Solutions and Services

Solutions and Services

High Perform provides leading solutions that address performance management issues of most concern to managers. Using proven management concepts and techniques best suited to the specific requirements of each assignment that we undertake, High Perform strives to deliver the highest value and benefit to our clients in the shortest time possible in a cost-effective manner.

Our repertoire has been built through continuous learning, building and maintaining the highest levels of professionalism, expertise, skills and practical know how in techniques such as activity based costing, business process analysis, zero based budgeting, multidimensional business modelling, balanced scorecards, key performance indicators,

predictive analytics

and related concepts, and applying these in innovative ways, always with a focus on supporting our clients achieve their targets for cost reduction, performance improvement, profitability enhancement and other performance objectives.

Depending on the objectives of each assignment, High Perform assesses and recommends the mix of methodologies best suited in each situation, then tailors a solution and execution plan that is likely to yield most success.

Projects we are engaged on could be for full scale implementation or a phased approach, typically consisting of the following pathways:

Concepts and Methodology Training

Beginning with basic and advanced textbook academic concepts, the training shifts to actual workplace practice and methodologies, good, bad and best practice. This learning is followed by 'hands on' workshops where participants get to use specialist software toolsets to reinforce the theoretical knowledge.

Compile Manual of Principles, Methodology and Governance

This is a comprehensive artifact, which documents the rationale for the initiative, its objectives, conceptual framework, techniques and methodology, related principles, rules, glossary of terms and governance structure to guide the implementation team towards successful implementation.

Design and Build Prototype Model

Key elements representing the organisation are selected, analysed, mapped and specified in detail. Available data is sourced to design and build a prototype rapidly, which is then used to validate, test and build consensus for implementation. Prototyping provides a steep practical learning experience for internal teams.

Scaled Up Implementation

Comprises implementation in part/s or whole organisation. Concepts Training and the compilation of a Principles Manual, if not previously undertaken is included to upskill inhouse teams and to guide project success. Strong project management disciplines are applied to achieve timelines, quality and budget targets.

Staged Pathway to Success

A valuable lesson High Perform has gained from undertaking over one hundred performance management projects in Australasia, Asia, Africa and Europe is that the journey from conception to maturity is always challenging, full of pitfalls, frequently overruns budget and takes longer than planned. Our staged implementation approach averts falling prey to the many inherent traps, guarantees greater success, saves time and costs. Above all it ensures that internal teams gain competence, remain motivated and become self-sufficient in sustaining the momentum achieved long after external consultants have departed.

On engagement High Perform recommends clients undertake a Maturity Assessment, which we offer at no cost. A short but sharp and realistic assessment, made collaboratively with the key stakeholders involved, it compares the organisation's maturity level at the start of a proposed initiative relative to accepted maturity levels. This assists in tailoring a solution, project and implementation plan that meets stakeholder expectations.

Pathway	Description (for a typical Activity Based Costing initiative)
Concepts and Methodology Training	This training has theoretical, practical, and hands-on components. It can also be tailored to include organisation and industry specific elements. The training is immersive and intensive; participants must be prepared to dedicate time for attendance as well as undertake some homework. Theory: The genesis of costing, evolution of cost management, theoretical framework of costing systems, costing methods (traditional vs. ABC, CAM-I Cross v. Business Model Framework), cost behaviour, sources of cost distortion. Practice: spend (cost) vs resource view, push allocation vs dynamic demand-based cost association, multidimensional cost objects, data driven v. staff effort surveys, cost v resource v. activity drivers Hands On: practical hands-on workshop with case study data using a specialist business modelling software tool.
Compile Manual of Principles, Methodology and Governance	The manual deals with the Why, What, Where and How of the proposed performance management initiative. It provides an understanding of the environment in which implementation is to be undertaken, explanation of the methodologies chosen, identification of strengths and limitations. It documents the principles, rules and guidelines for applying these to establish a robust system, taking into consideration the industry, strategy, operations and unique characteristics, if any of the organisation. It also sets the principles and processes for governance of the initiative through its lifecycle. Other aspects dealt with in the manual include definition of clear objectives for the initiative, alignment with strategy and operations, ownership of the solution, levels of transparency, avoidance of conflicts, and communications. The How part of the manual, drawn from actual field experience and best practice sets out detailed guidelines for planning, design, execution and maintenance of the initiative.
Design and Build Prototype	High Perform offers two options to prototyping. 1) turnkey design and build undertaken High Perform. 2) collaborative design and build with internal staff, who are then likely to lead future implementation. A curated set of products/services, customers, sales and delivery channels and locations is selected for inclusion in a prototype. The relationships these have to processes and resources is then mapped through desk analysis, interviews with a few selected staff or in small workshops. Prototyping also gives attention to identifying key data, its sources, availability, accessibility, veracity, and cleanliness. Our approach to prototyping is a strictly contained exercise to achieve fast rapid results. The focus is not on accuracy but on validating is logic, relevance and application and to build business support for the initiative, or whether it should be altered or even reconsidered. Once completed and accepted, the prototype becomes a strawman for scaled up implementation.
Scaled Up Project Implementation	A scaled-up project implementation comprises of extending the prototype to other parts or whole of organization. Where a staged approach has not been followed, the project is commenced from scratch. In both instances, this would include setting up of a Project Office (however small, large, formal, informal) and a Project Charter to manage the implementation. Among other things, the project charter identifies the cast of players: project sponsor, stakeholders, steering committee, project manager, project lead and team including, if involved external consultants, and define their role, duties, responsibilities and accountability. Where a Principles Manual (see above) has already been compiled, it would be relied on heavily to set up the Project Charter, which is a separate document from the manual in that it deals with an immediate project and incorporated a detailed Project Plan, whereas the manual provides consistency and direction over a longer period, which often involves multiple sub-projects and changing personnel. The duration and phases required to fully implement a performance management system and to gain its acceptance within an organization is dependent on many factors, the type and complexity of the organisation, expectations from it, current level of maturity, appetite for it and not least conflict of interest in the organisation. Our experience is that addressing these issues prior to implementation, ideally though a staged pathway vastly increases success and mitigates possible early abandonment of such initiatives.

