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Process Optimization for Management Consultants & Analysts

Name: Process Optimization for Management Consultants & Analysts
Rating: 4.6 (1828 reviews)

A practical guide on how to optimize processes in practice and improve efficiently things

Highest Rated

Created byAsen Gyczew

Last updated 6/2026

English

What you'll learn

Optimize process in practice
Lower the cost of specific process
How to measure the costs of processes
What other KPIs matter when it comes to process
How to make the process faster
Increase the quality of products and services
How to make processes more scalable
How to select the projects for implementation

Course content

6 sections • 101 lectures • 4h 30m total length

Introduction1:39
We begin with a little intro into the course as well as some general info how the course is organized
A little bit about me1:47
A few words about your humble teacher
How this course will be organized?1:41
Here I will show you how the course is organized and how you can make the most out of it
How to deal with Blurry image2:04
Here I will show you what to do if a blurry image appears
How to reach additional resources1:06
Here I will show you how to find additional resources attached to the course like Excel files, presentations, links, etc.

Introduction to in-store process optimization case4:26
In section 4 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
Workshop – Introduction2:03
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
Workshop – the scope of the project2:55
In this lecture, you will see what kind of goals were presented to the project team
Workshop – Tools overview1:58
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
Lean manufacturing – introduction4:39
Here you will find a short introduction to Lean manufacturing.
Theory of constraints – introduction3:07
Here you will find a short introduction to the theory of constraints
Queing problem – Introduction3:21
Here you will find a short introduction to Queuing problem
OEE Introduction3:01
Here you will find a short introduction to OEE
Workshop – Defining metrics and cost drivers2:04
Here I will show you how in groups for the chosen process the team has chosen the KPIs and cost drivers
Workshop – Optimizing 1 process2:27
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
Workshop – Optimizing 1 process – Excel file2:09
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
Workshop – Timeline of the project1:18
Finally, during the workshop, I show them the timeline of the project to get confirmation that the project is doable within this ambitious timeline

The store and the processes1:19
In this lecture, I will show you some information on what we achieved during the process optimization and how the test store looked like
Price Change2:56
Here I will show you how we optimized the process of changing prices in the store and what savings we managed to generate
Price Change – Calculation in Excel2:15
Here I will show you how we optimized the process of changing prices in the store and what savings we managed to generate
Shelf replenishment2:41
Here I will show you how we optimized the process of shelf replenishment in the store and what savings we managed to generate
Shelf replenishment – Calculation in Excel2:12
Here I will show you how we optimized the process of shelf replenishment in the store and what savings we managed to generate
Advising customers – Introduction2:40
Here I will show you how we optimized the process of advising customers in the store and what savings we managed to generate
Advising customers – General solution3:05
Here I will show you how we optimized the process of advising customers in the store and what savings we managed to generate
Advising customers – Details and results3:23
Here I will show you how we optimized the process of advising customers in the store and what savings we managed to generate
Advising customers – Calculation in Excel1:47
Here I will show you how we optimized the process of advising customers in the store and what savings we managed to generate
Cash till and info point1:43
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
Other potential improvements2:14
Here I will show you what other potential improvements we suggested in order to sell new projects
Process cost estimation by groups1:59
In this lecture, I will show the estimation of the cost
Summary of all costs and savings2:40
In this lecture, I will show the estimation of costs and savings achieved during the project

