As organisations move through the global financial crisis and out the other end, it provides an opportunity to reflect on whether or not your business is the best it can be in terms of both structure and operation. Are you geared for a resurgent economy? are you carrying costs that can be stripped away? can you improve your time to market, do you have right team and finally, is your business able to respond to market demands and pressures.

From every great financial meltdown comes the opportunity to change and transform your business for the demands of the cycle ahead. What do we mean by the demands of the cycle ahead? essentially, change and transformation is never ending because the things that have the potential to impact the organisation evolve on a regular basis - for example, at SansGov we talk about two types or models of an organisational structure:

Model one is a business that has typically done what it has always done. It is an old brand, recognised by the community, consumers and industry. Its products and services are the same and its approach to the development of new products and services has remained relatively consistent. Unfortunately for this business (or organisation) the world in which it operates is beginning to change. At SansGov we call this the "Coal Fired Power Station model". When it comes to change, the business sees nothing wrong with what it has always done - in fact when challenge it goes on the defensive. But, in the case of Coal Fired Power Stations everywhere - consumer sentiment and Government policy has shifted significantly. As consumers become more attached to the emotional and environmental concerns around climate change, they are seeking alternative products and services that they otherwise would have sourced from the organisation they grew up and knew - they do so, because they don't see the change in behaviour or structure.

The second model is relatively new in the economy and community. It has evolved through a mix of both Government policy and consumer sentiment. It is moving faster than the traditional companies in its sector, and indeed, is moving to establish itself as a clean source of energy and solution to climate change. You guessed it, this business is what SansGov the "Renewable Energy Organisation". It is fast moving, staked to the brim of innovators and people looking to the future. They are able to read the mood of the consumer and Government. They don't need to compete against traditional sources of energy supply, because the competitors are fast being recognised as part of the climate change problem. 

The truth is, both organisations require assistance. In the case of the "Coal Fired Power Station" they require a transformation program to enable them to diversify into a current commercial model - one that enables a mixture of services and solutions to meet consumer demand. With that comes the complexity of change management - asking yourself the questions of whether or not you have right resources, talent and business models in place to enable diversification - and then ultimately, execution of a change management program to begin the journey.

In the case of the "Renewable Energy Organisation" they also require a transformation program - the reality is with rapid growth come challenges the management team may be unprepared for. For example, if you sell $1 million worth of product or services in year one, yet in year two you have reached $10 million, have your business processes and structure kept place.

The truth of many organisations, and the above is simplistic way of looking at a complex problem, the mix of organisation is something in between our two energy generators. A good change and business transformation program looks at every conceivable impact on the business  and begins to plot solutions to things such as management, structure, delivery and execution - most importantly, it is a finite program of delivery that then enables the next phase of growth.

At SansGov we understand what it takes to work with management teams and senior executives to change and transform the business and organisational model. Over more than a decade we have developed a strong four step approach which follows a structured methodology: