Services - Strategy
Start the right project, with the right scope.
A Future-State Assessment puts strategy first. With your full team, we run a SWOT to set priorities, protect what already works, find the highest added value, and link it to the best-fit software and architecture - so the project you launch is the right one.
Priorities, not wish-lists
SWOT with the full team turns opinions into a ranked set of priorities everyone signs off on.
Protect what works
We map current strengths so the new way of working keeps - or amplifies - what is already going well.
Highest added value first
We follow the value: the biggest impact wins decide where software and architecture go next.
Choosing the right ambition
Three types of improvement projects
Not every problem deserves a full re-engineering - and not every step-change is a tweak. The assessment tells us which lever fits the value at stake. Click a curve to explore each type.
Approach
Start from a blank sheet: rethink the flow, the systems and the layout. The highest impact path, and the right approach when building a new plant.
Typical examples
- Green-field factory design
- New plant layout with MES, WMS & automation stack
- Unified Namespace architected from scratch
- End-to-end digital thread, ERP to shop floor
When to use
Use when incremental change cannot close the gap - or when you're building a new site.
Step 1 - Align
SWOT with the full team
We facilitate a structured SWOT workshop with operators, engineering, IT and leadership. The output is a shared, ranked view of where you are - and a clear footing for every decision that follows. Hover a quadrant to focus it.
Internal - Helpful
Strengths
What is going well today - and must keep working (or work even better) after the change. We protect proven practice before we replace it.
- Proven shop-floor routines and tribal know-how
- Skilled operators and engaged supervisors
- Reliable supplier and logistics base
- Data already captured in PLCs, scanners, ERP
- Trusted KPIs leadership already acts on
Internal - Harmful
Weaknesses
Friction, manual work and blind spots that quietly drain throughput, quality and morale every shift.
- Paper handovers and double data entry
- Disconnected MES, WMS and ERP silos
- Late visibility on stock, WIP and OEE
- Knowledge locked in a few key people
- Reactive maintenance, no early signal
External - Helpful
Opportunities
Where the highest added value sits - the priorities the full team agrees to chase first, with a clear business case.
- Throughput and OEE gains on bottleneck assets
- Stock accuracy and faster picking flows
- Quality at source, less rework and scrap
- Energy reduction and sustainability reporting
- Real-time visibility for planners and customers
External - Harmful
Threats
Risks to plan around - from market and regulation to IT/OT security and change fatigue on the floor.
- Compliance and audit pressure (GMP, ISO, CSRD)
- IT/OT security and segmentation gaps
- Talent shortage and key-person dependency
- Vendor lock-in and rigid legacy contracts
- Change fatigue from previous failed projects
Workshop format
Half-day facilitated session, on-site, with operators, engineering, IT and leadership in the same room.
Deliverable
A scored SWOT matrix, a ranked priority list and a problem statement everyone signs off on.
Outcome
A single, shared starting point for the Design phase - no more conflicting agendas across functions.
Methodology - This assessment
Two phases, one solid starting point
The Future-State Assessment covers the first two phases of our improvement methodology, Vision and Set Up. Together they get your project launched in the right direction, with the right scope and the right team.
Strategy first
Vision
Understand context, define the problem and frame ambition before anything else.
- Understand business context & strategy
- Clear problem statement and baseline measurement
- Benchmark internally and against best practices
- Feasibility study and high-level action plan
- Scope, constraints, business case and risks
Project Charter
Set Up
Practical preparation that turns ambition into an executable, validated charter.
- Project plan: phases, deliverables, techniques
- Change management plan & stakeholder map
- Communication plan and sponsoring
- Project organisation, teams and decision process
- Reporting and follow-up cadence
- Detailed offer for mission-critical software implementation
What comes after
The next phases of the methodology
Design
AS-IS to TO-BE
Build
Make it real
Deploy
Test & Train
Hypercare
Go-Live
Support
5x8 or 7x24
Headline deliverable
A detailed offer for a mission-critical implementation
The assessment does not stop at slides. It ends with a costed, line-by-line offer for the software implementation that follows. Every requirement is broken down into topics, each topic is classified, sized and prioritised, so you know exactly what you are buying, what is parked, and what the long-term envelope looks like.
5 days typical
From kick-off to documented offer, including SWOT, workshops, write-up and review.
Per-topic costing
Each topic gets its own line item, with workshops, SRS, build, testing and training estimated separately.
WRICEF + T-shirt sizing
Industry-standard classification and effort sizing make the numbers defensible and comparable.
MoSCoW priorities
Must and Should are committed. Could and Will not are estimated so future costs are never a surprise.
Classification
WRICEF per topic
Every requirement is tagged with the industry-standard WRICEF taxonomy. It tells everyone, from architect to controller, what kind of work each line really is.
- W
Workflow
Configuration of the standard system to match your way of working.
- R
Report
Operational and management reports, dashboards and KPIs.
- I
Interface
Integrations between ERP, MES, WMS, PLCs and partners.
- C
Conversion
Data migration and one-off conversion from legacy systems.
- E
Enhancement
Custom backend coding to extend the product beyond standard.
- F
Form
Visualisations: screens, labels, picking lists, work orders.