Optimization for other KPIs – Introduction1:30
In this section, I will show what other KPIs we can optimize during process optimization. Again, we will have a look at the usual suspects such as: improve quality, improve capacity and speed. We will also discuss how to make the process more scalable and reduce friction
Improve the Quality – General Approach3:34
Improving the quality of the process can help you achieve a lot of things. We will discuss this in this lecture and briefly go through methods that you can use
Improve the Quality – Case Introduction1:21
Now we will see why concentrating on the quality in many cases makes more sense than just on the costs of operations. We will do it using the drone business example.
Imagine that you are working for a company that assembles drones and wants to improve quality. A few pieces of information about them
They have 10 workers assembling the drones
Every worker is assembling the drone from start till the end
Due to low quality, they want to transform it into a production line
Estimate the impact of such a change on the company
Improve the Quality – Case – Current Situation3:52
In this lecture, we will solve the previously introduced case study
Improve the Quality – Case – Parameters1:47
In this lecture, we will solve the previously introduced case study
Improve the Quality – Case Solution & Comparison3:10
In this lecture, we will solve the previously introduced case study
Improve the Quality – Useful Techqniues1:02
Now we will discuss 3 concepts that are extremely important if you want to improve the quality of the products / services produced by a process
Zero defect rule2:33
Zero defect rules is not about making zero mistakes. It is about finding mistakes as soon as possible and eliminating them. In this lecture I will show what it is and how to use it in practice
Kanban introduction3:36
Kanban is a way in which you can drastically limit work in progress. I will show you in this lecture what it is and how it looks like in practice
Kanban in Excel2:03
I will show you how to calculate the impact of Kanban in Excel
Kanban for services – examples7:26
In this lecture I will show you how to take advantage of periods of lower activities using the so called Kanban
Continuous flow – introduction4:09
The ideal in production is the so-called continuous flow - everything goes smoothly and fast. Products are being produced fast and cheap. In this section, I will tell you how to achieve it.
How not to make continuous flow – sandwich factory4:06
Using a sandwich factory I will show you the mistakes people do when they try to create a continuous flow
How to make continuous flow – sandwich factory no kanban3:11
I will continue our example of a sandwich factory. I will show you how the continuous flow should look like
How to make continuous flow – sandwich factory with kanban2:43
I will continue our example of a sandwich factory. I will show you how the continuous flow should look like
Continuous flow in services6:35
I show here an example of continuous flow in services
Increase the Capacity – General Approach2:58
Increasing the capacity of the process is a must if the process is a bottleneck stopping you from achieving your strategic goal. That’s why I will show you how to do that.
Increase the Capacity – Case Introduction (Retailer)1:27
Sometimes you have to improve the capacity of a bottleneck to be able to achieve a strategic goal. We will see how the increase of capacity will help achieve strategic goals
Imagine that you are working for a fashion discounter that operates a retail chain in Easter Europe
They want to open 100 stores a year instead of 20 stores
Such a move requires drastic increase of teams
They can also try to increase the efficiency / capacity of the process
Higher capacity will mean the need for fewer people
Increase the Capacity – Current Situation4:16
In this lecture, we will show the solution to the previously introduced case study
Increase the Capacity – Parameters1:24
In this lecture, we will show the solution to the previously introduced case study
Increase the Capacity – Future Situation & Comparison2:08
In this lecture, we will show the solution to the previously introduced case study
Increase the Speed – General Approach2:54
A higher speed of delivering results can immensely help you with internal and external customers. We will discuss what the speed gives you and how you can boost it.
Increasing the speed of the process 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 customer is happier with higher speed
You have less time to make mistakes
The whole system becomes more flexible
The capacity of the whole system may go significantly up
You can gain a competitive edge against competitors
You can attract new customers for which speed is crucial
Increase the Speed – Case Introduction (MRO)1:28
Let’s see what improving the speed of service will mean for a company. We will now move to the airplane repair, overhaul industry where we will analyze potential improvements.
Imagine that you are working for a firm repairing planes (MRO)
They have 3 bays / slots for planes
1 overhaul of a plane requires 2 500 man-hours
They currently do 1 overhaul in 30 days
They want to reduce the time required for 1 overhaul to 10 days
Increase the Speed – Current Situation2:57
In this lecture, we will show the solution to the previously introduced case study
Increase the Speed – Future Situation & Comparison2:48
In this lecture, we will show the solution to the previously introduced case study
Make the Process Scalable – General Approach2:27
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 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
Make the Process Scalable – Case Introduction1:11
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
Make the Process Scalable – Case – Current Situation3:05
In this lecture, we will show the solution to the previously introduced case study
Make the Process Scalable – Case – Future Situation & Comparison3:53
In this lecture, we will show the solution to the previously introduced case study
Reduce frictions – General Approach3:30
In many cases, you want to remove the frictions in a process to make it more friendly for the customer. This approach is great for things that directly impact the customer.
Reduce frictions – Case Introduction (e-commerce)0:58
Reducing frictions, making the process frictionless is key to growing your business. Therefore, processes touching the customer have to be revised and made effortless.
Imagine that you are working for e-commerce selling shoes
They current check-out process is long and consists of many stages
They want to introduce 1-click purchase similar to Amazon
They believe it will help increase conversion & ATV
Estimate what will be the impact for the company
Reduce frictions – Current Situation3:05
In this lecture, we will show the solution to the previously introduced case study
Reduce frictions – 1-Click Impact & Comparison2:12
In this lecture, we will show the solution to the previously introduced case study
How to show the process and improvements0:31
Let's see how you can describe the process and improvements

