DCG offers a broad range of business and technology consulting services to various industries. Our clients value our consulting acumen as well as depth of industry knowledge. We have proven delivery methodologies, but also have the flexibility and willingness to adapt to client methodologies or a combination thereof depending on the needs of the given situation and client preference.
Unlike various larger firms, DCG does not have a predefined staffing, leverage, or “pyramid” model in mind on engagements. We work with clients to determine a cost-effective level of consulting support whether that means simply one project manager or a fully-staffed team with a variety of roles and skills deployed. We encourage clients to build effective project teams that are client-led and consultant supported. Although, if client preference shifts towards more support, we are ready to fill various roles across skill-levels on projects and lead entire initiatives.
Regardless of the specific project at hand, our clients value and rely on our consulting group’s understanding of the integration and optimization of people, process, and technology. Our management consulting practitioners have significant experience leading organizations design, manage, and implement major projects across all of our key Service Lines.
Program and Project Management
Data Consulting Group provides talented and experienced individuals and teams to provide project management leadership or support to your organization. DCG resources are skilled in industry standard project management methodologies and will add value by applying proven structure and experience to achieve successful results.
DCG can assist you in establishing Program Management Offices (PMOs), implementing practices, and assisting with planning, managing, and implementing major initiatives.
DCG supports clients in various aspects of the project management process including, for example:
- Workplanning
- Project performance measures
- Team and program-wide status reporting
- Budget monitoring (time and expense capture)
- Company-wide key indicators
- Issue and Risk management
- Critical path and interdependency identification
- Leadership Reporting and Briefings
- Program Management Offices
Strategy Development – Business and Technology
In today’s increasingly competitive world of continuous technological and business innovation, having the foresight to anticipate and plan for future improvement is key to staying ahead of competition. Data Consulting Group can provide your organization with experts in strategic business and IT planning to help you evaluate where you are, where you need to be, and how to get there. Whether you are responding to a specific threat or opportunity or developing your overall plan, our consultants can provide a range of assistance.
Strategic Business Planning
DCG can assist clients in developing their overall corporate strategy or responding to a specific opportunity or threat. Components often include:
- Market/competitive assessment
- Customer satisfaction assessment
- Identification of core competencies (existing/future)
- Gap analysis vs. desired strategy/outcomes
- Prioritization methods for multiple strategic imperatives
Strategic Technology Planning
Efficient and effective access to and use of information is paramount to every aspect of your business. Data Consulting Group understands that accurate, consistent, and efficient flow of information can make a significant impact on the way business is conducted. Our team of dedicated experts will provide a professional comprehensive assessment and strategy, custom designed for your organization. For example:
- Assessment of IT capabilities (hardware, software, personnel, and service-orientation)
- Competitive benchmarking/best practice analysis
- Assessment of internal and external customer requirements
- Evaluation of current architecture
- Analyze current and future needs and the capacity (gap analysis) of the existing technologies, processes, and personnel to meet these needs
Business Process Reengineering (BPR)
The level of competition in industry today and the ever increasing pressures of a global market dictate that companies strive like never before for efficient and effective operations. BPR is the fundamental evaluation and redesign of business processes, and their associated systems and organizational structures, to achieve a dramatic improvement in business performance. DCG approaches business process reengineering from multiple aspects (technology, strategy, process, people, etc.) to create an integrated solution with the maximum impact.
DCG Business Process Reengineering methodology can be applied on a small or large scale depending on client needs. Our framework can be applied by your organization for basic operations problem solving or for large scale business process transformation. DCG can help you achieve better operational performance, improved financial results, increased employee and customer satisfaction and stronger performance versus the competition. Cost, quality and service make the difference in today’s market, and DCG’s Business Process Reengineering approach can enable your company to excel in these key areas. Activities often include:
- Current state process analysis
- Benchmarking
- Process Improvement
- Future State Visioning
- Detailed Redesign (Across People, Process, Technology)
- Build and Implement
- Post Implementation Monitoring and Support
Whether your needs are for incremental improvement or your needs are more robust and require full-scale reengineering, we will work with you to establish and support a process to best meet your needs, issues, and budget.
