>>> Direction Associates, Inc. <<<

Clients use the services of Direction Associates to make their business or organization better, more profitable, and the management task easier.

Strategy

Establish strategic direction & align everyone to it

Sort complex business issues into a clear direction

Assess issues and develop winning strategies

Evaluate market opportunities and customer needs

Develop market strategies and action plans

Evaluate technology and set appropriate direction

Establish product and process technology plans

Assess the product portfolio

Establish customer plans

Develop pricing strategies

Develop manufacturing strategies

Evaluate suppliers

Build possibility thinking

Conduct planning retreats

Act as strategic change agents

Improve Systems

Implement lean principles throughout the organization

Implement lean management systems

Establish management follow-up systems to assure that actions will achieve desired results

Implement lean in functional areas e.g. manufacturing, engineering, marketing, quality, etc.

Assess new investment projects for leanness

Rationalize organizational structure and facilities and strategic "right-size" organizations

Build teamwork and winning teams throughout the organization

Improve individual accountability

Solve Problems

Analyze and solve specific problems e.g. manufacturing cost, quality issues, technical issues, customer issues, market issues, etc.

Cause organizations to face important issues

Link operations internationally

Mediate among contentious factions

Broker strategic linkages between problems and solutions

Recommend strategies for troubled businesses

Evaluate people skills and suggest improvement actions

Act as international diplomats among organizations

Recommend specific design improvements for products and processes

Special Activities

Analyze and evaluate
specific markets/industries

Conduct mergers and acquisitions seminars

Evaluate acquisition candidates

Evaluate competence of individuals and organizations

Create long-term technical competence roadmaps

Apply Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator and interpret results

Train on Toyota Production System and on how to work with Toyota

Train on problem solving techniques

Train on project management skills

Orient on customer interface techniques

Provide personal counseling and advice

Provide implementation support