TOM RENNE

An expert in the Medical Sales Industry.  A  proven leader selling to all levels within the medical supply distribution channel.  Extensive industry network contacts extending from  OEM sources to C level contacts at Hospitals, Insurance groups, procurement networks, and physicians.

“An individual whose character earns respect”, Corporate Group Vice-President of C.R. Bard, Inc.

“A mentor and a role model with demonstrated integrity and ethical values.” Seia Milin, HR Professional

SENIOR NATIONAL ACCOUNT, SALES EXECUTIVE CONSULTANT

Senior National Account/Sales Executive Consultant with professional experience in managing corporate accounts and sales organizations primarily in the acute care, extended care, and disease management marketplaces, as well as physician based offices. Medical Device Sales Leader with ability to motivate sales teams to surpass their own and company goals while increasing market share. Ability to develop and maintain professional relationships with C-Suite executives

CORE COMPETENCIES

Corporate Account Management Strategic Sales Management

Ability to simplify complex issues Providing Value-Added Sales Approach

Professional Presence                  Managing and Mentoring Sales Teams

PROFESSIONAL HISTORY

Executive Sales Consultant, ma2si – 2011

Corporate Account Consultant, Acumed Orthopedics – 2010

Director of Corporate Accounts, Applied Medical 2008 – 2010

Health Systems Manager, Smiths Medical 2006 – 2008

National Account Manager, Cardinal Health Alaris Products 2002 – 2006

Healthcare Consultant, Sales & Business Development, 1999 – 2002

• Advanced Vascular Dynamics
• Goulter Medical, Inc.
• Benchmark Oncology, Inc

Manager, National Accounts and Strategic Markets [CR Bard Medical and Urology Divisions]   1994 -1999

Director of Sales/Western Region/Management Board, Daig Corporation 1992-1994

Director of Sales, Bioject, Inc. 1990-1992

National Field Sales Manager [CR Bard Cardiopulmonary Division]                                                1988 – 1990

Western Regional Manager [CR Bard Urology Division]                                                                   1984 – 1988

Sales Representative/Sales Trainer [CR Bard Urology Division]                                                     1980 – 1984

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Science, Biology/Physical Education, Carthage College, Kenosha, WI

Management Development Program, School of Business, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO

REFERENCES

“Tom and I have worked on consulting business in the medical device field and on several non business activities. He is a very talented and experienced medical device sales expert. He has great experience with major international companies and has worked with small companies. Tom is a real joy to work with, is very genuine and a man of great integrity. I recommend Tom to anyone looking for a real professional and dynamic leader.” September 14, 2010

Chuck Albert, Consultant, Home Dialysis Plus, Limited

was with another company when working with Thomas at C. Albert & Associates

“I’ve had the privilege of working with Tom on a number of joint projects over the course of the past year and a half at Applied Medical. Tom has simply been outstanding in his research, follow-up, responsiveness, planning and execution. His support was instrumental in helping our zone achieve the highest growth in the history of Applied Medical during 2009. Tom would be a tremendous asset to any medical device manufacturer or supplier’s corporate accounts or field management team. His vast product, contracts, hospital organizational knowledge and extensive relationship base, combined with his positive outlook and “can do” attitude have made him a true pleasure to work with.” February 15, 2010

Philip Goode, Director Corporate Accounts, Western Zone, Applied Medical

worked directly with Thomas at Applied Medical

Tom was an excellent National Sales Manager. He always set clear objectives and created an environment with a defined pathway to achieve them.

One knows that a manager at this level is doing his job when the company meets and exceeds it growth targets with 60-70 percent of the sales force successfully hitting their numbers. This was Tom’s focus and he always succeeded in putting together all the pieces for a winning year.

He served as an inspiration to the whole team by encouraging collaboration and rewarding idea generation. It was easy to be a true believer in our Mission at Bard. Tom Renne lead the way.

Matt Hart

Territory Manager

CR Bard” February 17, 2010

Contact Tom @ Pacific Medical Consulting, LLC

T.Renne@comcast.net – (503) 956-2856

Jim Yeager

Enthusiastic and self-motivated individual with proven abilities to
plan, develop, implement, operate and continuously improve processes
and systems. Able to effectively organize, motivate and lead projects
and people.  Excellent communicator with proven abilities to work with all levels of personnel.

