A boutique consultancy with a top-management approach may sound like a contradiction in terms, but not for us. We believe that while a client's top-level issues typically occur within strategy, customer, product, digital, operations or organisation, the solution is often multi-faceted. Therefore, we specialise in business problems which require a rigorous, multi-disciplinary and tailored approach, as shown below.
Our values
Underpinning all the work we do for our clients are seven values:
#1. Passion for Problems
#2. Client's Shoes
#3. Fact-Driven
#4. Point-of-View
#5. Tech is Business
#6. Diversity & Inclusion
#7. End-to-End Results
More specifically:
#1. Passion for Problems
We are here to solve highly difficult business and technology problems for top management. We let others develop cookie-cutter solutions and carry out the "lather, rinse, repeat" type of work. We help clients identify the real root causes behind the problems they see. This means that we might redefine the problem several times during a project, constantly ensuring that we are solving for the right thing. In many ways, this is where the "house of experts" consulting model fails. We do not send out a narrowly focused expert team early in a project, like "hammers looking for nails". Instead, we apply deep expertise once we know where the problem is. Clients will collaborate with high quality, reliable and trustworthy consultants who are general problem solvers with relevant subject matter expertise – not consultants “pigeonholed” into narrow and often competing practices, looking to duplicate a certain solution from client to client.
#2. Client's Shoes
Our most senior resources are "playing coaches" actively involved in the problem-solving process. We do not have a sales organisation, all consultants are dedicated to helping clients solve real problems. Our consultants will blend into the client's team and transfer knowledge and capabilities – not isolate themselves and only communicate with top management.
Each problem-solving framework is tailored to the exact problem the client is facing today. We do not try to push standard frameworks out to our clients, everything is tailored.
Nevertheless, we do have our own Oleto library of concepts, methods, frameworks and tools that we can seek inspiration from and then tailor further for a particular client situation. We are committed to always designing a custom approach that delivers – not just processing clients' issues through a generic method hoping it will fit the client's situation.
#3. Fact-Driven
We are known for analytical rigour. Always spending time with the clients to make sure the starting point and recommendations are well backed up by a series of facts. Many consulting firms make the mistake of over analysing the past. When it comes to looking into the future and "what might happen" in a marketplace, we use creative scenario generation as a way of exploring opportunities and risks for the client.
#4. Point-of-View
Our extensive experience has led to a number of own beliefs on what works and what does not in a modern and complex business environment. However, we are never biased or opiniated. We share our informed point-of-view and our vision when asked. We will always give you our perspective on how the future may play out, including the "what you need to believe" for each possible scenario.
#5. Tech is Business
Whilst some problems originate from a technology angle and others from a business angle, nowadays all strategy work has a tech angle to in some way. We are committed in our work to always consider technology related opportunities and risks in any problem we are asked to look at. For us there is no business/technology divide.
#6. Diversity & Inclusion
While some consultancy firms choose to be international by building local, single culture teams in multiple countries, we prefer to be international by establishing multi-national teams locally. This creates value for clients as well as opportunities for capable international profiles.
In addition, we encourage diversity in the way we solve problems. Always exploring different angles and pre-perceptions before coming to a joint forward-looking statement.
#7. End-to-End Results
We help clients with both strategy and implementation work and very often a problem-solving process evolves naturally through these phases. We only take on implementation work if we have been significantly involved in the strategy development or if we agree with the chosen strategy.