Sizing
T-shirt size per topic
Each topic gets a T-shirt size that rolls up into days for workshops, specification, build, testing and training. So the exact cost per topic is known, not an opaque project total.
Sizes run from XXS to XXL. Each topic in the offer is pinned to one size on this scale, then totalled across workshops, SRS, build, training and testing.
Per-topic columns - Workshops, SRS, Build, Training, Testing. Each estimated separately, then summed to a topic total in days.
Prioritisation
MoSCoW: what is in, what is sized for later
We apply MoSCoW with the full team. Must have and Should have land in the committed scope. Could have and Will not have are still estimated, so the long-term cost envelope is transparent on day one.
Must have
Non-negotiable for go-live. Quoted, planned and committed in the implementation budget.
Should have
Important value drivers. Quoted and included in the baseline plan alongside Must have topics.
Could have
Nice to have. Estimated so the future budget envelope is transparent, but not committed today.
Will not have (this time)
Out of scope for this release. Sized so deferred items are visible in the long-term roadmap.
What the offer looks like
Extract from a smart factory offer
Illustrative sample across three domains. Every topic carries its own ID, WRICEF classification, T-shirt size, MoSCoW priority and rolled-up cost in days.
| ID | Domain | Topic | WRICEF | Size | MoSCoW | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 001 | Production Execution | MES dispatches work orders to operator terminals with live priority | WWorkflow | XXSXSSMLXLXXL | MMust have | 4.5 d |
| 002 | Production Execution | Operator confirms produced quantity and scrap from shop-floor screen | FForm | XXSXSSMLXLXXL | MMust have | 2.0 d |
| 003 | Production Execution | End-of-shift OEE and downtime report for line supervisors | RReport | XXSXSSMLXLXXL | SShould have | 2.3 d |
| 004 | Production Execution | Predictive quality alert based on inline sensor trends | EEnhancement | XXSXSSMLXLXXL | CCould have | 11.0 d |
| 005 | Inbound Logistics | Supplier ASN integration into WMS with pallet hierarchy | IInterface | XXSXSSMLXLXXL | MMust have | 4.5 d |
| 006 | Inbound Logistics | Mobile receiving screen with photo capture for damaged goods | FForm | XXSXSSMLXLXXL | SShould have | 2.0 d |
| 007 | Inbound Logistics | Auto put-away rules by storage class and rotation strategy | WWorkflow | XXSXSSMLXLXXL | MMust have | 2.0 d |
| 008 | Inbound Logistics | Migration of legacy stock balances and lot history to new WMS | CConversion | XXSXSSMLXLXXL | MMust have | 7.0 d |
| 009 | Quality & Traceability | Genealogy trace from finished SKU back to raw material lot | RReport | XXSXSSMLXLXXL | MMust have | 4.5 d |
| 010 | Quality & Traceability | Certificate of analysis printed on label at packing station | FForm | XXSXSSMLXLXXL | MMust have | 0.8 d |
| 011 | Quality & Traceability | Non-conformance workflow with reason codes and approval routing | WWorkflow | XXSXSSMLXLXXL | SShould have | 4.5 d |
| 012 | Quality & Traceability | Automated regulatory dossier export for annual audit | EEnhancement | XXSXSSMLXLXXL | WWill not have | 16.0 d |
| 013 | Maintenance & Reliability | Condition-based maintenance triggers from vibration sensors | IInterface | XXSXSSMLXLXXL | SShould have | 7.0 d |
| 014 | Maintenance & Reliability | Mobile work-order app for technicians with offline mode | FForm | XXSXSSMLXLXXL | MMust have | 4.5 d |
| 015 | Maintenance & Reliability | Spare parts criticality matrix and reorder logic | WWorkflow | XXSXSSMLXLXXL | SShould have | 2.0 d |
| 016 | Maintenance & Reliability | Reliability KPI dashboard (MTBF, MTTR, availability) | RReport | XXSXSSMLXLXXL | SShould have | 2.0 d |
| 017 | Finance & Controlling | Activity-based costing roll-up from production confirmations | EEnhancement | XXSXSSMLXLXXL | MMust have | 7.0 d |
| 018 | Finance & Controlling | Real-time WIP valuation feed into finance ledger | IInterface | XXSXSSMLXLXXL | CCould have | 4.5 d |
From offer to delivery
Every topic carries through to Design, Build and Deploy
Once the offer is signed, the topic backlog becomes the working backbone of the project. The same IDs are tracked through detailed design, build, testing and go-live. No re-scoping, no surprises, full traceability from business value to the line of code on the shop floor.
From value to architecture
Best-fit software, not a default stack
Every prioritised opportunity is matched with the software and architecture pattern that delivers it best. Each link below is a service we can deliver end-to-end.
What you walk away with
A project ready to launch - in the right direction
The assessment ends where execution begins: a validated charter, a scoped roadmap and a team aligned on the value to capture. From there we can keep going with you on delivery, or hand over to your team.
- Aligned SWOT and prioritised opportunities
- Future-state architecture and best-fit software shortlist
- Business case with ROI and risk view
- Phased roadmap with clear scope per phase
- Validated project charter & sponsor alignment
- Recommended delivery approach and team
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