1. “North Highland has broad capabilities
that span strategy development through
to operations management and process
improvement, to people and change
management, to technology advisory
and enablement.”
OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
By Kennedy Consulting Research & Advisory
A REVIEW OF NORTH HIGHLAND’S
CAPABILITIES FROM ONE OF THE
WORLD’S LEADING ANALYST FIRMS
2. Here’s what Kennedy NORTH HIGHLAND’S MODEL
“North Highland’s experienced hiring model
Research says about allows it to utilize smaller consulting teams
to more quickly help clients than under a
North Highland traditional pyramid staffing model.”
“The partnership has grown to include eight
ORGANIZATIONAL OPERATIONS consultancies around the world, a reflection
“North Highland is strong in this segment due of its successful ability to pull together local
to a highly experienced consulting model, which capabilities to provide more global solutions.”
allows it to quickly facilitate operational change
within client organizations.” NORTH HIGHLAND’S EXPERTISE
“…the firm’s consulting approach resonates
“Clients that prefer a lower leverage model well with clients’ requests for deeper industry
(i.e., higher share of senior consultants) will expertise, and the firm has a solid track record
often find that smaller consultancies, such as working with many leading brands. Additionally,
North Highland, are better suited to helping them.” for the past few years, the firm has consistently
been selected as one of the best consulting
NORTH HIGHLAND’S EXPERIENCE firms at which to work, which will give it an
“North Highland has broad capabilities that span edge for hiring skilled talent.”
from strategy development, through to operations
management and process improvement, to people “… strong ability to combine strategy, OM,
and change management, to technology advisory and technology skills to provide clients with
and enablement. North Highland seeks to provide ‘solutions’ rather than one-off projects.”
clients with a unique consulting experience, with
a more experienced set of consultants available “North Highland has particular depth of expertise
to help clients in the areas where its clients in Enterprise Performance Management, Process
are located.” Improvement, and Organizational Change
Management. NH’s experienced consulting
“... a more pragmatic approach to consulting approach lends itself well to successfully helping
engagements.” clients with organizational change.”
CAPABILITIES SUMMARY
STRONG STRONG MODERATE MODERATE
ORGANIZATIONAL CUSTOMER INTERACTION PERFORMANCE FINANCIAL
OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT IMPROVEMENT OPERATIONS
3. CASE IN POINT:
Helping The American Red Cross Improve Donor
Experience and Gain Market Share
Client Issue: Results:
The American Red Cross Blood Services division’s The Red Cross expects to yield over $10 million
revenues had fallen due to an inability to generate in revenue, conservatively, simply through a one-
enough supply (i.e., fewer blood donations). As a percentage-point improvement in donor retention.
result, the Red Cross was facing a challenge of The Red Cross improve(d) its customers’ experience
declining market share (down roughly 10% over by better targeting marketing to its various donor
the last 10 years) and increased competition from segments, better allocating marketing spend and
other non-profit and for-profit blood collection campaign metrics by customer value and behavior,
organizations and competing blood banks. and consolidating its marketing initiatives and call
centers to improve consistency of the customer
experience. In addition, by developing a comprehensive
Firm Selected: approach to managing customer experience and
North Highland was selected to work with the client
utilizing a more customer-centric marketing
to develop and execute on a strategy to improve the
approach, the Red Cross hopes to regain market
customer experience of donors and sponsors. As the
share and improve its ability to meet the needs of
client put it, “North Highland brings expertise – we
hospitals and patients.
like them because they get much more involved in the
execution and success of projects than just providing
advice. They bring far more practical expertise to the Lessons Learned:
table than others we’ve worked with in the past.” The Red Cross has developed a long-term, rewarding
relationship with the North Highland Company, and
decided to work with the consultancy again to help
Solution/Work Done: it improve its customer interaction approach and
The problem was that the Red Cross was internally
processes within other of its divisions, such as within
focused and did not have a customer-centric approach
the Humanitarian part of the organization.
for acquiring and retaining customers (e.g., donors and
sponsors). North Highland developed a new customer-
focused vision for the Blood Services division, along
with a roadmap with 16 initiatives and associated
recommendations for donor and sponsor recruitment
and retention. North Highland developed a customer
lifetime value model that analyzed customer propensity
to donate blood. The Red Cross subsequently altered
its strategy to focus on donor retention rather than
donation frequency.
From Operations Management Consulting Marketplace 2010-2013, Key Trends, Profiles and Forecasts,
Kennedy Consulting Research & Advisory, Ashley M. Newton and Erick Burchfield. 2011.