Project selection – Introduction0:59
In the 4th section, I will discuss different methods of selecting projects. In practice, you will map a lot of potential projects that can be used to optimize the process. You have to select from a huge list of a few that give you the biggest potential. We will discuss how to do that in this section.
Strategic alignment framework – Introduction3:32
In the strategic alignment framework we divide projects into 4 groups using 2 criteria:
Is it aligned with the overall strategy?
Estimated impact
I will show you in the next lectures how to use this in practice
Strategic alignment framework – Case Introduction2:02
Imagine that you have to help a producer of products from milk to decide which projects he should implement and which to neglect
A few information about the firm
They want to 3x EBITDA in 5 years
They have defined a strategy for the next 5 years
They have 10 projects that they consider
Let's help them select projects given their strategy
Strategic alignment framework – Overiew of Projects4:53
In this lecture, I will show you how to solve the case shown in the previous lectures
Strategic alignment framework – Did we achieved the goal2:49
In this lecture, I will show you how to solve the case shown in the previous lectures
Strategic alignment framework – When it makes sense to use it2:15
In this lecture, I will show you how to solve the case shown in the previous lectures
Value proposition alignment framework – Introduction3:12
In the value proposition alignment framework you select projects that will be the most efficient in improving customer satisfaction
Below how you should use the value proposition alignment framework to make the decisions
Define the customer segment
Define the value proposition for the segment
Pick the metric & measure the current state
List projects that will improve the situation
Select projects and implement
Value proposition alignment framework – Cases Introduction0:53
Now let’s help Fast Food Salad Chain pick the right projects to improve the customer value proposition.
A few information about the salad chain
100 location in Easter Europe
Their NPS is currently 30%
They want to improve the NPS to 50%
They are analyzing 6 different projects
Value proposition alignment framework – Data Available2:51
In this lecture, I will show you the data you will need to solve the case study
Value proposition alignment framework – Overview of Projects Part 13:54
In this lecture, I will show you the data you will need to solve the case study
Value proposition alignment framework – Overview of Projects Part 23:47
In this lecture, I will show you the data you will need to solve the case study
Value proposition alignment framework – Solution Summary3:24
In this lecture, I will show you the data you will need to solve the case study
Portfolio decision making – Introduction3:10
In many cases, you don’t have to be right on every decision but only on average. In this case, portfolio decision making comes in handy
Below how you should use portfolio management to make decisions
List potential projects you consider
Estimate their potential impacts & probabilities
Group them by risk groups
Define the number of projects you will invest in
Pick the projects diversifying the risk
Portfolio decision making – Case Introduction0:33
Let’s have a look at a plywood producer that considers 15 different projects
3 plants
They have 15 investment ideas
Use portfolio management to decide which one to pick
You cannot spend more than EUR 30 M
Portfolio decision making – Available Data3:05
In this lecture, I will show the data available for the case study that you will need to solve the case
Portfolio decision making – Solution in Excel4:22
In this lecture, I will show the data available for the case study that you will need to solve the case
Portfolio decision making – When it makes sense to use it2:20
In this lecture, I will show the data available for the case study that you will need to solve the case
Bottleneck Framework – Introduction1:07
The bottleneck framework is a mix of 2 methods
Low hanging fruit framework
Theory of constraints / Removing bottlenecks
Bottleneck Framework – The Process2:16
Below how you should use the bottleneck framework to select projects
List potential projects you consider
Estimate their potential impacts & resources needed
Identify low hanging fruits
Check bottlenecks for projects & try to remove them
Pick the projects & Execute
Bottleneck Framework – Case Introduction1:17
Imagine that you have to identify which projects should be done for an international chain of drugstores. Use the bottleneck framework to select projects.
Bottleneck Framework – Data for the Case2:30
We will show you data for the case study
Bottleneck Framework – Case – Summary of Projects4:09
In this lecture, I will show the data available for the case study that you will need to solve the case
Bottleneck Framework – Case – Analysis of Bottlenecks4:06
In this lecture, I will show the data available for the case study that you will need to solve the case
Bottleneck Framework – Case – the Approach to solving the case2:46
In this lecture, I will show the data available for the case study that you will need to solve the case
Bottleneck Framework – Case – Project New Format4:09
In this lecture, I will show the data available for the case study that you will need to solve the case
Bottleneck Framework – Case – Project Private Label3:10
In this lecture, I will show the data available for the case study that you will need to solve the case
Bottleneck Framework – Case – Project Rebranding2:39
In this lecture, I will show the data available for the case study that you will need to solve the case
Bottleneck Framework – Case – Project Hospitals2:43
In this lecture, I will show the data available for the case study that you will need to solve the case
Bottleneck Framework – Case – Project Marektplace3:12
In this lecture, I will show the data available for the case study that you will need to solve the case
Bottleneck Framework – Case – Project Loyalty Program2:49
In this lecture, I will show the data available for the case study that you will need to solve the case
Bottleneck Framework – Case – Project Foreign Expansion4:11
In this lecture, I will show the data available for the case study that you will need to solve the case
Bottleneck Framework – Case – Project BI1:52
In this lecture, I will show the data available for the case study that you will need to solve the case
Bottleneck Framework – Case – Project MA3:27
In this lecture, I will show the data available for the case study that you will need to solve the case
Bottleneck Framework – When it makes sense to use it3:03
In this lecture, I will show the data available for the case study that you will need to solve the case
Bottleneck Framework – Case – Summary2:17
In this lecture, I will show the data available for the case study that you will need to solve the case
System Optimization0:46
Let's see what we mean by System Optimization and how this can be done

