Certified Minority and
Women Owned Enterprise
Don't Do It Alone
We Have Walked in Your Shoes
There is nothing more exhilarating than successfully completing a major initiative. But how many times, in the postmortem discussion, have you said, "if I had to do it over again . . ." The foundation of Stanton Blackwell is offering clients the benefit of our experience. We suffered a few bruises so that you don't have to.
Business
Planning
Pursuing a well thought out strategy without an integrated business plan is, frankly, operating on hope. Once you clarify your strategy, we will help to break it down into an action plan so that your entire team will understand what needs to happen, when, and who is accountable. Strategies are translated into initiatives and then projects that are prioritized by quarter. Your roadmap will consider capital requirements and be tied to your financial results. And your roadmap will establish metrics allowing you to monitor performance and impact. The plan is documented for communication to multiple audiences, investors, your board and your team to ensure a common understanding of goals, impact and timing.
Hope is not a strategy. Build plans that make things happen.
There are multiple reasons why an outside perspective can be beneficial: a new executive, a sudden change in operational scale, a big project, or a functional area that consistently lags the overall business. Leveraging the experience of our expert team, we have developed assessment tools for each support function. Our team will engage with your leaders to understand the needs of the business and compare that to the existing functional tools, processes and talent resulting in a trustworthy evaluation of strengths and gaps. And, we can help to prepare a realistic roadmap to evolve your staff functions to become efficient, effective and dare we say, strategic assets to your business.
Support Function Assessment
There are multiple reasons why an outside perspective can be beneficial: a new executive, a sudden change in operational scale, a big project, or a functional area that consistently lags the overall business. Leveraging the experience of our expert team, we have developed assessment tools for each support function. Our team will engage with your leaders to understand the needs of the business and compare that to the existing functional tools, processes and talent resulting in a trustworthy evaluation of strengths and gaps. And, we can help to prepare a realistic roadmap to evolve your staff functions to become efficient, effective and dare we say, strategic assets to your business..
A trustworthy evaluation of the strengths and gaps in your staff functions.
Regulatory Remediations
Our team spent decades in large institutions that were at the epicenter of the financial crisis. MRAs, and dreaded MRIAs, unfortunately became routine business as regulatory oversight intensified. Clearing a regulatory issue isn’t enough, the solution has to be something that allows you to operate efficiently and scale as your business grows. Solutions must be a collaboration that draw on business operations, technology, finance, regulatory compliance and legal experts in your organization to build consensus around solutions. Once there is a plan, project managing the implementation and communications with regulators become important. Clearing regulatory matters requires creativity, diplomacy and tenacity. We can help.
Clearing regulatory matters requires creativity, negotiation and tenacity.
CRM Troubleshooting and Adoption
Tired of the CRM excuse?
End the frustration.
We see it all the time. An organization invests in a Customer Relationship Management tool that the sales organization never fully adopts. In private conversations, users sheepishly share spreadsheets that remain part of their customer tracking. The CRM vendors and implementers seem happy to propose additional investment to make the application work as advertised. Our team of experts understands the sales process, customer data requirements and the most prevalent CRM technologies. When included up front, every dollar spent for our team reduces the project spend by multiples. But we will also parachute in when your CRM deployment has gone sideways to help build a roadmap that finally ends the frustration.
Turn Around Management
Economic firestorms and volatile markets seem to be an operating reality that is here to stay. When your business experiences tough times everything seems like a crisis. You may see the path to survival, but your lenders and investors are understandably nervous and unconvinced. When there is bad news, how it is communicated matters. We will help you to document your go forward plan in a way that your banker will understand. When the risk profile of your business has changed, effectively communicating your mitigation plans can keep your bankers, and investors, engaged in your future.
When there is bad news, how it is communicated matters.
Integration and Process Outsourcing
Getting two organizations to operate as one cohesive team isn’t simple. There are technical, operational and cultural issues that if mishandled will deteriorate the value you expected. In a large company, a failed merger or acquisition might be disappointing. In middle market companies and non-profit organizations, such a failure can be catastrophic. We have extensive experience in business integration and process outsourcing and can share what we know from our years in acquisitive and off-shored organizations.
When the ink dries on a merger or outsourcing deal, the real work starts.
Technology Roadmapping
How should you maximize the impact of your technology investment?
The technology tools that your team uses to provide exceptional service must adapt to changing customer needs. But money, time and the capacity to digest change all limit what can be accomplished. So how should you prioritize to maximize the impact of your investment? We are experts at digging into your tech stack, bridging the gap between technology and business. Sometimes problems are not what they seem. A new tool might be the best answer but maybe, it is just how you are using (or not) your current application. We help align business needs with technology requirements and set the right sequence for delivery. The outcome is a roadmap that is in sync with your business agenda, your budget and your tech team’s capacity to deliver.
Revenue
Cycle
A dollar of revenue can easily translate into eighty cents in the bank.
In a challenging economy, a business needs every revenue dollar that it earns. It sounds elementary, but too often businesses delight a customer and then fail to send an accurate invoice and collect the cash promptly. Never mind the myriad of revenue leakage opportunities throughout the process in the form of missed charges, discounts, credits, delays, disputes and payment reconciliations. A dollar of revenue can easily translate into eighty cents in the bank. We are revenue cycle experts and can help you to maximize and accelerate your cash receipts.
Working Capital Management
A growing business needs capital. Capital is even more critical in business that is experiencing a downturn. Effective management of working capital will minimize your investment and maximize your returns. Squeezing every dollar possible from your balance sheet can be a source of cash. But digging into receivables and inventories often uncovers an unpleasant reality: waste. We understand working capital management from process to metrics and can help you to achieve transparency into what you really need to run your business.
Digging into working capital often uncovers an unpleasant reality of waste.
Managing People Virtually
How do you motivate a team through a video screen?
From the very beginning, Stanton Blackwell has been a completely virtual company. We are passionate about using technology to modernize the way we work. It allows us to be inclusive, regardless of where our people are located or where they are in life. Recently, the rest of the world joined us on the remote working journey. Leaders everywhere are trying to coach and motivate a team online. The rules of engagement aren’t always clear, and some managers find it difficult to effectively motivate their employees or to manage and track deliverables. We have tools and tricks for managers to make them better motivators, communicators and leaders, whether they, and their teams, are working in the office or from home.
Workforce
Training
Getting your operating plan on paper is an important part of running your business. But how are you going to get it done? Do the skills and talents needed for execution exist on your current team? We can help you create a blueprint for your workforce that is aligned with your operating plan. As your business matures, becomes matrixed and more complex, we will help identify the key competencies necessary to elevate your workforce and deliver results. Because without the right people, in the right spots, at the right time, your plan is just a dream.
Create a blueprint for your workforce that is aligned with your operating plan.
It is an expensive and risky step to hire a C-suite executive. Frequently business leaders defer hiring a CIO, CHRO or CFO but still need expert guidance. Stanton Blackwell offers experienced C-suite talent that can be retained on a part-time basis, to assist with the strategic aspects of a support function without the risk and expense of an immediate hire. Our culture rewards teamwork so although you will work with one functional leader, you will benefit from the experience and wisdom of our entire team. And, we pride ourselves on our honest, straightforward approach. When you are ready for full-time functional leadership, we will help you with the transition.
Fractional
Executives
C-suite talent retained on a part-time basis.