1. Discover

Insight
Need
Readiness
Scope

2. Define

Question and clarify
Simplify and reduce
Prioritise and justify
Align and resource

3. Design

Hypothesise and speculate
Conceptualise and model
Experimental plan
Solution schedule and cost

4. Develop

Prototype and pilot
Make and break
Test and prove
Quality assure

5. Deploy

User testing and support
Productise and package
Roll-out and adoption
Assure and verify

6. Review

Technical support and quality control
Impact survey
Knowledge management
Stakeholder reporting

The Distillation Process

Show your working

Developing a bright idea into a feasible and impactful solution is difficult. The spark of innovation can easily get extinguished in the face of the challenging timelines and environments. We take a systematic approach based on three main steps: A) to discover and define the needs and questions; B) to design and develop the concept into a project, and; C) to deploy the solution and identify the impact it's achieved.

Problem-solving is all about Asking Better Questions, and we deliberately spend much effort in the early stages, in exploring, filtering and prioritising. Once we have workable ingredients and a clear vision of what needs to be achieved, the ‘brewing time’ may be short or long – but we put our craft only into those mixtures that will yield a flavoursome product.

Approach and method

Get to know the qualities and characteristics sought in successful solutions for high performance

Capable

Headroom; feasible; robust

The seeds of good ideas may be a plenty, but the ground on which they fall may be barren and even hostile. We look closely at context and work with our clients to recognise potholes and cracks in the road that can scupper even the best plan in its tracks. We believe in building solutions that offer capability to work ‘right now’ but also offer headroom and potential for future development. Our approach is always collaborative to grow with the client’s needs.

Innovative

Problem-solving; perspective; insight

Very little innovation, if any, is truly original. Creativity comes from looking at the existing challenges from different angles and in asking better questions to understand context and purpose. We explore the problem together, identifying opportunities for quick wins and potential to unlock future step changes. Our extensive experience across different sectors and in leading multi-disciplinary teams allows uniquely powerful insight and perspective.

Rigorous

Evidence-based; quality-assured

Small or large, focused or broad, our solutions will always be drafted on a blueprint of scientific rigour and built on the foundations of evidence and best-practice. We extensively question and test the soundness of concepts and constructs; we cross-reference to the peer-reviewed scientific literature; we continually refine and improve the build; and we undertake risk analysis to identify and minimise threats to validity.

Pragmatic

Quick-wins; simplified; prioritised

We’re used to dealing with talented, intelligent and insightful people, who understand their world and have a bright idea to do something better. We work with our clients to simplify, reduce and refine the concept to something viable and quickly testable. We believe that proof of concept is at least 80% of the process – we focus on the inputs that give the biggest return along that path and identify risks that may derail further development. We work to the 'Minimum Viable Product (MVP)' and 'Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF)' principles. We look to simplify and prioritise to that which is robust and valuable, and develop the scientific quality and rigor from there.

Agile

Lean; focused; adaptable

We work closely with the client to create solutions that meet their needs; projects shaped to fit their landscape; at a pace to carry everyone on the journey; and with costs that are commensurate. We may explore and suggest strategies borne from our specialist expertise and in world-class sport, in project management and in academia, but our agenda is your agenda. We believe in creating scalable, flexible and highly usable projects (see MVP), and we resist mission drift by identifying clear and viable project deliverables right at the outset.

Connected

Collaboration; networks; perspective

Our skills are in delivering managing multi-disciplinary projects that straddle across different sectors. We have sat on all sides of the research and development table: as the practitioner and coach applying the solution at the coalface; the manager coordinating people and resources; the leader shaping a project and concept; the boffin creating ideas; the scientist in the laboratory creating original data; the director commissioning and paying for projects. We bring significant know-how in navigating this world and its people. We know what a successful project looks like, where its edges are in relation to our own capabilities and yours, and when, how and who to turn to for further support.

Our projects are designed to be impactful but to also minimise risk - to the performance outcomes being achieved, but also risk to the project progression itself. We plan for quick-wins to add value early on, by identifying the 'low-hanging fruit', as well as the longer-lasting outcomes.