Requirements

Basic or intermediate Excel
Basic knowledge of economics or finance

Description

What is the aim of this course?

In every firm, you have key processes that you have to take care of to stay in business, thrive, and scale your business. You should optimize those processes to outperform your competition, get more customers, and generate higher profits. In this course, I will teach you how to optimize processes in practice and how to estimate in Excel the potential impact of the improvements. I will show you how you can do it either in your own firm or during consulting projects for your customers.

In this course, I will show you different methods that you can use to improve processes. You will learn the following things:

How to optimize processes in practice?
What methods can you use to optimize processes
What you can try to optimize
How to estimate in Excel the potential impact of the improvements

This course is based on my 15 years of experience as a consultant in top consulting firms and as a Board Member responsible for strategy, performance improvement, and turnarounds in the biggest firms from Retail, FMCG, SMG, B2B, and services sectors that I worked for. We have helped numerous firms improve performance, escape bankruptcy, and conquer new markets as well as customers, by using techniques and frameworks shown in this course. I have carried out or supervised over 90 different performance improvement projects in different industries that generated a total of 2 billion in additional EBITDA. On the basis of what you will find in this course, I have trained in person over 100 consultants, business analysts, and managers who now are Partners in PE and VC funds, Investment Directors and Business Analysts in PE and VC, Operational Directors, COO, CRO, CEO, Directors in Consulting Companies, Board Members, etc. On top of that my courses on Udemy were already taken by more than 300 000 students including people working in EY, McKinsey Walmart, Booz Allen Hamilton, Alvarez & Marsal, PwC, Dell, Walgreens, Orange Citigroup, Cisco, IBM, and many others.

