Headcount & Workforce Optimization for Management Consultant

There are several analyses that can be used for Headcount Optimization. In this section, we will discuss the most popular of them and show how to use them.

Let's see what are benchmarks and how external differ from internal ones.

In the previous lecture, we discussed the general concept of benchmark analysis. Now, let’s have a look at how we can use benchmarks for Headcount Optimization.

In the next few lectures, I will show you a very useful type of analysis that should be applied to big groups of people working in the same positions. We will discuss the so-called OLE.

We show here how to use the so-called OEE (Overall Equipment Efficiency) Analysis that shows you how efficient you are in using your resources. It is very useful for checking whether you use well machines and equipment

Let’s imagine that you have to help Jorge become more efficient. For that use the Overall Labor Efficiency Framework and estimate how much he can improve.

In this lecture, I will show you the solution to the previously introduced case study.

In this lecture, I will show you the solution to the previously introduced case study.

In this lecture, I will show you the solution to the previously introduced case study.

Let's start with a definition of workload analysis:

• In this sort of analysis, we estimate the workload related to specific tasks or a projects

• The workload we usually express in man-hours or in Full-Time Equivalents (FTE)

• In workload analysis, we compare the workload with available resources

Let's see what we mean by seasonality analysis

• In seasonality analysis, we look at the change in the demand and supply of work for a defined period

• We can have seasonality on the demand side – we need a different number of people in different periods

• We can have also seasonality on the supply side – we have a different number of people available in different periods

• We can notice usually seasonality during the year (by months), during the month (at the beginning or at the end we have higher needs), during the week (especially weekends vs working weekdays), and even during the day

• This analysis can be done for the whole firm or part of it

One of the tools to understand your business is to look at the organizational chart of your firm. I will show you what kind of things you can draw out of it.

In this lecture, we will have a look at an example of an organizational chart from an FMCG firm.

In this lecture, we will have a look at an example of an organizational chart from a consulting firm.

In this lecture, I will show you how to use an organization chart to find potential improvements in your business

It’s always a good idea to have standard frameworks that you can use during consulting projects to know what to do. Let’s look at frameworks that will be useful during Headcount Optimization.

Let’s have a look at the general framework for Headcount Optimization

In many cases, the supply of people is not adjusted to demand. Let's see what you can do with that.

Imagine that you were hired to help a fashion retailer adjust the headcount. Let’s see how you can analyze the current situation and propose the optimal solution.

In this lecture, I will show you the solution to the previously introduced case study.

In this lecture, I will show you the solution to the previously introduced case study.

In this lecture, I will show you the solution to the previously introduced case study.

Let’s imagine that you were asked to help analyze and optimize the Headcount in a chain of convenience stores.

In this lecture, I will show you the solution to the previously introduced case study.

In this lecture, I will show you the solution to the previously introduced case study.

You can decrease the demand for your employees by simply making them more efficient. Let's see how this can be achieved

A big source of Headcount Optimization is changes done to the Organizational Chart. Let’s see how this can be achieved.

Let’s imagine that you were asked to help the owner of a cosmetics firm to simplify the organizational structure of the Sales Department.

In this lecture, I will show you the solution to the previously introduced case study.

In this lecture, I will show you the solution to the previously introduced case study.

In this lecture, I will show you how to use an organization chart to find potential improvements in your business

How much you pay for people depends on 2 things: number of people, how much 1 person costs. You can try to optimize both.

Imagine that you were asked to help a consulting firm to lower the labor costs in Data Scientist Department.

In this lecture, I will show you the solution to the previously introduced case study.

In this lecture, I will show you the solution to the previously introduced case study.

Let's see what can be done by adjusting the motivation system

Let's briefly see what can be done when it comes to process improvement

Imagine that you work for a company producing profiles for facades and windows. Analyze the efficiency of the firm and propose the optimal level of the headcount.

In this lecture, we will show the solution to the previously introduced case study

In this lecture, we will show the solution to the previously introduced case study

Now, we will have a look at different case studies where we will apply the things, we have learned in previous sections to optimize the headcount.

Sometimes you have to make the process more scalable in order to be able to grow the whole operation. Let’s see what it will give us and how it can be achieved.

Making the process more scalable can help you achieve a lot of things. We will discuss this in this lecture and briefly go through methods that you can use

• The process stops being a bottleneck

• You require fewer resources and less money to grow

• The scalable process may become a competitive advantage

• You may create new businesses that will help you increase the firm’s value

• With a more scalable process, you can grow faster

Sometimes you have to make certain processes more scalable. You do that to simplify the model and not to be stopped in your growth. One way to achieve that is to automate

Imagine that you are working for a fashion discounter that operates a retail chain in Eastern Europe

• Currently, they have bookkeeping processes fully manual

• They require 40 people for that

• In the coming years, the cost will be increasing

• Estimate whether automation makes sense

In this lecture, we will show the solution to the previously introduced case study

In this lecture, we will show the solution to the previously introduced case study

In the next lectures, we will see how to calculate whether an investment that will help us save costs makes sense or not. This time around we will do it for a ceramic tiles producer. We will see whether an investment in robots makes sense

In this lecture, we will show the solution to the previously introduced case study

In this lecture, we will show the solution to the previously introduced case study

In this lecture, we will show the solution to the previously introduced case study

In this lecture, we will show the solution to the previously introduced case study

Let’s imagine that your friend Oliver is the owner of the SaaS company. He is considering creating an additional team responsible only for customer service.

