Services

Following are some of the Services we provide.  Review these to get examples of the ways we can assist your company.  Use the scroll bar or click on one of the topics in the boxes provided to access it directly.

Business Process Analysis:

        To fully understand the critical elements of what makes a business function or to address an organization’s business objective, every process, function and/or initiative must integrate five elements—employees, structure, information, technology and customers.  Such integration in successful companies doesn’t just happen. It takes considerable, thorough and careful analysis and design.

        We have been engaged by many of our clients to undertake Business Process Analysis on both non computer and computer related engagements to improve the overall business environment.

        We help our clients address in house concerns on what can be done to evaluate and improve business elements that will result in new or additional profits for the company.  We do this with a thorough analysis, definition and documentation of the elements and processes in detail and with precision.

        If desired, we will subject the detailed information to word-by-word review, revision and agreement by process or project owners.  This process development approach reveals "disconnects" between organizations and key business objectives.  It also builds a solid foundation for enhancement, improvement and eases change.  The resulting document becomes a living contract and a framework for subsequent action by company management.

        As change or improvement is undertaken it is critical to monitor and measure the effect of the change.   If desired, we will take Performance measurements which not only gauge success but guide improvements; they also keep projects in line with business objectives and critical success factors.

Project Planning and Initiation:

        When needed/if not done, Planning for a project is as important as accomplishing the tasks within the project to a successful conclusion.   There is a wide range of work that must be encompassed in every project.  Examples include the implementation of new packaged or custom software, or a combination of both, or specific efforts to update or maintain current systems.  Projects can include marketing studies, product evaluation, resource funding and upgrading the policies and procedures which help to make your company more effective.

        Working closely with our clients, we help to address the issues which are "key" to the overall success of a project.  We formalize the approach to bring control to bear early on, rather than a continuing organized "chaos."  When management understands the implementation risks, whether financial or time and staffing constraints, before moving ahead, ultimate project success is improved.  We have staff who have been successful in this area of effort in hundreds of situations.  We bring to our clients the needed strengths to get projects off in the right direction.

        Using a long tested methodology coupled with the experience of our staff, we can address the following:

            Project Scope & Objectives

            Project Approach

            Project Work Plans, Staffing and Financing

            Project Impacts, Constraints and Risk Assessment

            Project Controls and Updating Structures

            Project Launch Strategies

Systems Analysis and Requirements Definition:

        Plunging ahead into new, sometimes unrelated, areas without knowing from what point you are beginning or without having some idea as to where you want to conclude usually results in failure of a project.

        We can provide the functional and technical expertise to identify and document the functional, technical and business requirements to be addressed by a new or modified system.  It is important not to focus entirely on the old but what is in place must be known.   Addressing the long term goals and objectives allows our team to focus on the "delta," which are the new elements to be addressed in the project from what is in place today and to what will be in place at the end of the project.

        During this effort, the attention and solutions are addressed to give definition to the remaining tasks and phases of the projects.  Part of this effort is to accomplish the preliminary design of the solutions.

        In this phase we address the following areas:

              The functional, technical and business objectives

              Finalizing the scope of the project

              Formalizing information on the current system

              Identifying the system requirements and the "Delta" that
                    is the change

              Evaluation of the alternative solutions

              Preliminary design of the effort to be accomplished

 Project Specifications:

        At this point in the project life cycle it is necessary to define exactly "what" the new system or project is to accomplish. We help our clients focus on this important effort. Keeping our clients focused on the WHAT is important because if WHAT is not defined properly, the HOW, WHEN and WHERE, which should be addressed later, are usually fraught with false starts and delays.

        We help our clients define the specifications of the "WHAT." We address goals, objectives and issues in all areas of the company in order to create a thorough, cohesive, integrated and controlled "WHAT" of the project.

        During this phase we help our clients address the following areas:

 Software/Product Evaluation and Recommendation:

        With the myriad of software and products in the market place, "prepackaged" solutions often effectively address the needs of most projects.   Understanding each of these solutions is critical to the evaluation and recommendation phase.  More important, of course, is knowing what is really needed, which appropriately is accomplished earlier in the life cycle of the project.

        Our team has extensive knowledge and experience working with the many software and hardware solutions that can be addressed.  Our staff has made hundreds of software and product evaluations and recommendations, and have implemented the selected software systems.  Our staff is continuously updated through training on new products and technologies to remain current in state of the art solutions and to know when to apply them.