Six Sigma
In addition to the methodology used in our BPR service area, a related but more specific operational analysis/improvement methodology is Six Sigma. The fundamental objective of the Six Sigma methodology is the implementation of a measurement-based strategy that focuses on process improvement and variation reduction through the application of Six Sigma improvement projects. This is accomplished through the use of two Six Sigma sub-methodologies: DMAIC and DMADV. The Six Sigma DMAIC process (define, measure, analyze, improve, control) is an improvement system for existing processes falling below specification and looking for incremental improvement. The Six Sigma DMADV process (define, measure, analyze, design, verify) is an improvement system used to develop new processes or products at Six Sigma quality levels.
DCG can work with you to best design and implement Six Sigma methodology in your environment. With DCG you receive not only superior analysis, but also the practical experience and approach that demands that we must successfully implement and sustain benefits to add real value. This is where the integration of other DCG service lines differentiates DCG from other consulting firms working with Six Sigma. Through superior program management, change management, organizational design, and integration with other process improvement methodologies, DCG provides lifecycle support for improvement initiatives – not just analysis, but rather through implementation of the desired change. DCG is ready and able to partner with you every step of the way from facilitating analysis to helping you design, implement, measure, and sustain lasting benefits.
Package-Enabled Re-engineering and Implementation
Any major change process is a challenge and in some cases, organizations need to let the software drive the process change. Depending on your organization's starting point and objectives, “white-sheet” reengineering is not always the most cost-effective method for improving your processes and performance.
In some situations, packaged-enabled solutions are the best course of action depending on the functionality and intelligence engineered into the package. Implementing a software package or an entire enterprise-wide information technology package requires meticulous planning and attention to every affected aspect of the business. Data Consulting Group has the experience and professional staff to help your organization select the right product/vendor, design a successful project and approach, implement required process change, and optimize the benefits you achieve. We can help you design your processes to maximize the capabilities provided by the given package and drive-out the expected ROI. Activities often include:
- Develop RFP
- Support vendor/package selection process
- Identify change required to move to new process designs
- Requirements definition and documentation
- Package Configuration
- Program Management
- Training
- Implementation Support
Change Management
In today’s competitive business environment, companies are undergoing business change more often and at a faster rate than ever. A common cause of failed or sub-optimized projects is due to the fact that companies do not adequately invest in managing the change process.
The DCG Change Management methodology can result in more comprehensive and timely identification of and development of mitigating responses to the impacts to your business and key stakeholders (including customers and employees) experienced during the change process.
DCG’s Change Management Service Line can be customized to fit your organization’s capacity for change and the specific needs of your business transformation initiative(s). Change management does not have to be a vague or “fluffy” concept. DCG will help your organization evaluate and select only those activities that enable the practical realization of your expected project benefits.
Some example services include:
- Implementation Readiness Assessment
- Communication
- Workforce Transition
- Training — Design, Development and Delivery
- Stakeholder Identification & Management
- Identifying & mitigating the major business challenges / risks
- Sustainability of results
Organizational Development and Effectiveness
More so today than ever, organizations need to get the most they can out of employees. Many organizations state that employees are their most valuable asset. Fewer know how to nurture this thought and put it into practical and strategic application.
Organizations that succeed will figure out how to maximize employee contribution to the company. Efforts towards Organization Development and Effectiveness are often the toughest undertakings companies will face. Significant improvements in this area require changes to the core of an organization – its culture. Although challenging, initiatives in this area can often provide the most significant benefit.
To survive and excel, organizations must create an environment that attracts, develops, motivates, rewards and retains its most valuable assets.
Organizations should be designed to effectively attract, manage, develop and retain their most important asset-their people. DCG can offer programs including:
- Organization design (process structure, policies, management structure)
- Performance measurement
- Management development
- Communication strategies
- Staff training (development and delivery, knowledge transfer)
- Reward and recognition programs
- Workforce transition plans
- Change management
- Cultural assessment and change
Application Vendor Management
Choosing and implementing a new software package can cause a major disruption in the way you conduct business. Data Consulting Group’s experts can help your organization through the entire process to ensure minimal disruption and maximum benefit from any software investment. Our experienced professionals will work with your organization to:
- Develop Request for Proposals (RFPs) customized to the specific needs of your organization
- Support vendor/package selection
- Support vendor contract negotiation
- Document requirements
- Establish Program Management requirements
- Develop targets, milestones, metrics of vendor performance
- Conduct Risk and Quality Assurance reviews
- Provide Implementation Support
DCG can help you achieve expected results, mitigate risk, and hold your software vendor accountable to your contract terms and their performance.