Areas of expertise:

Quality Management and System Design

Bruce Dugger

Pro-active construction controller and results-oriented with broad experience in all aspects of accounting and financial management in privately held corporations.  Extensive project management experience, including implementation of three integrated computer accounting systems.  Well disciplined, organized with proven ability to problem solve and manage multiple assignments efficiently while meeting tight deadline schedules.  Ascertain needs and goals, streamline existing operations.  Computer literate.

EDUCATION

BS, Business Management (1993)                 Lewis-Clark State College, Lewiston, ID GPA 3.53

Continuing Education Coursework (2004 -  2005) Lewis-Clark State College, Lewiston, ID GPA 3.80

Intermediate Accounting I, II, Cost Accounting,                     26 total semester Accounting credits

Government & Not For Profit Accounting, Auditing.

EMPLOYMENT

Engineered Structures Inc., Portland, OR    January 2006 to Present

General Contractor specializing in Pre-engineered steel buildings.

Construction Controller Experience

Hands on maintenance of General Ledger including account reconciliations. Complete monthly, quarterly and year-end closing. Compile annual revenue and expense budgets. Forecast cash flow requirements. Financial statement preparation. Maintain fixed asset schedule and depreciation schedule. Prepare payroll including submitting payroll tax deposits.  Maintain employment records including vacation and sick leave time.  Research current payroll and federal/state tax laws. Prepare 401k payments for salaried and hourly payroll data. Complete quarterly and year-end State and Federal payroll tax reporting.  Maintain employee personnel files. Manage insurance policies (liability, unemployment, worker’s compensation). Manage external relationships with CPA. Secure business licensing and bonding. Perform cost accounting and project billing. Maintain Work In Process Schedule.  Reconcile bank accounts. Maintain company policies and procedures for internal controls. Provide IT maintenance, troubleshooting, support and training.

• Develop spreadsheets to forecast cash flow requirements and profit and loss.
• Research and implement new voice/data service to reduce telephone and internet costs by 50%.
• Streamline year-end data collection and reporting to external auditor to reduce overall year-end auditing costs.

John’s Electric Inc., Lewiston, ID    June 1998 to January 2006

Electrical Contractor specializing in Commercial and Industrial

new and remodel contracting.

Construction Controller Supervisor

Supervise office operations.  Oversee and control the general ledger, financial reporting, preparation of administrative budget, forecast sales, manage and report cash flow, prepare weekly multi-union payroll for 100+ employees, benefit administration, record keeping, banking functions, accounts receivable, accounts payable, governmental reporting and employee records.  Compile monthly Sales/Use/Excise taxes, secure business licensing and bonding. Perform project billing and cost accounting. Reconcile bank accounts, liaison with bank officials, monitor bank covenant compliance. Install, repair and maintain computer hardware and software. Provide computer support and training.

• Created spreadsheets for monthly reporting of union wages, hours and benefits to streamline monthly reporting.  Unions used these spreadsheets as an example to other union contractors of how to report monthly wages.
• Research and install new accounting software to replace antiquated system.
• Design and implement departmentalized profit and loss statements for each profit center.

Guardian Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc., Lewiston, ID    1986 to 1998

Mechanical Contractor specializing in residential and light commercial

plumbing, heating and air conditioning.

Project Coordinator (1990 – 1998)

Perform job costing, job scheduling, and work in progress statements. Procure permits, schedule inspections.  Maintain job installation schedule.  Order equipment for projects using just in time inventory methodology.  Prepare payroll.  Provide customer invoicing. Implement computer inventory control and purchasing.  Install, repair and maintain computer hardware and software. Provide computer support and training.

Service Manager (1986 – 1990)

Manage service department.  Supervise 6 service technicians.  Schedule service calls, interact with clients, invoice service work.  Maintain customer database.

