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Management & Technology Consulting
Interim Management Services
Serving major US and international markets
aVM Health is a trademark jointly owned by
Arete Advisors LLC and Versatile Med Analytics
Our Work
Learn how we help others by scrolling below and contact us to learn more about how we help others with similar needs as yours.
Case Studies
The client is a global professional services firm with geographically dispersed sponsors and a highly diverse and multi-cultural network of stakeholders. The client needed to implement transformation change on a global level in order to survive major external and market driven changes. Daunted by operating complexities across geographical borders, and lacking the bench strength to drive change on an enormous scale, the firm failed to gain the needed momentum to accomplish objectives according to plan.
Our approach and solution
We collected 'Voice of the Customer' data and analyzed what had been accomplished, what worked and what didn't. We recommended and led corrective actions which helped turn the transformation around. Steps taken included:
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Unified stakeholders with compelling narratives for change
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Established a multi-year integrated people, policy, process, technology roadmap
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Provided a platform that served to give stakeholders a unifying vision
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Assessed requirements for an enterprise change management plan
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Developed a change management strategy that was integrated and in lock-step with the process, technology and business workplans
Global Transformation Change
Services Provided:
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Executive Support
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Project Management
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Change Management
Creating a Continuous Improvement Culture
Services Provided:
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Transformation Change
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Operational Excellence
A large insurer wanted to institute a culture of continuous improvement to improve productivity, increase efficiency and overcome customer dissatisfaction. The company lacked bench strength needed to accomplish these goals.
Our solution and approach
We established a key pilot program that would serve as the foundation of an enterprise-wide transformation change. The program test drove the operating model and capability design to ensure it was aligned to the company's strategic goals, conducive to the company's organization culture and stood a strong chance of successful implementation. The new capability identified hundreds of opportunities across the enterprise to yield operational efficiency, cultivated a customer-centric focus, shifted resources from low-value added tasks to high-value impact activities, and delivered millions in cost savings.
Building a PMO & Project Management Capability
Services Provided:
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Change Management -
Learning & Development -
Executive Support
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PMO
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Project Management
A reputable non-profit organization's board of directors and its executive management team was deeply troubled by chronic delays and overrun budgets experienced its key projects.
Our solution and approach
We conducted a people, process, and policy enterprise assessment to identify gaps and ways in which the organization has opportunities to improve their project management, portfolio management and fiscal management capabilities and policies. The assessment highlighted severe gaps, provided recommendations and helped the organization prioritize corrective actions. We helped the organization implement select recommendations and corrective actions including the following:
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Designed and delivered project management training
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Collaborated with the CFO and finance team to redesign fiscal management policies to align and enable improved decision-making surrounding investment projects
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Delivered a PMO and project management playbook
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Coached operational managers and head of departments on key projects
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Educate sponsors on the role of sponsorship
Regulatory Management Program
Services Provided:
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Change Management
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Executive Support
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Project Management
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Operational Excellence
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Regulatory Risk Assessment
A major insurance company was struggling to implement and modernize their enterprise records management system and manage their operational risk down to an acceptable level.
Our solution and approach
We conducted an as-is assessment to identifed the root-causes of the troubled program. Findings revealed the project lacked adequate funding, did not have senior management support and was not structured to be able to execute well. We recommended and implemented changes which addressed these fundamental issues. Solutions included:
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Established a business case and raised project funding by 500%
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Crafted a compelling change narrative
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Secured senior management and key stakeholders buy-in
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Established a three-year implementation roadmap
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Restructured the program
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Developed a master program plan and supporting sub-projects
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Developed RFPs and selected key vendors
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Coached sponsors, business and process owners
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Defined the major processes
Learn how we assisted your peer organizations in solving a myriad of operational issues.
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Gap Assessments & Operational Improvements
We collaborated with departmental teams and leaders (for a pharmaceutical, bank, insurance carrier among others) - to listen and collect internal/external customers' needs and pain points, assess the issues, confirm the gaps, identify the root-causes, and develop remediation plans and actions to close the gap and resolve the root-causes of issues. As a result, $100s of millions of dollars in payables were paid on time, customer experiences were improved and processing defects were significantly reduced.
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Project & Program Management Maturity
We helped large and small profit and non-profit organizations to objectively establish their enterprise baseline maturity level, set a realistic 2 to 5-year target, develop the roadmap and implement the plan to move the dial up the maturity curve.
