Before you fix,understand.
You can feel the friction—the bottlenecks, the stalled initiatives, the decisions that take too long. Before you invest in fixing, invest in understanding. The right diagnosis costs far less than the wrong solution.
Why Diagnose First?
Most companies skip straight to solutions. That's why most initiatives fail. Understanding the problem costs far less than fixing the wrong one.
of AI initiatives fail because they skip the diagnostic step.
BCG, 2024
of success depends on people and processes—not technology.
BCG, 2024
Two Diagnostic Tracks
Growth Friction Diagnostic
You can feel something's wrong. Good people are burning out on coordination, not output. Decisions take longer than they should. The playbook that got you here stopped working.
This 4-week diagnostic surfaces the structural friction hiding in your operations: the patterns that have become invisible because you've been living with them so long.
How It Works
Discovery
Week 1
"Observe where work actually happens"
- Pain point inventory
- Friction patterns
Analysis
Week 2
"Quantify impact, identify root causes"
- Cost mapping
- Dependency analysis
Synthesis
Week 3
"Prioritize by impact and feasibility"
- Friction map
- Prioritized roadmap
Delivery
Week 4
"Present findings and next steps"
- Executive presentation
- Implementation guide
Discovery
Week 1"Observe where work actually happens"
- Pain point inventory
- Friction patterns
Analysis
Week 2"Quantify impact, identify root causes"
- Cost mapping
- Dependency analysis
Synthesis
Week 3"Prioritize by impact and feasibility"
- Friction map
- Prioritized roadmap
Delivery
Week 4"Present findings and next steps"
- Executive presentation
- Implementation guide
What You Get
Friction Map
Visual representation of where work stalls, who carries what, and what's creating drag.
Prioritized Roadmap
2-4 highest-impact fixes, ranked by effort and return. Not 12—the ones that actually matter.
Executive Presentation
60-minute walkthrough with your leadership team. Clear next steps, not vague recommendations.
Quick Win Identification
Problems that can be fixed in the next 30 days with resources you already have.
Case Study: Midwest Logistics Company
3 weeks → 4 days
New hire onboarding time
11
Undocumented processes captured
67%
Reduction in "quick questions"
$180K
Annual productivity recovered
The situation: A 45-person logistics company was struggling with new hire productivity. Average time-to-competency had stretched to three weeks, and turnover in the first 90 days was climbing. Leadership was convinced they needed a Training Director.
What we found: The diagnostic revealed that eleven critical processes existed only in the heads of four senior employees. New hires weren't undertrained—they were on a scavenger hunt, interrupting experienced staff dozens of times per day to learn basic workflows.
The real problem: This wasn't a training gap. It was a documentation gap masquerading as one. The company was about to spend $90K+ annually on a role that wouldn't have solved the underlying issue.
The outcome: Instead of hiring, they invested in documenting those eleven processes. Onboarding dropped from three weeks to four days. Senior staff reclaimed hours previously lost to "quick questions." The $180K in recovered productivity paid for the engagement many times over.
Investment
Starting at $8,000
Typical engagement: $10,000 – $12,000
Scope depends on:
- •Number of workflows analyzed (2–5)
- •Interview depth and stakeholder count
- •Post-diagnostic support needs
Guarantee
If we don't surface actionable friction you weren't aware of, we refund half the fee.
Timeline: 3–4 weeks depending on scope
Quick Fit Check
This works if...
- +You can describe symptoms but not the root cause
- +Good people are burning out on coordination, not output
- +You're evaluating AI investments but want clarity before committing
- +Leadership is excited about AI but the team is skeptical
This isn't the right fit if...
- -You already know exactly what's broken → go straight to Build
- -The issue is product-market fit, not operations
- -You're looking for validation, not truth
- -You need ongoing operational leadership → that's Transform
What Happens After Diagnosis?
A diagnostic engagement ends with a clear roadmap. Most clients move to Build: targeted engagements that solve the specific problems we identified.
Before you fix, understand.
One conversation. We'll figure out which diagnostic fits your situation, or whether there's a different place to begin.
Start a Conversation