Concentrance Methodology
The Concentrance 4Cs for Success
At Concentrance, we base our customer engagements on the principles of our practice platform, “The 4Cs for Success”. It is incumbent upon us to understand our customers’ needs, deliver on their vision, communicate continuously to confirm alignment, and set foundations for managing and measuring outcomes. Our 4Cs methodology guides us through this process. It works like this….
As depicted in the graphic above, we begin each initiative with the first and most important “C”, Concept Development. In this phase of activity, we work with our customers to ensure we understand their vision and that we have a clear definition of their goals and objectives and a roadmap for the initiative. If the vision lacks clarity, we will work with our customers to illuminate and even develop it. This clarity of purpose and expected outcomes is the keystone to a successful project or initiative.
The next “C”, Construction, defines the phase where we build specific and detailed plans, timelines, accountabilities, budgets and cost/benefit analysis where applicable. We identify potential roadblocks and plan alternative courses of action. After the plan is developed, we execute each step, continuously evaluating our progress. We monitor quality, efficiency, and timeliness of output. We address issues along the way and course correct early in the process if necessary.
Communication is important to ensure our on-going alignment with our customers’ vision, goals, and objectives. Communications are frequent and occur at every phase of the process to ensure that the project team, the customer team, and interested stakeholders understand the vision, their roles, and are in tune with the outcomes and lessons learned. We accomplish this through project charters and plans that depict the vision, road map, and responsibilities for the project. We ensure project alignment with customers and stakeholders through status reports, meetings, briefings, and collaborative work-sessions.
The final “C”, Convergence, defines the phase where we develop a framework for on-going management and measuring of the initiative’s results based upon its vision, goals, and objectives. We work with the customer to develop performance indicators that can be tracked and measured.
Invariably, after a product, process or program has been “operationalized” and is monitored via the framework established in the Convergence phase, an enhancement to the original vision is identified. When that happens, we begin again at the Concept Development phase to define the vision for the enhancement and we proceed through the Construction phase, constantly Communicating along the way. We finally re-enter the Convergence phase to operationalize the enhancement, along with an updated framework for managing and measuring results.
The 4Cs method is applied repeatedly throughout a project’s life cycle with increasing granularity, building upon the earlier phases of an initiative like a set of concentric circles….a circle within a circle with a common center point. And, at Concentrance, our common center point is always the success of our customers.