SOFTWARE

Accounting Software:  American Contractor, ComputerEase, QuickBooks, Office Accounting Express 2008

Microsoft Products:  Windows XP Professional, Windows Vista, Office 2003 & 2007 (Word, Excel, Outlook, Access, PowerPoint, Projects, Publisher), Visio.

Misc. software: Adobe Acrobat Professional, AutoCAD 2008, Photoshop.

INDUSTRY AFFILIATIONS

Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA)

State of Oregon Notary Public

Victor Bartruff

Innovative, results oriented leader with extensive successful management experience.  Executive level strengths in strategic planning, problem solving, organization, team building and people development.  Excels at mentoring, motivating and coaching diverse teams and individuals and achieving aggressive growth and profit
objectives.  Multifaceted experience and accomplishments in the following:

•       Strategic Planning and Direction
•       Sales and Marketing
•       Personnel Development   •       High growth management
•       Administrative management
•       Investor Relations      •       Operational control
•       Presentation/facilitation
•       Mergers and acquisitions

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

PERSONAL INVESTMENTS AND CONSULTING     2006 to present
[Includes consulting for small businesses; taught BA441/541 at Oregon
State]

PINNACLE BANK, Beaverton, Oregon        2001 – 2005
•       Organized and started de novo community bank as President and CEO
•       Raised initial capital of $5.5 million and additional $5 million
in 3rd year
•       Reached profitability within 18 months
•       Grew assets to over $80 million in 3 years

PERSONAL INVESTMENTS AND CONSULTING     2000

WEST COAST BANCORP, Lake Oswego, Oregon 1991 – 1999
A Publicly traded financial services holding company which owns nine
corporations including a 40 branch commercial bank, a trust company
and a mortgage company.
President & CEO of West Coast Bancorp
President & CEO of West Coast Bank
President & CEO of The Bank of Newport

•       Built a $1.3 billion financial services company from a $100
million base in 7 years
•       Reversed a 5 year zero growth pattern and in one year generated
over a 40% increase in both assets and profits
•       Exceeded a 20% annualized compounded growth rate of profits and
assets for 7 years
•       Opened 10 stand alone branches serving 9 new markets
•       Acquired 5 banks in Oregon and Washington and operated them
successfully as a multi-bank holding company for 4 years
•       Consolidated 6 independent banks into 1 bank saving $6 million the
first year
•       Positioned the company for significant growth by issuing an IPO
that raised $5 million, was oversubscribed and created an active
market for the stock
•       Preserved the independence and stockholder value of a community
bank by fending off a marginally priced hostile takeover that received
national attention
•
US BANK, Portland, Oregon       1965 – 1991
A $30 billion multi-state commercial bank ranked 33rd in the nation
and headquartered in Oregon owned by US Bancorp a publicly traded
corporation.
Vice President and District Manager (Woodburn area)
District Sales Manager (North Portland)
Branch Manager (Cannon Beach, King City, Portland)
General Loan Officer (Salem)
Commercial Loan Assistant (Salem)
Work/College Scholarship/Work Experience Program

•       Continuous successive promotions earned by setting and achieving
aggressive growth and profitability goals while consistently receiving
high performance ratings on internal and external audits
•       Promoted deposit growth in an affluent retirement community
resulting in a 300% increase in deposits to $20 million in 3 years
•       Enhanced the company’s image and presence in the community by
fulfilling meaningful leadership roles in a variety of community and
social service activities
•       Selected as one of the bank’s first District Sales Managers for
a district that became recognized as one of the most innovative in the
state
•       Introduced banking services to a new coastal market and exceeded
1st year growth expectations of $1 million in only 90 days
•       Sustained 13 robberies in one year.  Avoided any harm to
employees, incurred only minimal dollar exposure, and maintained lower
than average employee turnover

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT and EDUCATION

Elected to Oregon Bankers’ Hall of Fame
Pacific Coast Banking School, University of Washington
Northwest Intermediate Banking School, Lewis and Clark College
Certified Instructor for Behavior Styles Seminars by two different
organizations
American Institute of Banking
Oregon State University, B.S. – Business Administration and Finance,
Minor – Mathematics

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Extensive involvement in community related activities, including:

