The 180 Degrees Difference™ starts with a basic premise: untapped potential drains corporate performance. Whether it's low morale, underutilized systems or redundant processes—all have the potential to destroy productivity. What's more, you're paying for these resources, and they're not contributing to company success.

A 180 Degree Difference™ optimization and alignment study review has seven distinct phases, each of which serves to transform untapped potential into results:

• Capture: Depending on the nature of the study, Comb Group consultants meet with your executive team, conduct discovery sessions, and review existing documentation to get a crystal-clear understanding of the mission, core values, vision and strategic plan. We conduct extensive reviews and onsite observations of functions and processes, and examine resources such as procedure manuals, job descriptions and training guides. If the study includes the development of a Balanced Scorecard, these discovery sessions are completed as well.

• Evaluate: Leveraging best-in-class business performance criteria, our consultants assess both corporate and personnel factors that impact business performance, identify untapped potential, and align opportunities at a high level to provide a framework for the next phase: in-depth analysis. Through Value Map analysis, our consultants identify the large gaps in alignment. Again, depending on the study objectives, our consultants will perform process modeling and simulation using Lean Analysis methods.

• Analyze: After the onsite discovery is complete, the real work begins. The Comb Groups analyzes all data to create efficiency models and process maps that detail the elements of optimization and leverage untapped potential using industry and market expertise. We take this process further with “what if” analyses and ROI models that shows the organization how to make the most of the optimization effort. These models are delivered in our innovative 180 Degree Shift Tool™. Included in our findings is a detailed gap analysis between desired outcomes and existing findings. We look for any gaps between strategic opportunities and our recommendations, develop strategies to fill gap, re-evaluating prioritization and overall ROI as needed.

• Learn: We deliver our findings onsite so that we can work as a team with client companies to determine opportunities that best support strategic and personnel (staff) objectives and prioritize opportunities to accommodate both quick-hit and long-term needs.

• Shift: The Comb Group does more than deliver recommendations; we deliver an implementation plan that address human capital, technology and processes. We focus on practical, actionable solutions, the majority of which you implement without outside assistance. For specialized efforts, The Comb Group will utilize process modeling and simulation to conduct what-if analysis to determine what processes and solutions will bring about the largest benefits.

• Measure: When you optimize untapped potential, you transform unseen opportunities into quantifiable, measurable outcomes. The Comb Group works with you to identify the appropriate measures of success.