Product/Service Catalog process: a shortened structure clarification process to determine the lines of business and the products/services under each manager.

This relatively quick process clarifies your current structure by documenting the lines of business under each manager, and then developing clear domains (boundaries).

These domain statements are entered into an Excel® database supplied by NDMA as part of this process. This database can be sorted by manager or line of business at the touch of a button. Thus, you can clarify exactly what business(es) each manager is in, or look at a line of business and see who in the organization is involved (perhaps identifying gaps and overlaps).

Then, in Step Two, it defines each manager's specific products and services. Knowing your products/services is essential to customer focus and running each group as an entrepreneurial business within a business.

A product/service catalog is fundamental to clear contracts (service-level agreements) and to chargebacks.

A product/service catalog is called for by ITIL.

The optional Step Three develops a matrix of the customers for each manager's products.

An optional Step Four applies the product definitions to real-life by teaching the leadership team to do "walk-throughs" for a real project, deconstructing the project into one or more products and the subcontracts within each.

This process comes with the Structural Cybernetics database and a series of leadership workshops that provide training and guide leaders through the process.

Process

Step One: Determine the lines of business under each manager.

Knowing what businesses you're in is prerequisite to understanding your products and services. This step deconstructs the organization chart using the proprietary Structural Cybernetics framework of building blocks (lines of business) within organizations.

Step Two: Brainstorm products/services.

For each line of business, managers brainstorm the range of products and services. This step is carefully structured to focus on deliverables rather than roles/responsibilities/tasks. A starting point is provided -- templates for each line of business -- to save time and teach managers what's possible.

Step Three [optional]: Matrix of customers, internal and external.

For each product/service, managers develop a matrix that shows its customers, both clients and peers within the organization.

Step Four [optional]: Walk-throughs.

To apply the product definitions to real life and enhance teamwork, managers learn to decontruct an actual project into one or more products, and the internal subcontracts under each.

Detailed steps in the process, workshop agendas, client tasks....

Contact us to discuss your specific interests and requirements.

Other workshops on this topic....

Other workshops and consulting processes....