FMC Analytical Process Map 16 01-01 - Georgetown...

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Frameworks, Methods & Contexts

FMC Toolkit

Proprietary Material

Professor Ken HomaGeorgetown University

Analytical Process MapThinking Like a Consultant

Incomplete Without Extensive Oral Elaboration

Analytical Process MapSummary

• Four interconnected case tools:SCQ Analysis (Problem Definition)KIA Analysis (Key Issues Analysis)Work Plan (Responsibilities & Dates)Storyboard (“Ghost” Presentation)

• Geared to problem solving efficiency

• Highly iterative analytical process

• Strong end-product orientation:the final report and presentation

Case starting point is problem definition …

A facilitating tool for problem definition is SCQ Analysis:

Situation, Complication, Question

• Sometimes pronounced “seek analysis”

• Derived from basic story writing method

• Popularized by Pyramid Principle author Barbara Minto (McKinsey)

A facilitating tool for problem definition is SCQ Analysis:

Situation, Complication, Question

Minto, Pyramid Principle

Typical Format

Details

• Contextual … sets the study’s backdrop

• Self-sufficient … a standalone summary

• Fact-based … multi-sourced, verified

• Incontrovertible … elicits broad agreement

• Non-problematic … sets-up the Complication

Situation Complication Question

• Completes the case’s context(by adding a dose of tension)

• Summarizes the disruption to the status quo or the need for change

• Isolates a single key factor or dynamic(which is often a “Disturbing Event”)

“A Disturbing Event is what happens -- or what could happen or what would be likely to happen --in the near or far future -- to threaten the relatively stable situation described in the Situation, and thus, to potentially trigger an undesired result.”

A Disturbing Event can be …

• External: a change initiated elsewhere in the environment within which the structure/process takes place, e.g.

– Emergence of a new competitor– Conversion to a new technology– Shift in government or customer policy

• Internal: a change initiated by the company, e.g.– Revised a business process– Expanded into a new market– Repositioned the product line

• Metrics-revealed: an evident need for change, e.g.– Sub-par operating results– Ineffective policy or process– Shifting customer attitudes.

As in Jeopardy, always state your answer in the form of a question…

The SCQ’s Complication (or Disturbing Event) tees-up a case’s pivotal Question …

• Captures the scope & essence of the case

• Logically follows from the context established by the Situation and Complication

• Requires validation as the “right” question… type, subject, scope, impact

• Subject to iterative restatement for clarification or redirection … i.e. getting the question right

Some generic questions often get asked:

• Why isn’t what we are doing working?

• In this situation, what should we do?

• Should we do what we’re considering?

• How should we do what we’re considering?

The SCQ can be visualized as the first component on an Analytical Process Map …

Analytical Process Map

The pivotal case Question from the SCQ Analysis is a direct linkage to, and the starting point for, the Key Issues Analysis (KIA) …

KeyQuestion

Details re: the KIA =>

• The linkage between the SCQ and the Key Issues Analysis (KIA) is the SCQ Question.

• The KIA identifies and documents important sub-issues, related hypotheses and required analyses.

• Drill down from the SCQ Question

• MECE: Mutually Exclusive (no overlaps), Collectively Exhaustive (no gaps)

• Several supportive methods, including“5 Whys” and Logic Trees (Mind Maps)

Issues Hypotheses Analyses

Key Issues Analysis (KIA)Key Question:

• For efficiency, consultants’ problem solving methodology is generally hypothesis-driven

• That is, they conjecture likely answers and then try to validate or refute them

• Hypotheses are subject to iterative revision as facts and insights become available.

• Process focuses analytical efforts (versus broad scope exploratory investigations)

• Goal: proving or disproving hypotheses

• Fact-gathering via info searches, interviews and raw data collection.

