TURNER CONSULTING

Helping our clients control operating expenses and

manage critical projects

 Turner Consulting works with executives to review their financial strategy and assist them in achieving the following goals:

  1. Complete mission critical objectives and projects on time and on budget
  2. Increase profitability by controlling operating expenses
  3. Improve productivity by prioritizing critical work
  4. Align business units with corporate goals and strategy
  5. Improve business decision making impact by focusing on business outcomes
  6. Utilize scarce resources effectively by controlling schedules, costs and scope of work.

Client executives expect managers to run their business units and projects as a business; that is, to plan, budget and manage day-to-day operations effectively. They assign managers business accountability and grant commensurate decision-making authority. Managers are responsible for meeting financial and as well as functional goals.

Turner Consulting works with executives for whom the control of operating expenses is a critical goal. We provide consulting and follow-on training to help their subordinate managers complete operations and critical projects on time and on budget. We provide the capability (trainers and instructional designers) to deliver this service in a comprehensive manner. Services include:

 

Turner Consulting

One West Water Street, Suite 201, Wakefield, MA 01880-3362

Phone: 781-246-4600 Fax: 781-245-5532

E-Mail: jjturner@erols.com          Website: www.JosephTurner.com

 

Services

Turner Consulting works with managers to assist them in understanding their impact on their company’s financial statements and to run their departments and projects as businesses. Programs improve skills by aligning department plans with corporate strategy, controlling expenses, making responsible decisions, and having a positive financial impact on the company, business unit and project.

Financial Management and Decision-Making - a focus on business aspects of running a company; integrating strategic finance with the operational aspects of running a department and project. Managers understand the business impact their decisions have on their company’s financial statements. Topics include how financial information influences decision-making, identifying sources of financial information, preparation of operating plans and budgets, the management of monthly variances and project management. The curriculum moves from the level of general financial concepts through specific operational topics down to building a strong foundation in financial management. This program combines management education with action learning.

Expense Management - an emphasis on managing day-to-day expenses in accordance with an approved plan and budget. Participant managers learn to plan and manage expenses, make responsible decisions in alignment with company strategy and to have a positive impact on profitability. The program engages participants to develop solutions to the dilemma of accomplishing critical business objectives with limited resources. Teams of participants are lead through the process of preparing plans and budgets, and monitoring cost center variances using a case study exercise. Materials are custom formatted to resemble internal company situations and reports. EXCEL spreadsheets are incorporated in training.

The Business of Managing Projects - This program series develops project management skills using a business approach to managing projects. The focus is on fundamental processes and concepts of project management: defining, planning and managing projects. In a follow-on program, participants apply those concepts towards the preparation of a project plan using live projects or case study situations. A follow-on program teaches the use of Project ’98 software. Project Management Executive Overview provides executives an opportunity to understand the process and create an environment for effective project management.

Financial Seminars - This seminar series is offered in the areas of working capital, collections, financial ratios, controllership, financial forecasting and activity based costing. They address specific needs for financial skills and knowledge.

Computer Application Seminars - These seminars address the need for computer literacy on the part of managers and individuals that make financial decisions. Topics include estimating and analyzing costs using EXCEL, MS Project and Quicken.

 

Operational Readiness Survey - Executives find it useful to take a second look at their organization’s financial infrastructure when striving to improve cost effectiveness. (A similar survey assesses readiness for Project Management). The survey contains questions relating to five "Best Practice Areas:"

The results of the survey become a baseline against which to measure future improvements and predict success in controlling costs. The survey indicates were greater effectiveness can be attained. Based on an analysis of data, clients receive a report containing:

  

Financial Management & Decision-Making

This three-day (or customized version) program helps participants understand how their actions and decisions affect the bottom line. Financial management is taught in the context of participant’s business and personal activities. Through the use of case studies, real life examples and practical application of the techniques, the curriculum moves from the most general to the most specific topics, and builds a strong foundation in financial management.

This program combines management education with action learning. It translates financial and operational expectations into language that operating mangers understand. It then allows them to construct meaningful plans and budgets as well as align their operation with corporate strategy.

 

Seminar Modules - Programs may be tailored to meet specific corporate needs and can incorporate some, all or customized modules:

