Management Education and Training Programs

We offer a series of modular “best practice” training programs in two categories

Planning &Performance Management

(PPM)

Change Management &

Leadership (CLM

• PPM0: Practical Performance Management • PPM1: Strategic planning• PPM2: Tactical/operational planning• PPM3: Financial planning/budgeting• PPM4: Forecasting• PPM5: Management reporting

• CML0: Creating a performance improvement culture

• CML1: Using benchmarking and best practices to drive change

• CML2: Building the business case• CML3: Developing change leadership skills

Our programs are based on David Axson’s best selling book

• "This is a very practical book that quickly gets to to best practices.”

• "Decision-makers in any organization (regardless of its size or nature) will benefit substantially from the information, insights, and suggestions which Axson provides in this volume.”

• "At last a reasonable definition for best practice.”

• "An entertaining, insightful book - I found it useful in describing how benchmarking can be used to good effect in practice - in real situations - from someone who has definitely been there and done it."

Praise for Best Practices in Planning and Performance Management

About David AxsonDavid Axson personally leads all our training programs

• Over 25 years experience of leading major change programs• Author of two books, Best Practices in Planning and Management

Reporting (2003) and Best Practices in Planning and Management Reporting (2007)

• Co-founder of The Hackett Group, a leading benchmarking and best practices advisory firm

• Former Head of Corporate Planning for Bank of America• Extensive experience working in North America, Europe and Asia• Degrees in Accounting and Computer Science from the University

of Leeds in England• Certified Member of the British Computer Society

Praise for David Axson’s as a trainer and speaker:

“I could sit through a week long seminar from David”

"I have heard David speak a number of times and find him a reason to come to these events”

"Fantastic speaker, great energy”

"Excellent perspective and comments that challenge current practices”

"Makes you think outside the box”

"Entertaining"

Background to our programs

• Review of best practices• Case studies• Self study exercises

• Individual• Group

• Group discussion

• American Express• Bank of America• Cisco• Coca Cola• General Electric• Google• Honeywell• Johnson & Johnson• Microsoft• Proctor & Gamble• Save the Children• Southwest Airlines• Starbucks• Tata• Wal-Mart

Case Studies include:Program Elements:

Guiding Principles:1.Transfer knowledge to participants2.Practical application, not theory3.Equip participants to drive continuous improvement

Student Profile:All our training programs are designed for professionals and managers from all business functions who wish to learn more about practical best practices that they can apply in their own organizations. We can tailor our programs to the backgrounds of participants.

Program DescriptionPMP0 – Practical Performance Management (2 days)

Topics covered• Performance management today

• Pain points• External environment• Opportunities

• Best practices• Strategic planning• Operational planning and

budgeting• Forecasting• Management reporting

• Creating a best practice vision

• Selling the need for change• Getting started

Questions Answered• Where are our greatest

improvement opportunities?• What do best practice look

like?• Which best practices are most

applicable for our organization?

• How do we tailor best practices to our specific needs?

• What will the future state look like?

• How do we sell the need for change?

• What’s the best way to get started?

Program DescriptionPMP1 -- Strategic Planning (1 day)

Topics covered• Defining strategy• Components of a strategy• Role and value of mission and

vision statements• Strategic thinking vs.

strategic planning• Setting strategic priorities• Evaluating alternative

strategies• Developing the right measures• Translating plans into action• Link to tactical and

operating plans• Establishing accountability

and ownership

Questions Answered• What is the role of a good

strategy?• Are mission and vision

statement of any value? • Who should be involved in

the strategic planning process?

• What are the outputs of the process?

• How should the strategy be used?

• When do you change your strategy?

• How do you measure progress?• Who owns the strategy?

Program Description PMP2 -- Tactical/Operational Planning (1 day)

Topics covered• Defining tactical and

operational planning• Comparison of a typical vs.

best practice process• Components of the operating

plan• Understanding business drivers• Defining the right content,

level of detail and time horizon for the plan

• Designing the planning process• Link to budgets• Integration of projects and

initiatives• Establishing accountability

and ownership

Questions answered:• What’s the difference

between the operating/tactical plan and the budget?

• How do we identify the drivers of our business?

• How do ensure our tactics support our strategy?

• How we integrate project plans into the overall operating plan?

• What is the role of finance in the tactical planning process?

Program Description PMP3 -- Financial Planning/Budgeting (1 day)

Topics covered• Defining financial

planning/budgeting• Comparison of a typical vs. best

practice process• Components of the financial plan• Defining the right content,

level of detail and time horizon• Designing the budgeting process• Link to tactical and operating

plans• Establishing accountability and

ownership• Using rolling budgets• Discussion of why some companies

are abandoning budgets• Use of technology

Questions answered:• How much detail should be

included in the budget?• How do we minimize

“sandbagging” or conservatism in the budgets?