• Extensive data set “mashing” and “cutting the data” … e.g. clustering

• Continual 80-20 re-focusing for efficiency

• Mindset: insights, not just calculations

The Key Issues Analysis (KIA) is often the basis for clarifying or redirecting the SCQ’s pivotal case question …

KeyQuestion

Sub-Issues

ProblemRestatement

And, the Key Issues Analysis (KIA) is the basis for the case’s work plan …

KeyQuestion

Analyses

to Work Plan

Sub-Issues

ProblemRestatement

A case’s work plan can be a “content map” that simply extends the KIA to assign responsibilities and due dates …

Issue Hypothesis Analysis Who / When

Key Issue Analysis – Work Plan

Acid Test: Is the list of KIA Issues Collectively Sufficient to answer the Key Question (and-or the client’s question)

Or, case work plans can be “process maps” that document responsibilities and due dates on Gantt Charts …

Work Plan – Process Map

Regardless of whether the case’s work plan is a content map or a process map, it’s tightly linked to the Key Issues Analysis…

KeyQuestion

Analyses

to Work Plan

Sub-Issues

ProblemRestatement

Further, the Key Issues Analysis (KIA) is foundational to the case storyline …

KeyQuestion

Hypotheses

to Storyline

Sub-Issues

ProblemRestatement

Analyses

to Work Plan

• Initially, a “ghost out” of the final presentation showing logic flows, slide headers & footers, illustrative proof points and charts

• Development starts early on in the process… within the cases first few days

• Generally organized following the “Pyramid Principle” … a conclusions-first hierarchal structure applying inductive & deductive logic

• Key supportive methodology is storyboarding

Case Storyline

Inductive

Deductive

Storyboarding

Eventually, the case storyline evolves to the final report’s pivotal conclusions and actionable recommendations …

KeyQuestion

Hypotheses

to Storyline

Sub-Issues

ProblemRestatement

Analyses

to Work Plan

Final Report

to Final ReportConclusions, Recommendations

Importantly, during the problem solving process, storylining the final report may surface logic gaps or inconsistencies in the Key Issues Analysis …

KeyQuestion

Hypotheses

to Storyline

Sub-Issues

ProblemRestatement

Analyses

to Work Plan

Final Report

Logic Gaps

And, storylining the final report may surface “evidence gaps” that call for additional fact-gathering or analyses …

KeyQuestion

Hypotheses

to Storyline

Sub-Issues

ProblemRestatement

Analyses

Final Report

Logic Gaps

to Work Plan

Evidence Gaps

Again, the case storyline evolves to the final report’s pivotal conclusions and actionable recommendations …

KeyQuestion

Hypotheses

to Storyline

Sub-Issues

ProblemRestatement

Analyses

to Work Plan

Final Report

Logic Gaps

EvidenceGaps

Closing the loop, the final step is verifying that the final report fits the SCQ’s context (Situation and Complication) and answers the Question …

KeyQuestion

Hypotheses

to Storyline

Sub-Issues

ProblemRestatement

Analyses

Final Reportto Final Report

Logic Gaps

toWorkPlan

EvidenceGaps

Answered Question?

Conclusions, Recommendations

Putting it all together…

Analytical Process MapGeneral TakeAways

• Four interconnected case tools:SCQ, KIA, Work Plan, Storyline

• KIA is central to the APM … connectedto SCQ, Storyline and Work Plan

• Geared to problem solving efficiency

• Highly iterative analytical process

• Strong end-product orientation:the final report and presentation

Summarized on the APM =>

KeyQuestion

Hypotheses

to Storyline

Analyses

to Work Plan

Logic Gaps

Evidence Gaps

Sub-Issues

ProblemRestatement

Final Report

to Final Report

AnsweredQuestion?

Conclusions, Recommendations

Frameworks, Methods & Contexts

FMC Toolkit

Proprietary Material

Professor Ken HomaGeorgetown University

Analytical Process MapThinking Like a Consultant

Incomplete Without Extensive Oral Elaboration

FMC Analytical Process Map 16 01-01 - Georgetown...

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