        In this phase the areas that are addressed when needed include:

 Product Acquisition and Installation:

        Helping our clients deal with the many issues they face in acquiring and installing new products can be important to the success of the project.  The products can be of a wide variety of elements.   Failure to effectively handle the new products can have a significant detrimental effect on the success of the project.  It is NOT just inserting a CD or buying a new computer.

        Timing is a major factor that must be addressed.  Failure to have the correct product in the proper place and at the correct time will have a major impact not only on the project but on the moral and support of the management and staff of the company.

        We work with our clients to effect a "total" solution to product acquisition needs.   Our staff has worked with many product vendors on previous engagements and these ‘working relationships’ help to transcend and eliminate the variety of difficulties that can exist in preventing the problems that could occur.

 Technical Design:

        In this phase of a project life cycle we assist our clients in developing and defining the ‘HOW’ part of the project.  Having previously defined the ‘WHAT’ it is now imperative that the ‘HOW’ be adequately defined.   We help many clients develop standards to provide common direction to this effort.  Knowledge of the programming language, data base management software and network software dictate how a "from scratch" system will be designed and leave what needs to be documented in the technical design.

       We bring talented staff to address areas the clients staff may be lacking or non-existent.

              Technical design for the system

 Procedures and Training:

        With this phase of the system life cycle we help our clients develop procedures and documentation to enable their employees to use the new system in the way it was intended to be used.

        In addition, we utilize training strategies so as  to properly train users of the new systems.  Training in the use of new systems and environments is critical to success.  Many times systems are perceived to be of ‘no value’ by the users due to a lack of proper training.  Adequate communication about the new system is a must for a successful project.

        Many times user staffs often look at what is "New" to be too big or of little value to them.  Client staff looks at a new system as "What can they do for me" rather than "What will they do for the company."  Addressing both of these concerns is of great importance to the success of the project.  In addressing staff concerns we utilize the ‘Delta’ information that was identified previously.  By training each user on just what has changed for them reduces the concerns and gives comfort.  Many users do not like change and explanations of what is being changed and why buy into the new system.  Our training team has extensive experience in the training process and it is this talent that contributes significantly to our success in helping clients.

        In this phase we help develop user procedures, redefine job descriptions, reorganize units, identify additional staffing needs and evaluate current staffing needs.   In addition we help define user training requirements and training strategies.   For some clients we are asked to prepare and deliver training materials and have on many occasions taken complete responsibility for the procedure development and the training program, including scheduling and delivery of training classes.

 Acceptance Testing:

        The life cycle of system testing addresses many areas of testing such as unit testing, system testing, integration testing and acceptance testing. The integration testing activity is the most important.  During this phase the activities are all brought together to reflect a total and viable solution for each client.

        This testing phase addresses elements in a concentrated, vigorous and controlled manner.  It addresses the functional and technical aspects of the system, the volume and performance aspects as well as conversion elements that are part of the new system.  Back-up and recovery and stress testing is accomplished during this phase.  In addition security and the operating issues are tested.  We help our clients address the issues surrounding the testing phase including the reports which are part of the normal system environment.

        Our strategy during the testing phase is to "make the system fail."  By doing this we address all the areas, functions and opportunities for failure of the system.  We eliminate surprises!!!

 Transition and Roll Out:

        A successful project can be lost if the plan to ‘roll out’ the system to   users is not thorough and effectively accomplished.   All of the efforts must be controlled to affect the best possible outcome.

        We develop roll out/transition plans and assure that all participants know the ‘rules’ in the plan.

        Users frequently want the new system changed almost immediately.  They want the new system to function just like the old system.  We stress to our clients to withhold making changes for enough time to give the new system a chance.  During this period we suggest that the staff use the system as planned enabling them to become more comfortable with the new system and less comfortable with the ‘old’.  Many times, early requests for change are withdrawn or forgotten.

        Also during this period we recommend and help our clients review the new system operation and do a quality control check of the system operation.  In many instances we are asked by project management to participate in a final ‘Report to Management’.

General Consulting Group

Contact Information:
        Telephone
                (800) 798 - 1568
       Fax
                (914) 758 - 4329
       Postal Address
                101 West 57th Street
                Suite 12K
                New York, NY       10019-2204
       E-Mail