Pathway

Description (for a typical Activity Based Costing initiative)

Concepts and Methodology Training

This training has theoretical, practical, and hands-on components. It can also be tailored to include organisation and industry specific elements. The training is immersive and intensive; participants must be prepared to dedicate time for attendance as well as undertake some homework.

Theory: The genesis of costing, evolution of cost management, theoretical framework of costing systems, costing methods (traditional vs. ABC, CAM-I Cross v. Business Model Framework), cost behaviour, sources of cost distortion.

Practice: spend (cost) vs resource view, push allocation vs dynamic demand-based cost association, multidimensional cost objects, data driven v. staff effort surveys, cost v resource v. activity drivers

Hands On: practical hands-on workshop with case study data using a specialist business modelling software tool.

Compile Manual of Principles, Methodology and Governance

The manual deals with the Why, What, Where and How of the proposed performance management initiative. It provides an understanding of the environment in which implementation is to be undertaken, explanation of the methodologies chosen, identification of strengths and limitations. It documents the principles, rules and guidelines for applying these to establish a robust system, taking into consideration the industry, strategy, operations and unique characteristics, if any of the organisation. It also sets the principles and processes for governance of the initiative through its lifecycle.

Other aspects dealt with in the manual include definition of clear objectives for the initiative, alignment with strategy and operations, ownership of the solution, levels of transparency, avoidance of conflicts, and communications.

The How part of the manual, drawn from actual field experience and best practice sets out detailed guidelines for planning, design, execution and maintenance of the initiative.

Design and Build Prototype

High Perform offers two options to prototyping. 1) turnkey design and build undertaken High Perform. 2) collaborative design and build with internal staff, who are then likely to lead future implementation.

A curated set of products/services, customers, sales and delivery channels and locations is selected for inclusion in a prototype. The relationships these have to processes and resources is then mapped through desk analysis, interviews with a few selected staff or in small workshops. Prototyping also gives attention to identifying key data, its sources, availability, accessibility, veracity, and cleanliness.

Our approach to prototyping is a strictly contained exercise to achieve fast rapid results. The focus is not on accuracy but on validating is logic, relevance and application and to build business support for the initiative, or whether it should be altered or even reconsidered.

Once completed and accepted, the prototype becomes a strawman for scaled up implementation.

Scaled Up Project Implementation

A scaled-up project implementation comprises of extending the prototype to other parts or whole of organization. Where a staged approach has not been followed, the project is commenced from scratch. In both instances, this would include setting up of a Project Office (however small, large, formal, informal) and a Project Charter to manage the implementation.

Among other things, the project charter identifies the cast of players: project sponsor, stakeholders, steering committee, project manager, project lead and team including, if involved external consultants, and define their role, duties, responsibilities and accountability.

Where a Principles Manual (see above) has already been compiled, it would be relied on heavily to set up the Project Charter, which is a separate document from the manual in that it deals with an immediate project and incorporated a detailed Project Plan, whereas the manual provides consistency and direction over a longer period, which often involves multiple sub-projects and changing personnel.

The duration and phases required to fully implement a performance management system and to gain its acceptance within an organization is dependent on many factors, the type and complexity of the organisation, expectations from it, current level of maturity, appetite for it and not least conflict of interest in the organisation. Our experience is that addressing these issues prior to implementation, ideally though a staged pathway vastly increases success and mitigates possible early abandonment of such initiatives.