Five phases, twelve weeks
Each phase has a clear output. You approve the output before we move to the next phase. If at any point the engagement is not delivering value, you can stop and keep everything produced so far.
Phase 1: Diagnostic
Two consultants spend two full days in your business. We interview the owner, the finance lead and at least two operational managers. We review your management accounts for the past three years, your current P&L structure, and your top twenty customers by revenue. At the end of day two, we present initial findings in a sixty-minute session with your leadership team.
Within five working days you receive a written diagnostic report. It identifies the three to five largest profit leaks and estimates the recoverable value of each. The report also states whether we believe a full engagement is warranted. If the answer is no, you keep the report and we part on good terms.
Phase 2: Scoping and agreement
Based on the diagnostic findings, we draft a scope document that specifies exactly which problems we will address, which metrics we will move, and by how much. The fee is fixed. We do not bill by the hour and we do not add charges for travel within 150 miles of Manchester.
You review the scope, ask questions, and sign the engagement letter. Payment is split into three instalments: 40 per cent on signing, 40 per cent at the mid-point review, and 20 per cent on delivery of the final report.
Phase 3: Deep analysis
This is where the real work happens. Our analysts build financial models from your data, not from templates. We map cost allocation at the SKU or service-line level, benchmark your procurement costs against three comparable businesses (anonymised, of course), and model the impact of each proposed change.
We spend at least one full week embedded in your operation during this phase. That means sitting in on production meetings, walking warehouse floors, and reviewing procurement orders alongside your buyers. The goal is to understand not just the numbers but the reasons behind them.
Phase 4: Implementation support
We do not hand over a report and disappear. During implementation we attend your weekly management meetings, help renegotiate supplier contracts where pricing changes are part of the plan, and train your team on any new processes or tools.
A project coordinator from our side manages the task list and chases deadlines. You will have a named contact who answers emails the same day and is available for calls between 8:30 am and 5:30 pm, Monday to Friday.
Phase 5: Review and handover
We measure the results against the targets set in the scope document. The final report includes a before-and-after comparison of the key metrics, a summary of what was changed, and a maintenance guide so your team can sustain the improvements without us.
Three months after the engagement ends, we schedule a free one-hour check-in call to see how the changes are holding up. If something has slipped, we advise on corrective action at no extra cost.
How we differ from a typical consultancy
Value Integrity Consulting
- Fixed fees quoted after a paid diagnostic
- Consultants embedded on site for at least one week per engagement
- Financial models built from your actual data
- Implementation support included in the fee
- Three-month follow-up call at no extra cost
- Scope limited to problems where we can demonstrate at least 3x return on our fee
A typical firm
- Hourly billing with open-ended timelines
- Remote analysis based on data you export and send
- Generic industry benchmarks and template decks
- Report delivered, implementation left to you
- No structured follow-up
- Scope expands to fill the budget
What you receive at the end
Every engagement produces a set of concrete deliverables. These belong to you permanently.
Diagnostic report
A 15-to-20-page document identifying the largest profit leaks, with estimated recoverable value for each. Delivered within five working days of the diagnostic visit.
Financial model
A spreadsheet built in Excel or Google Sheets, using your data. Three scenarios modelled: pessimistic, base and stretch. Fully editable so your finance team can update assumptions after we leave.
Implementation log
A task-by-task record of every change made during the engagement, who was responsible, and the measured impact. Useful for board reporting and for onboarding new staff.
Maintenance guide
A short document explaining how to sustain each change. Includes recommended review frequencies, warning signs to watch for, and escalation steps if a metric starts to drift.