  1. Introduction to Finance presents the basic building blocks of financial management including the four basic elements of finance (bookkeeping, accounting, planning, and cash management), accounting equations and key financial statements. 
  2. Financial Analysis teaches participants the tools used by analysts and managers to assess the financial condition of the company. They will learn to incorporate analytical logic in their assessment and utilize financial ratios to evaluate the following elements of financial performance.
  3. Managing Financial Statement Information examines the management of individual asset, liability, revenue, and expense accounts that make up the financial statements. This module covers both general concepts and specific management techniques in the following areas: cash management, management of Accounts Receivable, inventory management and the management of Accounts Payable.
  4. Financial Planning introduces the tools and techniques that help the manager anticipate the activities, resources and results required of a well-managed business. The following processes will be covered: strategic planning, annual budgeting, detailed planning, and capital budgeting.
  5. Current Finance Topics introduces a number of recent practices in financial management that all managers are likely to encounter in their careers. Examples: activity-based costing (ABC), business process reengineering (BPR), strategic cost management, international financial management.
  6. Operational Planning focuses on the specific issues of planning the work of an individual department. The participants learn how their organizational unit contributes to the accomplishment of corporate goals and vision, and how to describe the operational aspects of their work in terms of a business plan. A case study will be used throughout the remaining sections to practice departmental financial management in a real life situation. The topics include: evaluation criteria for departmental management plans and phases of the business cycle, best business practices in managing expenses, management by objectives and management by outcome.
  7. Department Cost Control identifies solutions to the dilemma of having to accomplish critical business objectives, with limited resources. In this section, the participants will move from the planning stage in the case study, to the budgeting and monitoring processes. Topics include basic cost control terms and concepts, responsibilities in the budget process, capital budgets, variance analysis and forecasting.
  8. Project Financial Management further refines operational decision making to its lowest organizational level. This section integrates project management into the framework of department management. The key topics in this session include project management techniques, project roles, scheduling & allocating resources, tracking progress & analyzing variances.

  

Expense Management 

This program is offered in customized versions depending on client focus. It is also titled: Planning & Managing Budgets and Hardball Budgeting.

Companies experiencing cost pressure from the marketplace focus their attention on the expense side of the profitability equation. Corporations assign business responsibilities and grant authority to line managers. Managers are expected to run their departments as businesses - to plan, budget and manage day-to-day operations predictably.

In this course, participants learn to manage expenses, make responsible decisions in alignment with company strategy and to have a positive impact on corporate profitability. It engages them to develop solutions to the dilemma of accomplishing critical business objectives with limited resources. Teams of managers are led through the annual process of preparing plans, negotiating budgets and managing expenses. Teaching methods include the case study, pre- and post-course learning assessments, role-play scenarios, team presentations, and interactive discussions.

Key Topics

Seminar Modules

  1. Establish Procedures & Criteria - The first module defines the infrastructure needed to make effective business decisions.
  2. Preparing Operational Plans & Budgets - Participants make decisions and evaluate their impact on expenses, productivity and management effectiveness using case scenarios. Participants create a resource plan, operational plan, justify capital expenditures, develop an operational budget and assess risks. They role-play a budget negotiation session with the instructor.
  3. Managing Expenses & Improving Processes - Using their plan and budget as a guide, participants analyze variance, estimate year-end-actual and develop strategies to improve processes.

 

The Business of Managing Projects

This 2-day (or customized version) program helps participants manage projects as a business activity. It provides roles and tools to guide their work. Participants learn a common language in an environment for the successful management of projects. The target audience includes project managers and intact project teams. It is designed to help them work successfully towards project completion by offering project management skills. Teaching methods include interactive discussion, live projects or case studies, and small group activities to practice skills. The participant manual is used as a classroom and desktop reference guide. It contains a template for comprehensive project documentation, PowerPoint slides, glossary and bibliography.

Program materials and delivery are consistent with the basic skill inventory of the Project Management Institute (PMI) and the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). The program series for project management and software training are designed to meet customer requirements in developing core competencies and achieving ISO 9000 certification (levels I to V).

 

Objectives - By the end of the program, participants will:

 

Seminar Modules

  1. Defining the Project - In the context of a live project selected by each team, participants understand the business aspects of a project and apply the appropriate tools and infrastructure to complete it successfully, on time and within budget. Participants define the project organization: sponsor, project manager and team roles. They define the project: flexibility matrix, cost components and deliverables. They analyze project variables: deliverables, time schedule and cost.
  2. Project Planning - Participants organize tasks (WBS), establish time frames (Gantt Charting), CPM (Critical Path Method), establish milestones, allocate resources, refine schedules and estimate costs.
  3. Managing Projects - Participants learn to collect data effectively, monitor and manage variances, report status, and take timely corrective actions to resolve problems, close out the project and measure success.

Key Topics

The Process of Managing Projects

Definition Phase

Planning Phase

Managing Phase

Project ’98 Preview

 

Project ‘98 Training

 This 2-day program builds on the fundamental knowledge and skills of The Business of Managing Projects. Participants learn to manage projects using Project ’98 software on individual personal computers. Participants apply software features and tools to track, manage and report status on projects. The program integrates fundamental project management techniques with software features and capabilities of Project ‘98.