• How do we get operating managers to “own” their budget?

• How do we reduce the time it takes to create and approve the budget?

• How do we make the budget relevant to business managers not just accountants?

• What tools and technologies can best support the budget process?

Program Description PMP4 – Forecasting (1 day)

Topics covered• Defining forecasting• Comparison of a typical vs.

best practice process• Types of forecast• Defining the right

frequency, content, level of detail and time horizon for the plan

• Using of a rolling forecast• Review of forecasting tools

and techniques • Establishing accountability

and ownership for forecasts• Use of technology

Questions answered:• How many different

forecasts do we need to develop (e.g. sales, production, finance, etc.)?

• How do we improve the accuracy of our forecasts?

• Under what circumstances should we use a rolling forecast?

• How do we integrate the forecast with our budget?

• What is a driver-based forecast and when is most useful?

Program Description PMP5 -- Management Reporting (1 day)

Topics covered• Types of management information• Defining management information

needs• The information delivery process• Using Balanced Scorecards• Making reporting relevant• Identifying key performance

indicators (KPIs)• Value of leading versus lagging

indicators• Turning information into insight• Characteristics of a great

management report• Designing the right management

information systems (MIS)

Questions answered:• How do we define the

management information requirements?

• How useful are event-triggered and exception based reports and who do we create them?

• How do we effectively use a balanced scorecard?

• How do we simplify our reporting and deliver better information, faster?

• How do we improve the quality of the data we collect?

• What technologies work best?

Program Description CLM0 – Creating a Performance Improvement Culture (2 days)

Topics covered• Setting priorities for

improvement• Role of measurement

• Benchmarking• Internal productivity

measurement• Empowering people across the

organization• Role definition: senior

management, middle management, staff, customers and vendors.

• Planning for change• Managing and sustaining the

change process• Rewards and incentives

Questions answered:• How do we create and

sustain a performance improvement culture?

• How do we find credible benchmarks?

• How do we engage and motivate people to participate in the process?

• How do we get started?• What does a performance

improvement process look like?

• What are the risks?

Program Description CLM1 -- Benchmarking and Best Practices (1 day)

Topics covered• What is benchmarking• Defining and using best

practices• Developing a practical

benchmarking program• Review of benchmark metrics

for key business functions:• Finance• Human resources• Information technology• SG&A expenses

• Identifying the right best practices for your organization

Questions answered:• What is the value of

benchmarking?• How do we know whether a

practice is really a “best practice?”

• How do we find credible benchmarks?

• What type’s of company should we benchmark?

• How do we build benchmarks into our internal management reporting?

• How do we customize best practices to our own needs?

Program Description CLM2 -- Building the Business Case (0.5 days)

Topics covered• Sizing the opportunity• Estimating the benefits

• Efficiency• Effectiveness

• Estimating the costs• Alignment with strategy• Identifying and measuring

the risks• Selling the change

Questions answered:• What type of payback should

we expect?• What are the “hard” and

“soft” elements of the business case?

• How we develop a simple yet credible business case?

• How do we integrate external benchmarks into our business cases?

• How do we measure that the expected benefits are actually realized?

• How we link business cases to budgets?

Program Description CLM3 -- Change Leadership Skills (1 day)

Topics covered• Attributes of a leader• Selecting the team• Building the plan• Developing the right

incentives• Communication planning• Progress reporting• Securing and sustaining

commitment• Measures of success

Question answered:• What makes an effective

team leader?• How do we assemble the

best team for a project (skills, experience, culture, etc.)

• How do we sell the need to change and then keep people motivated during and after implementation?

• How we handle resistance?• What types of team

structure work best?

Sample Agenda

8.00 – 8.15 Introduction & review of learning objectives8.15 – 9.15 Current vs. best practice comparison9.15 – 10.00 Group exercise: process analysis

10.00 – 10.15 Break10.15 – 11.00 Group exercise: report out11.00 – 12.00 Best practice case study12.00 – 1.00 Lunch1.00 – 2.30 Best practice discussion – examples 2.30 – 3.00 Group exercise3.00 – 4.00 Review of best practice benefits and risks4.00 – 4.45 Implementation issues4.45 – 5.30 Question and answer session

For further information

Contact David Axson by:• Email at daxson@sonaxgroup.com• Phone at +1 (330) 668 4773• Mail at:

Sonax Group IncWillow House1464 Willow LaneAkron, Ohio, 44333USA