Elected to Oregon Bankers’ Hall of Fame
Beaverton Chamber of Commerce, Board of Directors
Creekside Bible Church, Elder, Expansion Committee Chair
(Wilsonville)
Independent Community Banks of Oregon, President
Oregon Bankers Association, Board, Executive Committee, Government
Relations Committee
Newport Businessman of the Year
Rotary Club of Newport
Yaquina Bay Economic Foundation, Treasurer
City of Newport Retirement Board, Chairman
Newport First Baptist Church, Deacon
Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce, Board, Executive Committee, Vice
President
Woodburn Area Chamber of Commerce, Board of Directors, Secretary
Woodburn Oregon Farmfest, Executive Committee
Woodburn Rotary, Board of Directors
Woodburn Rotary Foundation, Board of Directors, Treasurer
Woodburn Fairway Plaza Merchants Association
Lake Baptist Church: Chairman of Audit Committee, Building Committee,
Finance Committee.
Woodburn School District, Work Experience Task Force
North Marion School District, Business Partner
Local School Committee, Tualatin Elementary
Local School Committee, Bridgeport Elementary
Columbia Lions Club, Treasurer
Delauney Mental Health Institute, Board of Directors
Consultant for Project Business of Junior Achievement, Inc.
Cannon Beach Chamber of Commerce, President
King City Merchants Association
King City Lions Club
Lake Baptist Church, Board of Directors
CBA of Oregon Family Camp, Board of Directors

References: VICTOR L. BARTRUFF

14943 Smith Rock Avenue NE      e-mail: victor040@centurytel.net Home:
(503) 678-2557
Aurora, Oregon 97002     Mobile: (503) 708-5054

Joe Newby

Project Manager with extensive experience with organizing, coordinating, and scheduling large teams existing of multiple disciplines and professional backgrounds to compete major projects in budget and on schedule.

Extensive training and experience in equipment evaluation and characterization; process development in metal etching; managing personnel, implementing new department programs, establishing job priorities and maximizing human resource output, training and directing subordinates, and emergency response coordination.

Strong mathematical skills in estimating, budgeting, and statistical modeling. Highly experienced in estimating, purchasing, inventory control, budget forecasting, scheduling, and training.

Career History and Work Experience:

Project/Operations Manager

Ronda Divers Interiors INC., Lake Oswego, OR     1994 to 2009
Managed all aspects of project operations from the initial budget
process, interior design, purchasing materials, scheduling and
supervising labor, installation, and billing. Developed budget and
cost accounting methods to control project costs. Worked, scheduled,
and coordinated with multiple disciplines and contractors to meet
customer and company objectives.

Process Engineer/Area manager

INTEL Corporation, Aloha, OR   1979 to 1993
Production Process Engineer – Characterized and maintained
production process parameters utilizing statistical design/analysis
methods.  Developed a working Metal Etch Process to include
characterization of the process, and identification of defect and
yield loss contributors.

Production Equipment Maintenance Area Manager– Performed extensive
equipment evaluation and characterization studies on plasma etch
equipment. Directed activities of equipment maintenance; equipment
upgrades to improve reliability and productivity. Hired exempt and
non-exempt personnel, completed work performance evaluations, trained,
and maintained morale and discipline for subordinates in a functional
area.

Education:

Post secondary coursework in general engineering, 2 years
Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR

Post secondary coursework in general business, 1 year
Portland State University; Portland, OR

Electronic Technology, 1 year
University USAF; Biloxi, MS

Service Schools/Professional Seminars:

Avionics Navigation Systems School, NCO Leadership School, Situational
Leadership, Managing in a Complex Organization, Effective Employee
Relation Management, Quality for Managers, Team Building Workshops and
Experiment Design.

Veterans Information:

US Air Force
Honorable Discharge, Secret Security Clearance

References: Mark Chimento
email: mark@3cmstone.come

Greg Heinze
email: shlbrn@mac.com

Ronda Divers
email: rondad@rondadiversinteriors.com

Steven (Joe) Newby
2582 NE Laura St
Hillsboro, Oregon 97124
Phone 503-640-6046
E-mail Joe.n@comcast.net

Michael Bowman

“I help improve your overall business efficiency by discovering and targeting your most profitable work”.

