelerate training and use with the method
– Provide and support an online community around the software and its uses
– Create and deploy marketing materials to grow the network and attract small business clients to the network’s services.
A startup approach to partnering
– Schedule a demonstration of the ActionMap Toolkit “process workshop in-a-box” application on a subject that is of interest to you, with Jim Johnson, ActionMap Principal Consultant, at this page.
– Review client engagements and opportunities with Jim, for where ActionMap could add value in your practice.
– Conduct a “trial workshop” with yourself and Jim, using much more detail than the demonstration, to see how an actual workshop would add value in a specific situation.
– Move forward with:
– Arranging a live workshop with one of your clients
and/or
– Training you to deliver workshops.
More about ActionMap
More details about ActionMap can be found at these links:
The value to smaller-organization clients:
https://actionmap.com/small-business-process-services
ActionMap Overview
https://actionmap.com
https://actionmap.com/overview
and on other pages on this web site
Free training in how to get started with the ActionMap method
https://mapthatjob.com
If you are interested…
If you are interested learning more about this opportunity to:
– add these services and capabilities to your consulting practice, and
– work with us in developing this network
please sign up for an initial conversation at the link below.
Click here to schedule time with Jim
Action Mapper / Consensus Catalyst
Jim Johnson, ActionMap co-founder and principal consultant, brings over 30 years of experience to accelerating process change in business and technology, along with hundreds of experiences in leading high energy group meetings.
For more information please see our site topics above or reach out to us at our contact page.