Let's start with the hardest one then! This is such a common question, even though it is very open. So, we'll start with 'now, next and why' - the basic questions for understanding current state, future state, and needs. Strategy analysis and design techniques help here - not least a commitment to curiosity and good questions of our own...

Great question! And a good question to ask early. A bit of rapid root-case analysis can help get to "yes, no or need more info" - helping avoid wasted effort.

It's where it all starts, right? Well, we're fans of Jobs To Be Done theory and the Value Proposition Canvas. They're simple tools that give nowhere to hide when exploring whether and how you really delivery what customers want - their language, their priorities, their pain. Very engaging and plain-speaking at the same time.

Let's document where you are and where you are going. This means working out what drivers, resources, data and measurements actually matter for the journey. Then we'll look at what changes, the tasks and knock-on work, who can do what, and relative priorities. This helps us create your step-by-step, staged roadmap - the high-level plan.

This is a really wise question to pose - a recognition that the current state matters. There are a number of ways of getting this down on a page or two - ways to visualise your capabilities (people, processes, tools and data), and how well you service customer needs. Simplicity and clarity build a solid foundation for change and improvement, and bring people together.

When the best option is not already clear, we'll unpick and define 'best'. Or even if you think it's clear, we can throw rocks at the thinking, challenging from experience, and validating that 'best' really is best. Needs, assumptions and scorecards capture thinking into frameworks you can use - spreadsheets or charts that dissect 'best' for you to rummage around in. This goes hand in hand with knowing your current state and capabilities - and knowing what 'best' means. This question gives you a catalyst for comparing options for real-world impact - and getting a view of what levels of commitment you'll need to make.

If time and efficiency is your pain or goal, we can pick from a variety of process mapping approaches to hunt down delays and friction in your ways of working. From steps that now take three times as long, to "I thought they did that" and home-grown manual cross-checks after a "near miss" - there are techniques to bring people together in constructive ways to look at how you do you.

One failure - life happens. Two failures - coincidence? Three failures - now we have a systemic problem... Let's look for process blockages, work/task handover misalignment, assumptions, and unclear responsibilities for work and decisions. One benefit of the very visual tools we'll use is it makes it easier to go "up and down the viewpoints" - so people can see how the big picture is affected by the details, and vice-versa. Facilitating a change of viewpoint across your team can often lead to shared knowledge, fruitful discussions and wise decisions. Do managers see it the same way as front-line workers, and vice versa?

Even analysts are humans first! If the feeling is strong, trust your gut - and then look for why something feels wrong. That's wisdom in action, right there. We work together to explore what the root cause of the unease might be, and then we help lay bare the facts, assumptions and opinions that build the picture. Worst case scenario? We help you define and proactively manage the gut feel as a risk until the truth becomes clear.

You haven't got this far in business without knowing how to manage and mitigate risks and seize opportunities. And, we all know this is a volatile, changeable world. Useful approaches put a framework around uncertainties and introduce some different ways of classifying and viewing risks by influence and adaptability. This helps with setting strategies that plan for risks and opportunities.

The way we'll explore and document risks, opportunities and unknowns starts with the assumption that you don't just want to be a bystander to your own destiny. Adding influence and adaptability to the risk picture also lets you pick approaches to spot and benefit from opportunities, or handle risks if and when they happen. It turns your risk register from a document on the shelf to a useful, action-orientated guide.

Sometimes you just need a little more certainty before hitting the Go button. Shareholders and funders are especially fond of evidence. We get it. At the same time, you don't want to overthink things or drown in detail. The toolkit is well stocked with fast, visual tools that home in on the actual problem to solve, before you decide what level of detail to go to, when.

When you know you have a lot of stuff to do, it's all too easy to end up with really detailed plans with lots of dependencies and connections. They're a nightmare to explain and maintain. So, let's stick to simple. Accurate, but simple. Depending on what's driving your change, we have a number of approaches to laying out roadmaps.

Roadmaps are high level plans that put you in control, and let your people make the wise decisions on the ground. They also act as a catalyst for the more detailed discussions that do still need to happen. Splitting out the roadmap from the detailed planning also means people can adapt to circumstances without having to undo a load of document overhead.

The Capability Mapping usually done as part of documenting your current state is really helpful here. The "people" part of capabilities includes not just the numbers of people in a function, but also their skills, experience and even attitude. Having this "stocktake of your ability" before you implement change helps with working out if you can do it yourselves, benefiting from fast access to knowledge and deep wisdom, or whether you confidently and justifiably bring in external skills & knowledge.