In the Operations Strategy consulting, we look at how an organization can streamline its operations to improve its financial well being. Large projects may need all of the elements described below; smaller projects may be better off with the judicious application of a subset.

We look at how Information Technology and Organizational Architecture can be leveraged to improve the flow of information, people and materials through the system. Using quantitative analysis, including Operations Research models, within an economic framework lets us focus on the financial health of the organization without compromising on quality.

In one recent assignment, we looked at a national health care chain. Our goal was to (a) reduce the delay between the time it saw a patient & the time it received payment for the associated services, and (b) maximize the dollar amount of the reimbursement it was entitled to. We recommended changes in the organization's use of IT, its configuration of departments, how it treated its customers (patients), and its interaction with payers -- the insurance companies and the Medicare program. Many of our improvements were cost reductions or revenue increases that fell directly to the bottom line!

A small organization may benefit from something as simple as the automation of existing procedures, while larger organizations may find greater benefits from an inter-disciplinary approach.