An extremely creative, hardworking sales professional qualified with
more than nine years experience seeks an opportunity to apply acquired
skills.  Motivated to help grow revenue and exceed expectations in
order to derive a sense of accomplishment.

WORK HISTORY AND EXPERIENCE

WESTERN REGION ACCOUNT MANAGER

Reed Construction Data, a Reed Elsevier company, Highlands Ranch, CO
11/2008-Present
I sold construction information to building manufacturers, general
contractors, sub-contractors, and many other vertical markets in the
company’s western region.
       Gave daily presentations for prospective clients via computer and
telephone.
       Negotiated with decision makers to find the best solution in the
least amount of time.
       Prospected for new business through cold calling.

INSIDE SALES MANAGER

Service Magic, Inc., an IAC company, Golden, CO
2/2006-10/2008
I worked my way up from sales representative to manager in just over a
year, eventually leading a team of approximately 10 associates in
aggressive, business to business sales – training them on the sales
process through one on one coaching and mentoring. I utilized specific
sales techniques, namely joint venture selling, in order to discover
our clients’ specific needs and tailor our services accordingly.  In
this way, I and my team consistently achieved and surpassed weekly,
monthly, quarterly and annual quotas.
       Increased revenue and delivered consistent sales numbers as a
result of focusing on areas of opportunity.
       Analyzed statistical data and phone calls to improve efficiency
and effectiveness of individual sales consultants.
       Coached proper pipeline and time management.
       Provided sales support to my team by closing important and
challenging accounts through successful objection resolution.

FOOD CONSULTANT

7/2005-1/2006

Town and Country Foods, Centennial, CO
I worked as an independent food consultant in a very competitive
environment, selling all-natural meats and organic vegetables, in
home, to clients throughout greater Denver. I provided customized
solutions to clients to fit their food needs, building long-term
relationships for the company.
       100% commission based.
       Grew a book of business by gathering referrals.
       Customized presentations by building a six month food menu based
upon my clients’ needs.

SALES / MARKETING SPECIALIST / JOURNALIST

5/2004-4/2005

Aldrich Publishing, Sportsman’s Journal,        Scottsboro, AL

I prospected and developed new distribution locations and advertising
revenue for the magazine.  I wrote feature articles, and I assisted in
ad creation and magazine design.
       Doubled monthly advertising revenue from $3,500 to $7,200 by
developing a new territory through cold calling and outside sales.
       Increased readership from 3000 to 8000 monthly.
       Photographed events, wrote feature stories, and helped format the
magazine.

SALES SPECIALIST / WAREHOUSE ASSOCIATE

1998-2004

Circuit City, Traverse City, East Lansing, and Lansing, MI
I sold home electronics to consumers by finding out what their needs
were and providing them with a product that best suited those
requirements. I maintained overall store efficiency by adequately
stocking merchandise and shipping and receiving products.
       Sold audio and video equipment with spiff compensation.
       Coordinated all shipping and receiving, both to and from the
warehouse.

EDUCATION

Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
Bachelor of Arts in English with Cognates in Business and Agriculture,
2003
       Participated in Michigan State University Study Abroad Program:
United Kingdom and Ireland.
       Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity, Social Chair 2000.

References: “I have the privilege to work with Mike Bowman on
numerous occasions and he has always been a quick learner, and treats
everyone as a team. His command of technology, attention to detail and
creative point of view, gives him dramatic results into whatever he is
working on. Mike is a very detailed individual that ensures all tasks
are completed in a timely matter. I highly recommend Mike for any
position and enjoy working with him” December 14, 2009

Sean Atwood , Sr. Executive of Sales , Done Right! A Service of Lending Tree.com

MICHAEL BOWMAN

3314 Marion Street ▪ Denver, CO ▪ 80205
(303) 901-8442
BOWMANM4@MSU.EDU

With the rapid changes of a disrupted marketplace, it is wise to continually review your organization structure. As a senior in your organization, your leadership to align your company resources with your changing revenue base could be the most important task you have.

