Engagement Process
A "typical" Franklin Grange engagement is impossible to define, but we usually employ the following generic steps:
- Clearly define our client’s objectives and what they hope to achieve.
- Meet with the MD, CEO or client team to clarify the challenge and the ultimate aim of an assignment
- Detail specific expectations
- Confirm the timescale, scope and any constraints
- (You may decide that you require regular counselling sessions rather than a defined assignment. Many clients obtain considerable value from scheduling assistance in this way. Terms of reference and an agreed, written fee agreement are still adopted for such engagements).
- Deconstruct the problem
- Break the challenge down, to make it manageable. Formulate tentative hypotheses. Assign responsibilities and create work plans to address these hypotheses.
- Clarify the client’s input: which staff and resources will be involved and the extent of their availability
- Prepare a concise brief documenting all of the above.
- Written proposals
- We typically submit a written proposal, at the clients’ request.
We do not undertake assignments for which we do not have an appropriate skill set or where an existing conflict of interest exists (e.g. with a current client). - Our written proposal will include, as necessary:
- Our understanding of the problem
- The brief
- Names and CVs of the consultant(s) who will do the work
- Experience of Franklin Grange in this sector / transaction
- References
- Work plan and timeshare - Reports and/or presentations that will be supplied to you
- Fees, expenses and schedules of payment
- The inputs required from the client
- Review and agree a written contract before the assignment starts.
- Understand the client’s business.
- Based on client interviews we look to better understand how our client’s business and industry work. This allows us to focus on specific problems and identify sources of data, identifying industry or functional expertise requirements.
- Gather, filter and analyse data and research findings.
- Using the collected data, we look to refine our original hypotheses through an examination of the trends, models and conclusions that our analysis generates. Our analysis is conducted in a structured, comprehensive manner.
- Work with the client team. We try to maintain our client’s active involvement throughout any assignment, so that they partly "own" the recommendations and have an interest in the results. Sharing our findings, conducting group brainstorm sessions, and problem solving with client team members helps build trust and lay the foundations for effective implementation.
- Make recommendations. Having evaluated possible solutions and determined recommendations, we present our results and recommendations to senior client management leadership in an agreed format.
- Help implement recommendations. Depending on the type of engagement, we can also help in the implementation of our recommendations. Many clients find that, working alongside management, this the most cost-effective method of implementation.
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