Our Approach

Comprehensive Strategy ♦ Process and Performance Assessment ♦ Functional Advice and Support.

Our team of practice leaders, project managers and consultants focus on the three key areas of your business – strategy, processes and functions.  We will help you develop a strategic plan; provide an assessment of your processes and performance; and/or provide advice and support to your functional teams.

Comprehensive Strategy

Using our facilitative methodology, we help you develop a strategic plan or a short term strategy.    We will:

  • Take a snapshot of the current state of your business or organization to learn about your plans for future growth and sustainability. 
  • Collaborate with your management team, board of directors and other stakeholders to determine strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT Analysis).
  • Collect social data through an environmental assessment (focus groups, community forums, etc.).
  • Identify your critical issues.
  • Agree on priorities and key performance measures.
  • Write the strategic plan.
Process and Performance Assessment

The keys to a successful company or organization are well defined and articulated processes and performance which is measurable.

  • Interview key staff members.
  • Review existing processes – electronic and manual.
  • Review inputs and outputs to processes.
  • Review current metrics.
  • Review current integration and reporting status.
  • Identify potential areas for process improvement and cost savings.
Functional Advice and Support

As a result of the strategic planning process or the process and performance assessment, we will have uncovered issues in the key functional areas of your business (finance, human resources, information technology, marketing and operations) or uncovered leadership or skill gaps.   Most management consulting firms are finished at this point.  They have completed their job.  J. F. Smith & Associates, however, has just begun.   We will:

  • Advise or support you in those key functional areas identified.
  • Identify areas for process and performance improvement.
  • Develop a tactical plan for improvement or upgrade of financial, operations, marketing and technology systems.
  • Formulate a development plan for your people that would include training, coaching, executive search and more.
  • Refine or develop metrics.