Business Transformation
Business Transformation

In a lean economy, efficient business process transcends classification as a “good practice”—and is elevated to any organization’s key survival strategy. In an era when advances in technology have raised expectations for an immediate response, organizations that cannot demonstrate ultimate agility will be trampled in the wake of their more nimble competitors. This quick “get more for less” model has revolutionized management science methodology. Nothing less than transformation wizardry will be accepted by today’s successful businesses.

CPS can help any business demystify its approach to organizational performance improvement. We begin with a strategic alignment—from work group to business unit to executive goal—all the way up to the organizational mission. Next, we use recognized methodologies to develop strategies that can easily reflect up to the critical mission. From there, CPS helps the organization set service level agreements, benchmark models for success, develop business cases and return on investment studies, and create a tactical plan, providing:

CPI/Lean Six Sigma Delivery
CPS maintains a cadre of Lean Six Sigma Black Belts and Master Black Belts. We are experienced in providing Lean Six Sigma classroom instructors and coordinating customer enterprise-wide training programs. We maintain a team of expert advisors who can be deployed throughout the nation and around the world, to serve as consultants on customer business transformation projects.

CPS uses its Lean Six Sigma toolkit to document the “as is” state in a variety of situations and to measure improvement after implementing interventions. Additionally, CPS has helped clients begin their own LSS practices. Read more about our CPI/Lean Six Sigma experience:

Program Management
CPS Professional Services offers Program and Project Management Services that follow ISO-awarded best practices for project management, described in the Project Management Institute's Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). Each CPS PMO is typically headed by our PMI-certified Project Management Professionals.

Our staff is practiced in all phases of the project management process. We are experienced in developing and tailoring project management processes to guide management of projects and task orders, and our Project & Program Management Tool Box includes templates for:

  • Project Charters
  • Program Management Plans
  • Scope Management Plans
  • Risk Management Plans
  • Issues Management Plans
  • Communication Plans
  • Resource Management Plans
  • Change Request Forms
Strategic Planning
Strategic planning involves the definition, refinement and launch of fundamental decisions and actions that shape what an organization or program is, what it does, and why it does it. Strategic planning starts with broad-scale information gathering, an exploration of alternatives; and emphasizes the future implications of present decisions.
Goal alignment line of sight as established in a working session.
The first step in the strategic planning process is to align the program’s objectives with Agency goals and the Department’s vision and mission, so there is a direct line of sight back to the Department level. CPS typically hosts a Goal Alignment Working Session with leadership and key individuals to ensure that program objectives are in alignment, and to generate overarching strategies and tactics. Strategic planning at the program level requires aligning the program’s objectives and then working to define strategies and tactics to accomplish these objectives.

Example: CPS has had recent experience in working with the USDA to achieve its goals for administrative efficiency. At the Agency level, the objective may be to improve efficiency by using performance-based budgeting. The figure below illustrates how a goal alignment working session provides a line of sight from the Program’s objectives back to the Agency’s goals and the Department’s mission.

Comprehensive strategic planning process steps
The comprehensive strategic planning process includes the following steps, as illustrated by the following figure:
  1. Identify the Department’s purpose (mission statement) as well as what it wants to become (vision statement)
  2. Identify the Agency’s goals
  3. Align Program objectives with Agency goals and Department mission/vision
  4. Identify specific approaches or strategies that should be implemented to reach each objective
  5. Identify specific action plans or tactics to implement each strategy
  6. Monitor and update the plan to achieve results

CPS successfully facilitated this strategic planning process with the program unit of another USDA agency, APHIS International Services. The goal alignment working session took place over a four-day period at a central location for stakeholders. The team worked with agency leadership to design the agenda, providing job aids and worksheets. A CPS-certified Black Belt Facilitator conducted the working sessions. Consensus was reached on program unit objectives that aligned with APHIS strategic goals and the Department’s mission, and the group developed and prioritized strategies they would use to reach these objectives. Action plans were developed at the tactical level for priority strategies.

Requirements Development
CPS Professional Services has enjoyed great success in leading IT planning, development and operations. Our experienced systems engineers follow a systems requirements process, similar to the IEEE STD 1233 IEEE Guide for Developing System Requirements Specification. Senior systems engineers conduct a thorough information-gathering phase, which can include onsite visits, facilitated user needs discovery sessions, questionnaires, surveys and interviews. Once user needs are defined, our systems engineers follow a well-defined requirements decomposition process, leading to documented user requirements, use cases, and functional/performance requirements. Our systems engineers are also experienced in developing business cases, performing cost-benefits analysis, and defining and evaluating alternative implementations.
Contact us for further information.