In the past, organization structure was determined by the traditional organization chart – the names and titles (power to make decisions) of who worked for whom. In times of crises, one of the first initiatives by senior management was to reorganize – move from centralized control to de-centralized autonomous work groups, and then back again when the previous change did not work out or the power base changed. Moving to a centralized command and control organization structure in times of crisis is common, especially when senior management feels out of control themselves. Usually centralized control is not designed to release the creative initiative of staff. Because decision-making is often limited to senior management, often the rank in file will sit back and spend more time complaining about what is wrong versus helping find the solution to the problem.

Where we all missed the boat was how to create the structure in the first place. We should start with our customers and continually evaluate what and why they buy, now and in the future. The next step is designing the business processes that deliver the highest value, in the most efficient method, to those customers. This design will create the organization structure: who does what and how they do it; performance standards and compensation aligned with value delivered; and often overlooked, level of authority to make decisions.

Seeking the help of outsourced expertise can help. What you will discover when you determine the optimized structure to deliver quality value, is the opportunity to outsource much of what was traditionally included in the previous organization hierarchy. Having a trusted project provider by your side will help you create an organization structure that provides a competitive advantage. GMO

Rob Campbell

Experienced leader and performance-oriented senior manager with expertise in Strategy development, Innovation, Marketing, Sales, and Performance management.  Extensive project management experience, including process design and coaching to achieve accountability at all levels within the organization. Designed production disciplines with proven ability to problem solve and manage multiple assignments efficiently while meeting tight deadline schedules.  Ability to quickly ascertain needs, align strategies with goals and objectives, and design business processes to achieve results.

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Science - Business Management (1990) Marylhurst University – Portland, OR.

CAREER HISTORY

Engineered Structures Inc., Portland, OR   2006 to 2009 General Contractor specializing in Pre-engineered steel buildings.

General Manager

Managed day-to-day operations, sales, project management, and financial reporting for Commercial Construction Company. Responsibilities included:

• Creating profitable and highly satisfied customer relationships
• Strategy development and production management
• Oversight and management of the supply chain delivery system

West Hills Development – Beaverton, OR   2004 to  2006 Parent Company of ARBOR CUSTOM HOMES – Oregon’s largest Homebuilder

Sales Manager

Managed 18 Residential Real Estate Professionals in 7 unique development communities located in the Portland Metropolitan area. Sales management responsibilities included:

• Hiring, training, and motivating independent sales agents and support staff to meet sales and profitability objectives.
• Market research and competitive analysis to establish product standards and pricing.
• Team collaboration with marketing, product design, procurement, and construction operations to meet customer expectations while achieving product margins.

Campbell Business Development – Beaverton, OR  1998 to 2004

President

Business Consulting Company specializing in Business Development, Strategic Planning, Business Process Improvement, Innovation and Performance Management. Skylink Communications – Wilsonville, OR  1996 to 1998

President and CEO

Chief executive of a ‘start up’ Telecommunications Company with three divisions providing cellular services to retail markets in eight western states, and aggregated long distance telephony, and movie services to the lodging industry in the U.S and Canada.

Northwest Natural Gas Company – Portland, OR  1977 to 1996

Senior Manager

Manager of Residential and Commercial Markets at Northwest Natural Gas.  Responsible for residential and commercial sales in the Portland metro area and product marketing for Portland and six district offices.  Responsibility for growth and bottom-line profitability in the residential and commercial markets.

Network Affiliations GMOutsource.com

A word of caution before you embark on this simulation. This is not a team activity. Consider involving your CFO and/or your controller and it is a wise idea to seek objective council from an experienced project provider. The goal of this planning strategic exercise is to create a plan and strategies that you never plan to use. The value of performing this exercise is to control fear and worry by being prepared for the worst so you can direct all of your efforts to increasing sales and turning around the trend.

To start, I want you to put on your turn-around expert hat. The first step is taking control of the money. Like the triage surgeon, the first objective is to stop the bleeding. Start cutting expenses not directly related to making sales, delivering service to existing customers, or costs to keep the doors open. Cut your expenses to create a new break-even monthly cash flow. Create a variety of strategies to conserve cash – the life-blood of the business. This is a perfect time to explore outsourcing opportunities. Like other planning strategic exercises, starting with the worst case scenario and working backwards to the present will open the door for creative thinking how to reorganize your existing value delivery chain.

