Strategy Toolkit

Description

Welcome to the “Strategy Toolkit”.

Hopefully this booklet will:
act as a reminder (or an introduction) to a range of useful structuring tools;
give a clear description of each tool and indicate where it may be most fruitfully employed;
highlight some of the short-cuts (and pitfalls) when using those tools;
provide a best practice example which can be adapted to your own situation; and

The aims of the toolkit are simple:
to increase the quality and insightfulness of the work we do for our clients;
to improve our efficiency by avoiding reinvention of standard tools;
to support ongoing training programmes;
to create an ongoing store of intellectual capital; and
to help communicate with all our colleagues in the firm, helping them understand what we do

Perhaps the biggest intellectual challenge in compiling this booklet was defining what we mean by a tool. I am not convinced this issue has been fully solved, and you may discern three types of construct:
widely accepted strategy consulting tools (e.g. growth share matrix);
approaches to particular types of issue which are less prescriptive; and
presentational devices, applicable to many situations
All, however, should support you in generating strategic insight for your client.

This booklet is intended to be your back-pocket guide to the tools most commonly used on strategy projects. It does not claim to be exhaustive or even comprehensive. However, you will find over 50 tools on the following pages, each one selected for its usefulness and general applicability to the types of client engagements we work on. I am sure that some of your favourites will be missing – but this is only version one and the toolkit will evolve through time. It is intended that this booklet will be updated regularly and your input is most welcome.

We believe that development of this Strategy Toolkit is an essential element in building a world-class strategy practice within CONSULTANT. However, it is not a substitute for hard work and creative thinking, so do not limit yourself to the tools in this book.

Finally, some acknowledgments. This toolkit is not the first to be produced by the practice. It draws heavily on previous versions, whose authors I would like to thank. I am also very grateful to those of you who have submitted best practice examples and suggested entries – keep them coming.