Projects are a part of life in business. They’re a powerful approach to help us get from where we are to where we need to be. Sound project management can deliver the desired results in the shortest time and most efficient way. Unfortunately, due to the temporary nature, wide range of challenges, and day-to-day operational responsibilities and priorities, many companies struggle to execute projects consistently. As a result, projects tend to place a heavy burden on an organization, taking up too much time and resources, dragging on for too long, and often ending up dying a silent death - or failing even more painfully.

Execution Partners can provide expert advice, best practices, tools, training, and coaching, but can also take a more direct role, from providing basic project management support, to taking the lead in the overall end-to-end project management. Using our proven methodology and powerful tools, we have supported projects large and small, addressing many different challenges, in very different industries, ranging from construction project management to systems implementation to strategy execution.

Applying our unique methodology, we assist our clients in achieving improved clarity and alignment on purpose, objectives, and approach. We implement and help sustain better project structure and coordination, and unlock the focus and accountability necessary to deliver the desired progress and results. Through expert coaching, hands-on support, or full-blown project leadership, we help deliver projects on time, complete, according to specifications, and -most importantly- with the expected results and return on investment.

In essence, companies represent a collection of business processes that create and deliver value to their customers. Unfortunately, processes have a tendency to deteriorate and increase in complexity over time. For that reason, it is essential to keep maintaining and improving especially those processes most important to the customer experience, and those processes most critical to an organization’s overall competitiveness and profitability.

Execution Partners can help identify and prioritize the processes most in need of improvement. We can help measure current performance levels, define realistic performance targets, and assess the dollar value of improved performance. Together with our client’s team of subject matter experts, we can map out and visualize the process in as much detail as needed, including any interfaces, hand-offs, and system support involved.

Effective process mapping allows us to identify and assess obstacles, inefficiencies, and vulnerabilities. Based on a clear understanding of customer expectations, stakeholder concerns, and the broader context of related processes and systems, we can then develop and implement a focused action plan for improvement, in order to streamline the process, address any waste and vulnerabilities, improve system support, and achieve the desired improvements in performance.

Finally, implementing proper process controls and feedback loops, defining clear roles and responsibilities, and paying special attention to proper change management practices, all help to ensure optimal adoption and sustainable results.

Effective problem solving is critical for every organization. Improving processes, managing projects, and simply running the day-to-day operations, would all be impossible without continuous problem solving. Problems come in many different shapes and sizes, including issues, risks, and opportunities of different types and levels of complexity. Whether we are trying to resolve an actual issue, mitigate a risk, or leverage an opportunity, it’s important to use an appropriate problem solving approach.

There are many different problem solving strategies, methodologies and techniques, ranging from very simple to rather sophisticated. Execution Partners helps its clients select and apply the right problem solving approach for the specific challenge being addressed. More often than not, simple is better, and a touch of human ingenuity beats statistical analyses. Essential is to clearly define the problem, agree on the objectives and success metrics, understand the cause-effect relationships, develop and assess a range of feasible options, and lay out a practical action plan. We can provide effective facilitation, bringing together a balanced set of stakeholders and subject matter experts, creating a productive environment, and asking focused questions. By using the Socratic approach, scientific method, and design thinking techniques, we stimulate creative thinking and organizational learning.

Execution Partners can provide a fresh, outside perspective, help a team look at things from new angles, and bring ideas from different industries and environments. Of course, problem solving -for all but the simplest problems- should lead to action planning, and be followed by focused execution.

More and more companies recognize the critical importance of in-house project execution ability. They call on Execution Partners to help them put in place the people, processes, and technology - a “project execution system” - needed to execute projects quickly, efficiently, and successfully – through their own people.

It’s important to select the right project management methodology, or set of methodologies, to effectively tackle projects of different types and sizes. Execution Partners can help identify the best methodologies, or blend of methodologies, and adapt them to our clients’ specific situation and needs. Based on the chosen methodologies, we can then help select the technologies and tools best suited to support them. We are technology agnostic and can help set up effective project management processes based on a wide range of tools, from “MS Office project management” to sophisticated total solutions, both cloud-based and on-premise.

Most importantly, we can help educate, train, and coach our clients’ in-house project management talent, and help define and implement the right organizational structure to spread, nurture, and develop effective project management practices throughout the organization.

Ultimately, an effective Project Execution System enables people to combine project managerial tasks and activities with day-to-day operational activities and responsibilities, helping them stay on top of it all, and succeed in both. The systematized capability to consistently and reliably deliver on complex projects can provide a significant and sustainable competitive advantage.

Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) are hardware and software solutions that support efficient and effective Manufacturing Operations Management by “bridging ERP and PLC”. MES forms the foundation for “Smart Manufacturing” or “Industry 4.0” and enables sustainable Operational Excellence by standardizing, integrating, and automating critical manufacturing processes, while empowering people at all levels with access to relevant and accurate information needed to operate and improve on a daily basis.

Execution Partners helps its clients understand and navigate the complex and ever-evolving MES landscape. Our unique strength and value-added is in helping leadership teams gain clarity and alignment on the business needs, priorities, future state vision, expected benefits, and return on investment.

Except for a partnership with Proceedix* focused on digital work instructions, we are not tied to any specific platform or vendor, which allows us to help our clients find the platform or best-of-breed solution that works best for their specific situation. Our focus is on needs assessment & prioritization, cost/benefit analysis, functional spec creation, solution search & selection, and implementation support. We leave any technical design, development, and integration up to the experts.

*Proceedix is a game-changing platform for the digital transformation of enterprise work flows by executing instructions and inspections with mobile and wearable technology, including the brand-new Google Glass Enterprise Edition. Based on our experience in process improvement and system implementation, Proceedix has chosen Execution Partners as its strategic implementation partner for the USA.

Many organizations have basic quality management systems in place, such as ISO, or industry-specific quality systems such as TS16949, AS9100TS, or GMP. But the scope and effectiveness of such systems is typically rather limited. Execution Partners helps organizations with the design and implementation of customized Business Execution Systems, based on the Baldrige Performance Excellence framework and EFQM Excellence Model, aligning and integrating the people, processes, and technology needed to run their business successfully and consistently, from enterprise vision to shopfloor operations.

Well-designed and properly implemented Business Execution Systems result in focused and motivated people, running efficient and reliable processes, supported by effective technology and tools. Not only do they allow for much higher levels of productivity, they also enable the responsiveness, flexibility, and agility needed to remain competitive and profitable in the marketplace of today - and tomorrow.