Remember the goal; create a plan you will never have to execute. Perform this exercise like a turn-around expert. Manage cash like your life depends on it. Consider how you would negotiate with suppliers and your banker. Think about the long-term implications and costs associated with reducing staff. Prepare three scenarios: worst case, best case, and one in between. File this away with the intent of never having to use any of it. The value of planning strategically creates piece of mind so you can focus on the real objective – creating new strategies for competitive advantage. GMO

AAR was developed by the U.S. Army to incorporate continuous improvement learning as part of their military operations. You know the military has always briefed their leaders before a mission and performed a de-briefing after the mission. AAR is a form of de-briefing with new twist – continuous strategy modification using a planning process.

The goal of AAR is to learn: identify the facts, discover new methods, and apply this learning into future operations. If AAR sounds familiar to you, we believe the process is a variation of a quality tool popularized by W. Edwards Deming, P.D.C.A. Plan, Do, Check, Act. The goal of both AAR and PDCA is the same, continuous improvement by learning from the mistakes or successes of action.

Here are the nuts and bolts of AAR. Like all planning strategic methods, you start at the end and work backward. At any major initiative (project, proposal, big job), gather your team and review the original goal, what strategies were intended to accomplish the goal, and what was the end result. Avoid blame and criticism – the goal is learning not to beat someone up. Take 25% of the allotted time to review. Spend the remaining time (75%) of the process in analysis. Brainstorm new strategies. Take what you have learned and design something different or if the project was successful, decide how to replicate into other initiatives. The goal is learning and how to apply this continuous learning process into competitive advantage. If this concept is new to you, solicit some help from an experienced project provider. Have some fun. Your staff will appreciate the engagement and enjoy making their work more meaningful. GMO

Bell Labs, the think tank research and development division of Ma Bell, did this exercise in 1951. They mentally destroyed the old model and idealized what the phone system would look like if they started today. This planning exercise created new innovations like touch tone handsets, caller ID, and cordless phones – all became new products that we take for granted today.

This starting from scratch thinking and linking it with an ‘idealized’ future state is a key principle of ‘creating a new box’ planning process. It can be beneficial to have a set of ‘fresh and objective’eyes help you in the process. Find a project provider that can look at your business without the historical references that have created your existing business model.

Soliciting the input from independent senior project providers that have no in-depth knowledge of your business or industry can lead to breakthrough ideas that can lead to future competitive advantage. Imagine what a new competitor would think about when they discovered your margins. What strategies would they create to take customers away from you. Would they create a business model just like yours – highly unlikely.

Thinking about all the ‘what ifs’ generated with the green field planning approach can also be liberating for you and your staff. Remember the goal is to create  new strategies to keep you competitive. This exercise can be the first step to a roadmap that eliminates, redesigns, or opportunities to outsource low value business processes embed in your current delivery chain. Lastly, this planning exercise can be a lot of fun and a fresh start to create more meaning in your work life. GMO

If you read our posts, you already know we are fans of strategic anything: planning, innovation, and especially, planning backwards – starting at the end and working back through the value chain. Planning Strategic takes this process to the next level – start with the end or death of a project, major initiative, or proposal and do a postmortem. Perform an autopsy and determine the cause of death (loss). Analyze the completed or failed initiative just like a pathologist would do to determine the root cause of health failure.

What you want to discover when you perform this postmortem planning exercise is not only the cause but what strategies you followed to make the decisions leading to the cause. Let us take a common business example of a lost bidding opportunity.  Assume you and your team have worked several months on a proposal that would generate 30% of current year expected profits. There are 5 bidders and you came out 4^th highest. The client selected the 2^nd lowest price bid.

The first step of this postmortem is getting facts of why the client did not select your proposal. Get the facts and do not speculate or make excuses. Try to avoid blame and rationalizations – put on your scientist (pathologist) hat and perform the business strategic autopsy.

