What Does the doctor Do? For Executives

Note: You might also want to review What Does the doctor Do … For You for specific, packaged, offerings. 

the doctor does Innovation for the Real World, whatever that happens to be. I know simply by the fact that you’re reading this blog – since readers of this blog are intelligent, driven, and keen on innovation – that you understood exactly what the doctor does after reading the initial post, What Does the doctor Do?. However, since there was no noticeable change in the number of e-mails I received after the post went up, I know that, unfortunately, some of your decision-making and / or check-signing executives, who still look to Dilbert’s Boss for guidance, did not. This post is for them.

To make it even easier to understand what the doctor does, I’ve broken out what it is that the the doctor can help an organization with by organization type. (The organization types have been segmented into Sourcing & Procurement Technology And/Or Services Provider, Consumer of Sourcing & Procurement Technology And/Or Services, and Conference Organizer / Professional Organization.)

Sourcing & Procurement Technology And/Or Services Provider

Technology

  • Analytics, Optimization, & Modeling
    the doctor has a Ph.D. in Computer Science and has particular expertise in optimization, analytics, and modeling. Thus, the doctor can definitely help you understand how you can improve upon your current offerings and what you need to do to get there.
  • Architecture
    the doctor used to work as a software architect and has a solid understanding of today’s technology. He can help you select the right architecture for your proposed solutions.
  • RoadMap & Planning
    the doctor can not only help you select the right problems to tackle (as discussed below) and the technologies, architectures, models, and algorithms that you can use to get where you want to go, but he can also help you optimize your roadmap, taking various constraints into account.
  • Research
    Ph.D. implies Research. Lots of it. the doctor has also held senior research roles in technology companies. Research is not a problem for the doctor. It’s the solution.

Business Development

  • Strategy & Positioning
    the doctor has an astute understanding of the sourcing and procurement market – the major players, the major offerings, and the major problems that need to be tackled. He is one of the few individuals uniquely qualified to help you select a strategy and development plan that will help you stand out from the competition and meet the current and emerging needs of sourcing and procurement organizations around the globe!
  • Messaging & Marketing Materials
    As you may have noticed, the doctor is pretty damn good at this writing-thing. White papers, position papers, etc. are no sweat for the doctor.
  • Growth Opportunity Identification
    the doctor can also help you identify potential growth opportunities through untapped markets, under-served customer segments, and partnership opportunities. Think Different is not just a slogan to the doctor – it’s a way of life! (the doctor can not think homogenously. It gives him a migraine to even try!)

Operations

  • Process Modeling & Improvement
    the doctor is good at modeling and optimization – period. (Maybe it’s because he despises any task that’s unproductive.) He can help you model, analyze, and optimize your business processes if there are improvements to be had (which there are the vast majority of the time). (Or is that the vast, vast majority of the time?)
  • State-of-the-Company Review
    If you really want to know how much the doctor can do for you, invest in a one-to-two week review (depending on company size and solution breadth) and have the doctor review the current state of your operations, marketing & positioning, technology, and solution offering from the viewpoint of someone who understands what best-in-class is (especially from a start-up and small-to-midsize company perspective). This is especially valuable if you are thinking about engaging the doctor for the mid-to-long term to help you with your technology and business development, as his productivity skyrockets once he has a solid understanding of where you are and where you want to be.
  • Management
    Running a start-up or small company on a day-to-day basis is challenging – especially if it’s your first time. If you think the management style employed by you and / or your management team may not be the most effective management style for your operation, the doctor may be able to help. the doctor has been involved with a large number of start-ups and small companies over the past decade and has seen way too many fail not for lack of a good solution (most had solutions which kicked major ass), but for lack of either good sales, good marketing and positioning, or good management – with the last issue being the most common. Let’s face it – management’s tough enough without a Board of Directors breathing down your back, media dissecting you under the microscope, and governments demanding more paperwork than you can keep up with. So, if you think your ship isn’t running on full steam, think it might be because of management, and are truly serious about finding out why and what you can do to fix it, contact the doctor. I’m happy to discuss with you how I might be able to help.

Consumer of Sourcing & Procurement Technology And/Or Services

Technology

  • Assessment
    the doctor can help you understand where you are on the technology curve and what you have to do to reach the leading edge (or, if you’re truly ambitious, the bleeding edge).
  • RoadMap
    the doctor can help you put together a roadmap and project plan to get where you need to go (after he’s done an assessment to help him understand where you are).
  • Selection
    the doctor can help you with specific technology evaluations along with the questions you should be asking the vendors and the answers you should be looking for.

Operations

  • Process Modeling & Improvement
    the doctor can help you model, review, analyze, and improve your sourcing & procurement processes and methodologies to make optimal use of best practices and today’s technology.
  • Initiative Management
    the doctor can help you manage your new sourcing and technology initiatives, acting as an innovation project manager.
  • Train-the-Trainer
    the doctor used to teach in academia and used to do industry training. the doctor can help you train your power users and star performers on new processes and technologies and bring them to the level they need to be at to disseminate that knowledge to the rest of the organization.

Conference Organizer / Professional Organization

Professional Services

  • Speaking
    the doctor used to be a University Professor and an academic – where you’re measured not by the quality of your work, but how many courses you teach, how many papers you publish and how many talks you give. It should go without saying that he’s had some experience here.
  • Positioning & Content Planning
    Membership stagnant? Event attendance down? Let the doctor help you understand what the emerging issues might be and what topics you could consider addressing to pique interest.

And more! As long as you’re truly focussed on innovation, the doctor is interested in how he can help you. So feel free to e-mail the doctor (<at> sourcinginnovation <dot> com) today to find out if the doctor can help you take it to the limit! (And yes, the doctor does understand what a limit is.)