Custom Development and Implementation
Data Consulting Group recognizes that each organization is unique in its process and procedures. As a result, we understand that not all of your IT needs can be consistently met with commercially available software solutions. DCG provides seasoned software development services that can build your solution and other resources that can take your organization through the entire implementation process. DCG developers follow an industry standard Systems Development Lifecycle Process.
Our experts will:
- Gather requirements by speaking with business owners and end users
- Create comprehensive designs prior to undergoing any development
- Build and thoroughly test the application from end to end to ensure a seamless delivery
- Integrate the new solution into your existing systems
- Train your staff on application functionality
- Provide support to ensure long term success
- Ensure that there are multiple check-points and sign-offs to ensure that you receive what you expected
eBusiness
eBusiness is important, powerful, and a requirement in today’s competitive landscape. It means the continuous optimization of a company's business activities through the implementation and use of internet-based technologies. eBusiness is fundamentally changing the way companies operate, which goes far beyond buying and selling over the internet, or e-Commerce, into the deeper layers of how companies relate to the whole spectrum of the enterprise from raw materials (data, product, etc.) through to satisfied customers.
DCG can help your organization to define an e-Business strategy, assess your operational capabilities and help to manage the implementation of technologies and tools like gateways, portals, databases, intranet, extranets, or private networks, which allow the storage and transmission of data in digital formats.
DCG can help you drive the components of e-Business that fit your business strategy and build the infrastructure to fit your needs, for example:
- eBusiness Architecture Development
- Processes and Applications for Electronic Commerce and Internet Commerce
- EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) and EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer)
- Portal Development/Rationalization
- Transaction Management/Reporting
IT Security Services
DCG employs a balanced approach to IT Security Services to identify organizational security vulnerabilities, assess and augment management, operational and technical controls, and implement dedicated policies and procedures to ensure the controls are used effectively to provide acceptable levels of organizational risk and secure business critical data.
Adequate security of information and the systems that process it is a fundamental management responsibility. DCG will help management understand the current status of their information security program and controls in order to make informed judgments and investments for current and future operations. We can partner with you to implement the security investments you select.
The DCG IT Security Services follows a formalized assessment approach which is based on a foundation of internationally recognized best practices:
- NIST – National Institute of Standards and Technology
- ISO – Criteria for IT Security Evaluation
- DOD – IT Security Certification & Accreditation Standards
- HIPAA – Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
IT Security Services will help your organization realize the risks and other factors that could negatively impact your business and understand the current status of security programs and controls in order to make informed judgments and investments that appropriately mitigate risks to an acceptable level.
HIPAA Services
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 has initiated sweeping changes within the health care industry. Title II of the Act, Administrative Simplification, was established to improve the efficiency of health care delivery through the standardization of electronic data interchange and protect the confidentiality and security of health data.
HIPAA called upon the Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) to publish rules that would ensure:
- Standardization of electronic health, administrative, and financial data
- Unique identifiers for individuals, employers, health plans, and health care providers
- Security standards to protect the confidentiality of individually identifiable health information
To date, DHHS has published Final Rules for Transactions & Code Sets (August 2000, mandated October 2003), Privacy (December 2000, mandated April 2003), Security (April 2003, mandated April 2005), and most recently, National Provider Identifier (January 2004, mandated May 2007).
DCG has extensive experience assisting health care organizations with the development and implementation of programs designed to maximize the opportunities presented by HIPAA. The investment required to comply with the regulations can be substantial – we encourage our clients to leverage this investment for broader business enterprise transformation, and we can help make it happen.
Although the initial wave of HIPAA implementations is mostly complete, the standards continue to evolve. Every HIPAA program should include a framework and methodology for responding to new regulations and incorporating HIPAA into corporate projects.
Employee Wellness Consulting
In today’s fast paced global community, individuals are becoming increasingly more susceptible to illness and mental stress than anytime in history. As a result, efficiency and productivity can suffer, resulting in significant economic loss to your organization. Data Consulting Group has experts on staff that will work with you to analyze your current situation and select or design a custom wellness program that will provide considerable savings to your organization. Our experts will help integrate the appropriate wellness program with care and disease management to maximize your return on investment.