I teach through case studies, so you will have a lot of lectures showing examples of analyses, and tools that we use. To a lot of lectures, you will find attached (in additional resources) the Excels as well as additional presentations, and materials shown in the lectures, so as a part of this course, you will also get a library of ready-made analyses that can, with certain modification, be applied by you or your team in your work.

Why have I decided to create this course?

Process optimization is the bread and butter both for Management Consultants as well as Managers. However, firms usually do not teach the skills and the approach that you need to optimize fast processes. Most firms do not even define KPIs for important processes and do not try to find out the drivers of those processes. Therefore, we wanted in the shortest possible time, to give you the essential tools that will help you optimize processes in practice.

This course will help you become an expert in process improvement. This skill will prove very useful not only in consulting but also later when you become a manager or director or you move on to build your own business. By giving you exposure to real-life cases and analyses I want to improve your skills in process optimization. Thanks to this course, you will know what and how to do, during process optimization projects. You will also get insight into how to create a new process from scratch. We want to provide you with frameworks that will open your eyes to ways in which you can make the firm do things cheaper, faster, and deliver high-quality products and services.

To sum it up, the course will help you become an expert in process optimization on the level of McKinsey, BCG, Bain, PwC, Deloitte, EY, and other top consulting firms. That is why, I highly recommend this course to Management Consultants, Business Analysts as well as Managers, and owners/founders of businesses.

In what way will you benefit from this course?

The course is a practical, step-by-step guide loaded with tons of analyses, tricks, and hints that will significantly improve the speed with which you optimize the process. There is little theory – mainly examples, a lot of tips from my own experience as well as other notable examples worth mentioning. Our intention is that thanks to the course you will learn:

How to optimize processes in practice?
What methods you can use to optimize?
What you can try to optimize
How to estimate in Excel the potential impact of the improvements

You can also ask me any questions either through the discussion field or by messaging me directly.

How the course is organized?

The course is divided into 4 sections. Currently, you will find the following sections:

Introduction. We begin with a little intro to the course as well as some general info on how the course is organized
Optimization of in-store processes – a case study. In the second section, we will have a look at a case study in which we will optimize processes in a store. The aim will be to lower the costs of processes so we can have a more profitable business. We will discuss in this section also the main techniques that are useful during process optimization projects. Later, we will use the same techniques to improve other than costs, KPIs
Optimization for other KPIs. In this section, I will show what other KPIs we can optimize during process optimization. Again, we will have a look at the usual suspects, such as improving quality, improving capacity, and speed. We will also discuss how to make the process more scalable and reduce friction
Project Selection. In the 4th section, I will discuss different methods of selecting projects. In practice, you will map a lot of potential projects that can be used to optimize the process. You have to select from a huge list a few that give you the biggest potential. We will discuss how to do that in this section.

You will be able also to download many additional resources

1. Useful frameworks and techniques

2. Selected analyses shown in the course

3. Links to additional presentations, articles, and movies

4. Links to books worth reading

5. Additional resources expanding the issues mentioned in the course

At the end of my course, students will learn to…

Optimize process in practice
How to lower the cost of a specific process
How to measure the costs of processes
What other KPIs matter when it comes to the process
How to make the process faster
How to increase the quality of products and services
How to make processes more scalable
How to select the projects for implementation

Who should take this course? Who should not?

Management Consultants
Business Analysts
Managers
Analysts working in Strategic Departments
Startup Founders
Controllers
Financial Directors

What will students need to know or do before starting this course?

Basic or intermediate Excel
Basic knowledge of economics or finance

Who this course is for:

Management Consultants
Business Analysts
Managers
Analysts working in Strategic Departments
Startup Founders
Controllers
Financial Directors

Process Optimization for Management Consultants & Analysts

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Introduction5 lectures • 8min

Optimization of in-store processes case study – Main Techniques12 lectures • 33min

Optimization of in-store processes case study – Optimization13 lectures • 31min

Optimization for other KPIs34 lectures • 1hr 36min

Project selection36 lectures • 1hr 41min

Conclusions1 lecture • 2min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: