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Mona Smith
![AdobeStock_224136032 [Converted]2-min.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/64e690_062abf6e216849fbaba29dd40c06e946~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_35,h_26,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/AdobeStock_224136032%20%5BConverted%5D2-min.png){kind=small}
Holistic Strategic Approach
Understanding Your Business Uniqueness
Leveraging All of Technology
My Approach bring these Results
The Results
One combined team making things the right way with fewer project hours invested in presentations and repeat meetings to transfer information
One owner with the required experience, no excuses, no miscommunication, no stalled answers.
Your staff will gains confidence by dealing with one experienced "owner" ready to get it right and gain a better since of being heard.
You will see the difference right away, my confidence to step-in, take ownership, becoming a critical member of your team, carrying the mission of your organization forward, eager to tackle your biggest challenges.
You're gaining all my experience, without predetermining the technology solution. I have no employee specific skill sets that must be utilized. I am not a owner of a pre-developed solution that must be sold, and I have no partnership obligation or alliances, but I have the knowledge and where to find the vendors, expertise and skills set, upon any need of.
What is My Approach
I immerse myself in your organization, applying a rapid understanding and extensive unconventional expertise to deliver powerful solutions that leverage technology as a catalyst for business success. With validated and signed-off strategic plans, I take ownership and adopt a holistic approach to ensure seamless integration for maximum effectiveness.
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A hands-on Leader, that's not afraid to hold others accountable
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Take calculated risks
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Build thorough solid plans
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Validate at every stage
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Make use of your best resources
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Leveraging every advantage of technology
My Approach to a technology solution
Define the challenges & vision.
How important is this?
My priority is addressing your company's issues, challenges, and vision. My approach is to identify the real issues and requirements, determine necessary data, and consider scalable solutions for growth. I also examine potential gaps and opportunities for improving efficiency and user experience. I conduct thorough and efficient discovery, rather than relying on a script or entry-level employees, by interviewing the right employees and asking the right questions. I will then create a Requirements Analysis that will serve as your operational blueprint.
Well, see it is the #1 Failure of technology projects,
"Not getting the problem or strategic goal right!"
Learn more on "Why 70% of Technology Solutions Projects Fail?"
My methods eliminate translation issues and ensure that important information is not missed. I use a quick, simple approach that involves documenting each requirement, its value, and a ranking. This is not just a requirements analysis but the start of my "Assessment Analysis Business Case Plan" (AABC Plan). The plan includes a clear executive summary that facilitates rapid decision-making
OWNERSHIP_
Develop & Validate the Solution.
It is easy to come up with a solution.
It is the solution that requires all the effort.
Balancing insight, intuition, and research, my impartial knowledge and unique discovery process can help identify the most appropriate solutions for your business. Instead of relying solely on pre-determined criteria, such as industry-rated products, as the "best" solution, I go beyond ratings and rankings in my research, carefully considering your company's specific requirements.
Solving challenges, meeting requirements and vision, and gaining more are at the heart of my solution determination practice. Through thorough discovery, research, editing, sizing, risk assessment, and creation, I aim to galvanize your organization's culture, uniqueness, and employees.
Too often, pre-set ways of doing things are used, regardless of whether they work best for your company. I approach problems or goals through fresh, non-biased eyes, providing a flexible response to the unusual. I am not just a partner who is quick to react, but is quicker to take the initiative to document the "right" problem and affirm with the "right" solution.
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My depth of knowledge in problem-solving and leadership, as well as decades of experience in "Using technology to solve a problem," allows me to immediately gain a status of a trusted member of the team that cares and understands. I can immediately relate to your employees, therefore, gain the right information fast.
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Another aspect that greatly assists in building the right solution for your company is my understanding of business technology. I have been helping IT executives thrive at the accelerated pace that business now demands. I have the business credentials, understanding, and industry experience to help deliver measurable business results in your solutions by the use of technology. Therefore, I have no gaps in understanding how, why, and what I am using the technology for, meaning I get the business side and the technology side.
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My “Buy-in Methods” will gain full buy-in from executive members to gain valuable stakeholders and key employees' real backing because they see the value and importance of the solution.
As an independent consultant, I become part of your team, eager to understand and tackle your biggest challenges, carrying the mission of your organization forward. I understand how to differentiate through this process to gain the answers and data required to build the solution. My spirit of caring and real efforts to chase down every detail, is very evident to all your employees being interviewed and working with. They will see the true difference of my engagement and turn over, to documenting and details of the solutions, giving your employees that are dealing with it a real avenue of hope expecting the changes and be part of the process, which is the starting process of getting THE solution, instead of just A solution.
I push against the expectation that I simply produce a deliverable and then walk away. I want to serve the mission of building a solution that handles "over and beyond" just the requirements of the company and earn the right to keep on serving (solving more challenges) for you. Over 80% of my clients are multiple repeat customers.
Implement & Execute the Solution.
Even if everything was done correctly before the Implementation & Execution phase, this phase holds key areas that, if not done properly, can lead to the failure of the technology solution.
My approach to Implementing and executing the "Well Developed Solution" is getting these critical stages in the process right by .....
Testing
Go-Live Plan
Training
Integration Plan
My Integration plans are Validated & timing is accurately calculate
When it comes to integrating new systems, I don't leave anything to chance. I create a solid integration plan that is fully validated through multiple test runs. Timing is not a guess, but carefully calculated to be as accurate as possible. The success of a "Go Live" implementation relies on a set window of time, I have seen firsthand how inaccurate timing estimates can lead to data integration failure and consume most of the transaction timeline. My planning puts a strong emphasis on this area, with a fully validated plan and accurate timing calculated through real test runs of real data
Data-Driven Business Value Proof and Maintenance & Support.
In a "Well-Developed Plan" for a technology solution, Data-Driven Metrics should be built into the plan to measure what the company agrees to be "Success". Many large consulting firms consider a technology project successful once it reaches the implementation phase, but this might not align with the company's definition of success. It is crucial that these "Data-driven Success Metrics" are not only included in the plan, with expected value results, but that the necessary data to compute these metrics is also gathered or generated and the output is integrated into the technology solution. This is not a nice-to-have, but a requirement in my technology solutions.
Additionally, a maintenance and support time-period is built into the plan, after "Go-live", during which the original project team will handle these duties. A system is also documented and put in place that will meet your unique needs for maintenance and support after this period has ended.
It doesn't matter how great a technology feature is, if you gain no value from it due to user lack of knowledge on how to use it.
A Partner that is instantly a member of your team
Immediately, I integrate as a vital member of your team, rather than just an outsourced function. My goal is to bring value to your business by delivering high-quality services at a lower cost. I tailor my approach to align with your specific needs, preferences, culture, and direction while also providing expert advice on how to enhance, modernize, and refine the solution to ensure optimal results and maximum confidence in the work outsourced to me.
Easily accessible to your company & all team members
As a seasoned independent consultant, I have a long-standing practice of being readily available to my clients. This availability extends to all members of the company and project team, including vendors and third party contractors. regardless of their role or location. I have extensive experience supporting multiple teams in different time zones, and I am able to provide timely and effective communication across multiple channels. My flexibility in availability ensures that your team can always reach me for clarification or assistance. You can rely on my swift responsiveness to support the entire team."
Validation & Risk Mitigation is built into every stage
Validation and risk mitigation are integrated into every stage of my projects, rather than being treated as independent phases. For example, when determining a solution, it is validated before any coding or execution begins. Risk mitigation strategies are used throughout the project to identify, monitor, and evaluate potential risks and their consequences. This prevents unwanted outcomes such as scope creep, budget overruns, missed deadlines, and missed solutions. By implementing this approach to risk mitigation, I am able to deliver truly successful results after implementation
Building the Right team for Project Success
Building a successful team is vital for achieving technology solution objectives and requires a careful selection process. The approach begins by identifying key employees, referred to as "Oracles," who possess deep knowledge of the company's processes, competitive advantage, and culture. These individuals ensure project alignment with the company's success factors and preserve its unique competitive edge. The next step involves assessing the internal workforce for business and technology experts with specialized skills relevant to the project, providing several benefits such as inside knowledge, internal confidence, and long-term ownership. External technology experts or vendors are engaged to fill any remaining technology requirements that necessitate specific skills for the solution. By leveraging employees' expertise, managing multiple vendors, and employing a cohesive approach, the team can effectively contribute their unique skills and achieve project success with reduced miscommunication and accountability issues. Gaining real feedback from the "final owners" - your employees, and allowing them to receive hands-on training during the validation, testing, and implementation of the technology solution is essential for success. However, only a few firms or vendors are willing to include your employees in this way. This comprehensive approach, coupled with experience in overseeing projects from inception to implementation, guarantees data-driven success ratings and a strong return on investment. Not only do I have the extensive experience and hands-on technological skills to build the right team, but I can also lead, hold accountability, and create a sense of "buy-in ownership" among team members, pushing them to work harder and be proud of their contributions. Make sure you get your team built right!
Building the Right Team
A Well Developed Plan
I begin with a comprehensive plan that culminates in a final plan ready for executive approval. It clearly outlines the real challenges or goals, the technology solutions that will address them, and the data metrics that will be used to evaluate the value of the solution after implementation.
Ongoing validation
Ongoing validation is a key aspect of my process. I ensure that testing and validation takes place in every phase, starting with validation of the issues and goals to be solved. Then, I validate the proposed solution before any selection, coding, or development begins. Finally, every aspect of the technology is thoroughly tested, including functional testing, regression testing, failure and recovery testing, and implementation plan testing.
Full dedication
During our engagement, you will have my undivided attention on your challenges and strategic goals. My sole focus during this time will be to provide the best technology solution that will bring value to your business. I am not focused on building my company, training my employees, or being overly committed to multiple engagements, which allows me to fully integrate into your team and give you my full focus.
Zero Big reveals
Clear, ambitious KPIs
Continuous Effort
You can expect less emphasis on presentations and more emphasis on actual work. My approach focuses on identifying the correct challenges and solutions, becoming thoroughly familiar with the nuances of your business, validating them, and ensuring successful implementation. I prioritize fostering collaboration, building a partnership, and empowering your key employees, which keeps the team and executive stakeholders fully engaged throughout the project.
My design strategy is not limited to just implementing a technology solution, but to also have a focused set of metrics that define its success. My goal is to incorporate these metrics into the technology solution, providing real-time data that proves its effectiveness today, tomorrow, and in the future.
I am dedicated to putting in the effort to build long-term relationships with repeat clients, as they make up the majority of my revenue. By thoroughly understanding their companies, I am able to partner with them and demonstrate the maximum benefits of the technology solution, providing exceptional value to them as a trusted partner.
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