The first step is a conversation. Usually a thirty-minute call where we listen to what you are trying to solve and ask a few clarifying questions. If it sounds like a good fit, we will send a short written brief for you to review before anything is agreed. We do not charge for that initial call.
Do you work with organisations outside financial services and housing?
Yes, though those are the sectors where most of our work sits. We have also worked with professional services firms, a regional NHS trust, and a small number of technology companies reviewing their own internal systems. The diagnostic methodology transfers well across sectors.
The ridge
1,800 m
Gaining height — the how.
What if the scope of the project changes after we have agreed a brief?
Scope change is normal and we plan for it. Every engagement brief includes a change protocol. A simple process for agreeing what is added, what is removed, and how the fee adjusts. Nothing changes without a written note agreed by both sides. We have never had a dispute about scope that was not resolved within a week.
How do you charge. Fixed fee or day rate?
Most engagements are fixed-fee, scoped against a written brief. The retained advisory service is a monthly arrangement. We do not use open-ended day rates because they create the wrong incentives. If a project runs longer than scoped, we discuss why before we discuss the fee.