• The company operates in Central Europe

• The company currently employs 30 employees who acquire and serve customers

• Oliver is considering creating an additional team responsible only for customer service

• Check whether this makes sense

In this lecture, we will show the solution to the previously introduced case study

In this lecture, we will show the solution to the previously introduced case study

In this lecture, we will show the solution to the previously introduced case study

You were hired by a Fashion Retailer to estimate which Head Office expansion scenario is a better choice.

• The company operates in Western and Central Europe

• They currently have 900 people in the Head Office

• Headcount will grow in relation to Revenue Growth

• Analyze 2 additional options and suggest which solution is the preferred one

In this lecture, we will show the solution to the previously introduced case study

In this lecture, we will show the solution to the previously introduced case study

In this section, I show you how to optimize processes in the store. I will use here a real case of a company from the home improvement / DIY sector. You will get also the model we used to calculate costs

The workshop was very important as I was getting a team that I did not know and that did not trust me. On top of that, they did not know how to optimize processes. I will show you in this section, what were the goals of the workshop 

In this lecture, you will see what kind of goals were presented to the project team

The team had no previous experience in process optimization. In this section, I will show you the techniques  that we were using to optimize the processes

Here you will find a short introduction to Lean manufacturing.  

Here you will find a short introduction to the theory of constraints 

Here you will find a short introduction to Queuing problem 

Here you will find a short introduction to OEE 

Here I will show you how in groups for the chosen process the team has chosen the KPIs and cost drivers 

In this lecture, I will show you an example of 1 process that was optimized with the team. I used this to show them the proper way of defining the KPIs, and cost drivers and optimizing the process using this data

In this lecture, I will show you an example of 1 process that was optimized with the team. I used this to show them the proper way of defining the KPIs, and cost drivers and optimizing the process using this data 

Finally, during the workshop, I show them the timeline of the project to get confirmation that the project is doable within this ambitious timeline

In this lecture, I will show you some information on what we achieved during the process optimization and how the test store looked like

Here I will show you how we optimized the process of changing prices in the store and what savings we managed to generate

Here I will show you how we optimized the process of changing prices in the store and what savings we managed to generate

Here I will show you how we optimized the process of shelf replenishment in the store and what savings we managed to generate

Here I will show you how we optimized the process of shelf replenishment in the store and what savings we managed to generate

Here I will show you how we optimized the process of advising customers in the store and what savings we managed to generate

Here I will show you how we optimized the process of advising customers in the store and what savings we managed to generate

Here I will show you how we optimized the process of advising customers in the store and what savings we managed to generate

Here I will show you how we optimized the process of advising customers in the store and what savings we managed to generate

Here I will show you how we optimized the process at the cash till and info point in the store and what savings we managed to generate

Here I will show you what other potential improvements we suggested in order to sell new projects

In this lecture, I will show the estimation of the cost

In this lecture, I will show the estimation of costs and savings achieved during the project

As a part of Headcount Optimization projects, you will also have to analyze the Motivation System System. Let’s have a look at some examples of such analyses.

Managing people is much easier if you set targets. The easiest way to do that is via well-defined KPIs that are part of the bonus/motivation system. There are plenty of places in which you should put KPIs to motivate people. In this lecture, I will discuss some of them

Managing people is much easier if you set targets. The easiest way to do that is via well-defined KPIs that are part of the bonus/motivation system. There are plenty of places in which you should put KPIs to motivate people. In this lecture, I will discuss some of them

In this lecture, I will briefly go through the case studies that we will use in this section.

Motivation plans for salespeople can be pretty complicated. I will show you some examples that we will analyze in the next lecture.

In this lecture, we will show the solution to the previously introduced case study

We will now have a look at a company selling branded juice in Romania that has 2 types of the sales force. I will show you how to analyze and calculate their motivation systems.

In this lecture, we will show the solution to the previously introduced case study

In this lecture, we will show the solution to the previously introduced case study

Imagine that you are working for a ceramic tiles producer that wants you to tell them whether a new motivation system for production is a good idea.

In this lecture, we will show the solution to the previously introduced case study

Let’s imagine that you were asked to judge the motivation system created for Board Members of a cosmetics producer

In this lecture, we will show the solution to the previously introduced case study

In this lecture, we will show the solution to the previously introduced case study