1. Plexus Consulting Group
Steven M. Worth

2. CONSULTING AND THE GLOBAL
ECONOMY
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3. Characteristics for Success
• Flexibility
• Timeliness
• Affordability
• Objectivity
• Comparative
intelligence
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4. WHAT MAKES FOR A GOOD
CONSULTANT?
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5. The Skills You Need
• Understand the needs of all
stakeholders
• Build creative solutions
– Distill the key points from
your resources
– Clearly communicate the
analysis
• Organizational and
technological acumen
• Leverage experience
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6. Building a Career in Consulting
• Learn from an expert
(find a mentor)
• Patience, patience,
patience
• Be brave! Know when
to take risks
• Practice continuous
education
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7. Plexus – The Matrix
Organization
Market Research and Development
Strategic Planning
Organizational Restructuring
Public Relations and Public Affairs
Credentialing

8. About Plexus
• Nonprofit and public
sector clients
• Three business lines
– Consulting
– On-going management
– Education and training
• International services
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9. Case Studies
• American Society of
Mechanical Engineers
(ASME)
• Project Management
Institute (PMI)
• Jeremy’s Heroes
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10. Case 1 – American Society of
Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
The Problem
• Membership from 1999 to 2003 had declined
• Almost all of the decline came from the US
• International membership was growing, but it
was slower than its potential
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11. Solution
• Created a marketing plan for
ASME based on its most useful
characteristics
– Quantitative and qualitative
surveys of current and
potential members of ASME
International
– Demographic research,
environmental scan,
competitor intelligence, and
discussions with ASME staff
• Focused on key demographics
– academics, young engineers,
managers, and customers of
ASME services
• ASME needed to develop a
more flexible, market-based
structure
• Plexus recommended four key
markets based on these trends
– European Union
– Southeast Asia
– India
– China
Case 1
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12. Conclusions
• Three global trends created opportunity
– Increased talent in developing economies
– Promotion of global standards
– Need to transfer technical knowledge to the least
developed countries
• ASME capitalized on governmental, policy-based
drivers of growth
• Credentialing, education, and training programs
aligned with governmental “capacity programs”
Case 1
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13. Case 2 – Project Management
Institute (PMI)
The Problem
• PMI was growing at over 30 percent per year,
and much of the growth came from outside
the US
• How could PMI take advantage of these
international growth opportunities without
taking excessive organizational risks?
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14. Solution
• Partner with existing organizations in each
international market to deliver PMI’s products
and services
• Create new products for these partner
organizations as needed
• Receive licensing fees from these partners to
take advantage of growth with less risk
Case 2
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15. Conclusions
• A global presence can be built without large
financial investment
• Solutions to global problems can have
applications in the United States
Case 2
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16. Case 3 – Jeremy’s Heroes
Background
• Jeremy’s Heroes is a small nonprofit working
to benefit underprivileged kids interested in
sports that was created to honor Jeremy Glick,
one of the heroes on United Flight 93 on
September 11, 2001
The Problem
• What is the best approach for Jeremy’s Heroes
to succeed in their fledgling state?
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17. Solution
• Establish working relationships with nonprofit
and governmental organizations
• Build a national system for soliciting and
evaluating proposals
• Craft master plan to raise funds to support all
approved programs and policy studies that
advance Jeremy’s Heroes Mission
• Create formal committees to address the
structural issues in the nascent organization
Case 3
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18. Conclusions
• Ten years later, the four step plan has been
successful
• The organization has increased their visibility
through charitable and public events
• A formal structure for identifying aid
recipients has been formalized
• Fundraising plans have been successfully
implemented
Case 3
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19. Q&A Session