Let us assume you met all the proposal criteria but your price was too high – sound familiar.  Work backwards in your delivery chain to see what decisions – what strategies in place – were made that determined your pricing structure. The obvious rational is your competitor is willing to take reduced margins – often the case. However, this is often an excuse for avoiding a critical analysis of your value delivery chain. Perhaps your overhead structure is too high. Perhaps your suppliers are not competitive. Perhaps your business model is outdated – maybe it is combination of all three.

Redesign your value delivery chain and look for outsource opportunities to lower your cost structure. Solicit help from an experienced project provider to help guide the process. Remember, the goal of this planning strategic exercise is the creation of new strategies for future competitive advantage. GMO

Ackoff was a leading systems thinker, college professor, consultant, and a prolific writer. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell_L._Ackoff) In 1986, Management in Small Doses. John Wiley & Sons: New York, Ackoff introduced the planning backward idea – planning with the end in mind versus starting with present circumstances. Of course construction and manufacturing have always started with blueprints and engineered designs, but organizational planning usually focuses on ‘fixing what’s wrong’.

So how do we start with planning backward? Begin thinking about strategic innovation projects to create competitive advantage. Work backward from customer needs and expectations. Eliminate or redesign business processes that do not create value. Outsource routine business activities to improve margins. Outsource projects to project providers to make change and accelerate the adaptation process necessary to compete in the globalize marketplace. Create meaningful work and have fun. GMO

In these challenging economic times, managing cash is job one. We all know, when we run out of cash, the game is over. The best place to start your cash management process is creating a plan. Start your plan with a forecast of realistic revenues for the next four quarters. If you have a CRM system, this step is relatively easy to do. If you do not have a CRM system, create a sales funnel listing each revenue source and payment expectations. Next, identify gross margins (the difference between sales price and total costs: cost of goods sold and sales and general administrative costs). Hopefully, you are cash positive for the foreseeable future.

If you have a negative cash projection, this is the time in your cash management process to get help from an experienced financial project provider. Find someone on the outside that can help you make the tough decisions you need to make to stay afloat until the economy changes or until you can make the necessary internal changes to succeed. Remember the thinking you need to get out of this negative situation is not the same as what got you here in the first place. Outsourcing to highly skilled financial expertise is the most cost effective method of reserving cash and managing through tough times. Hiring outside contractors with years of experience to help you is also smart business. It is extremely difficult for any senior to be objective in highly stressful situations. Having a trusted and highly skilled provider at your side will make the cash management process easier, especially if you have to make tough decisions cutting expenses to survive. For more information about the best ways to outsource your projects, please contact GMO. Remember cash is the life force of your business. If you run out of cash, you die.

Based on our experience, these projects have something to do with a longer-term vision in areas of your business that require your  attention. Often, these project ideas take a backseat to the short-term daily operations because all your energy and resources are dedicated to maintain (or survive)  the status quo.

Some examples of longer-term projects that may create a competitive advantage  include:

marketing versus sales; finance versus accounting; innovation and product development versus marketing; engineering versus day-today operations; human resource strategy versus daily management activities; new products or new markets versus  the existing revenue model; or re-engineered business process improvement versus your existing delivery system . As you can see, the project list is endless.

As a senior manager, you know what needs to get done because you know your business better than any outsider. Project providers help you get things done.

You might be thinking, how does hiring a project provider differ from hiring a consultant? You may have already been down that path. Does this quote from Bill Marsteller resonate with your past consultant experience. “ A consultant is a person who knows nothing about your business to whom you pay more to tell you how to run it than you could earn if you ran it right instead of the way he tells you.’ You already know your business. You don’t need a consultant to tell you what needs to be done. What  you need is a project provider to help you do projects to keep your business viable – now and for the future.

These are challenging times. Maybe now, more than ever. Big challenges require change, and as we all know, change is always tough – especially when the day-to-day operations absorb every resource at your command. Project providers are here to help you. Think of them as a ‘handyman’ (or woman) to help you do the projects you want or need to get done. One of the objectives of this site is to be a resource for ideas and people to help you. The next step is simple: contact one of the providers listed on this site and talk to them. If you prefer, you can contact us at GMO and we will help you think through your project and find the best person to help. We welcome your participation.

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