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Product Agnostic Vendor/Software Selection
We assisted IT, Finance, HR, audit and compliance departments and their leaders to assess their technology, software and cloud solution needs using best practices, disciplined processes and proven methodologies/tools to arrive at objective decisions that were difficult to be challenged by their senior management and board of directors.
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Regulatory Management
We worked with various Finance, Legal, Compliance, and Audit teams to evaluate the impact of new regulations on their enterprise, established and executed plans to successfully meet those new requirements in a timely manner.
Learn how we assisted your peer organizations with their interim leadership and executive support needs.
The one thing that most leaders are after when they turn to us for help in this space is our absolute trustworthiness, integrity, discretion and strong judgment in handling sensitive material in these capacities.
No two companies, however, would have identical needs when it comes to addressing a short-term bench strength or capacity issue that could be resolved by having interim leadership assistance and executive support. The following are examples of how we helped some leaders with their interim needs. To ascertain your specific need and how we can help you, let us have a confidential conversation.
Annual Business Planning Process
A CFO of a premium multi-billion dollar professional sports organization learned that the his team was severely handicapped by an outdated and broken annual business planning process. The person needed one of his leaders to not only overhaul the process but also facilitate and lead the initiative from idea to completion. Pressed for time and faced with an already overworked team, he turned to us.
Our executive consultant quickly integrated with his leadership team, and using a consultative, disciplined and inclusive process, led and managed the initiative in a systematic manner. With an agreed to and customized approach, our seasoned executive wasted no time interviewing and collecting input from stakeholders, analyzed the root-causes, redesigned the implicated processes and policies with recommended alternatives, led the pilot and facilitated the new process.
Results
Besides gaining a more effective and efficient annual business planning process, the organization saved significant time and money because with a seasoned executive providing hands-on leadership and managing the initiative end-to-end, the CFO and his leadership team was able to keep time involvement in the initiative to a minimum, focusing only on high-value tasks, and they saved cost from not having to hire or dedicate a subject matter expert or a project manager to the initiative because the seasoned executive provided the general management skills and expertise in all of the necessary areas to accomplish the critical task.
Testimonial
"Exceptional Service" - CFO
Chief of Staff - Leadership Offsite Event Planning & More
A new incoming CEO of a critical profit center and Fortune 500 company needed to accomplish certain key objectives within a very compressed time frame. The person already had much to do and was still assessing the person's leadership team and therefore couldn't yet assign the task to someone on the team, so the person turned to us to provide interim chief of staff assistance. Because of the time-sensitive and confidential nature of the tasks involved, one of the key requirements was an accomplished executive who had strong judgment, discretion, and was trustworthy.
Combining the knowledge and expertise across disciplines including process improvement, event planning, operations, project management and general management, our seasoned executive delivered a wide range of high-level tasks and enabled the CEO to accomplish critical objectives:
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RFP for an Operations Assessment
Developed and issued RFPs. Evaluated and sourced a vendor that could conduct an as-is operational assessment, identify opportunities for improvement and help craft a five-year roadmap. -
Vendor and Contract Management
Managed the vendor to accomplish the assessment goals with minimal disruption on current operations and without alarming the current operations team -
Leadership Offsite Event Planning and Management
Planned, organized and managed all aspects of the multi-day leadership offsite, including sourcing for venue, arranging catering, accommodations for speakers and participants, drafting, preparing and producing event materials, developing agenda and working with minutiae details to ensure full participation from targeted leaders (during a busy season). -
Quality Management
Served as sounding board and guided the vendor throughout the assessment exercise and conducted preliminary reviews of deliverables to make sure they would meet the CEO's expectations. -
General Coordination and Administration
Worked with various executive assistants to prepare participants and speakers for the event and ensured participants who have an active role or were presenting at the event met the delivery expectations -
Coach and Counsel
Represented the CEO and fielded inquiries regarding the operational assessment and event, providing coaching and counsel to targeted staff and leaders required to participate or be interviewed for the operational assessment.
Results
The operational assessment deliverables and outcomes served as the platform for the new CEO's vision and five-year roadmap. The chosen vendor did such an outstanding job that they were subsequently retained for further assignments. The highly complex and confidential set of activities involving busy leaders were supremely well-organized and well-received by participants (despite the short notice). With finesse applied by our executive, rumors and concerns were quelled and the leadership event became overwhelmingly successful. Importantly, the new CEO's objectives were met and expectations exceeded.