Objectives - By the end of the program, participants will:

Seminar Modules

  1. Initiating a Project - Use the software to enter data for a Work Breakdown Structure, add tasks and milestones. Participants learn to use dialog boxes, tool bars and menus. Participants work in teams to define and plan a live project of their choosing. They then work individually to enter the project data into a computer using the software.
  2. Managing Tasks - Using case study data, participants learn to edit tasks and relationships, create float and lag time, manage the critical path, establish a baseline and prepare dependency diagrams.
  3. Outlining the Project - Participants use software capabilities to prepare summary tasks, promote and demote tasks, and collapse and expand outlines. They learn to view the project using the calendar, Gantt Chart and Pert Diagrams.
  4. Managing Resources - Participants assign resources and associated costs, create a resource pool, enter cost data and estimate project costs.
  5. Managing the Project & Reporting Status - Using the completed project plan as an example, participants update task status and prepare status reports. They learn to compress the schedule, optimize resources, and use of "fixed duration and "resource driven" tasks, automate the reporting process, track multiple projects, and print reports.

  

Project Management Executive Overview

This 2-hour (or customized version) executive briefing is designed to help senior managers create an environment for the successful management of projects. Companies that successfully incorporate project management processes understand its strategic role and empower their managers to use appropriate tools and techniques. The briefing content is consistent with the nine knowledge areas of the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK).

Presentation Topics

 

Outcomes

 

Financial Seminars

Planning and Managing Your Working Capital - This seminar provides a comprehensive look at planning, from business plans and strategic plans to operative plans. It ties all of them to the day-to-day management of the business.

Capital Budgets and Long-term Investment Analysis - This seminar covers the topics: evaluation of present value, assessment of investment costs, analysis of cash flows and discounted cash flow analysis.

Collecting What's Due - When It's Due - This seminar is targets collection practices for associations, memberships and not-for-profit organizations.

Hassle-Free Collection - This seminar describes the principles of credit and collection. It is designed to take the stress and difficulty out of collecting accounts receivable.

The Magic of Financial Ratios - A seminar on financial analysis and the utilization of traditional financial analysis tools to manage businesses better. It introduces the use of alternative ratios for consideration.

The Role of the Controller - A look at controllership and the contribution it can make to organizational management. This program recognizes that the controller has resources to assist management far beyond the limits of the accounting system.

Financial Forecasting Essentials - The seminar introduces tools for forecasting the financial resource requirements and utilization of a business.

Introduction to Activity Based Costing - A discussion of the value that activity-based costing and its application afford to a wide range of businesses. This program provides the introductory information that management needs to decide whether ABC offers value to their organization.

Finance for the Non-Financial Manager - This program introduces basic financial management terms and techniques, explaining them in ways that enable the non-financial person to understand and apply them. This fast-paced program assures that the participant will not be overwhelmed when confronted with financial terms and concepts in meetings, discussions, or presentations.

 

Computer Application Seminars

Seminars are customized to meet client content or time requirements.

To improve participant learning, the following computer courses are conducted using interactive computer illustrations, combining PowerPoint slides, and selected application spreadsheets using LCD projection.

Spreadsheet Smarts - This workshop teaches participants to solve typical business problem using Excel spreadsheets. Participants develop skills and insights into using the power of the spreadsheet. They work in small groups using a personal computer. Participants learn spreadsheet skills as a means of analyzing financial data and conducting "what if scenarios." The result of the program is improved decision making skills and facility with spreadsheets.

Building Budgets and Variance Reports using Excel - By the end of this seminar, participants learn to use Microsoft Excel software to prepare a standard annual operating Budget and Monthly Variance Reports and navigate through sample spreadsheets. Participants receive a diskette of sample reports to use as a template and learn techniques for customizing their expense categories, budgets and monthly variance reports. Prerequisites: fluency in Windows 95 and basic Excel.

  

VITAE

Joe Turner is the principal of Turner Consulting. We assist executives in prioritizing work, controlling operating expenses and managing projects. We provide consulting and follow-on training to help their managers complete objectives and critical projects on time and within budget.

Turner has more than 22 years of business and leadership experience in high technology, biotechnology and chemical, higher education, public sector, hospital, law enforcement, construction and finance industries. His business experience ranges from corporate budget management at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts to providing individual and team consulting on business plans for all corporate functions. His educational background includes the Virginia Military Institute and Boston University.

Joe Turner is an adjunct faculty member at the following educational institutions:

Partial List of Clients

ArQule, Inc.

M/A-COM

BankBoston     

Mass. Alliance for Small Contractors

Boston Management Consortium

Massachusetts Service Alliance

Boston Medical Center

NE Law Enforcement Institute at Babson

Boston Police Department         

Novell, Inc.

Boston University  - Corporate Education Center

Operation A.B.L.E.        

Charles River Consulting Group

Parexel, Inc.

City of Boston, Management and Budgets

Picker, International

Digital Equipment Corporation

PictureTel Corp.

Donahue Institute, University of Mass.

Project Planning, Incorporated

DuPont - Forum Alliance

Questar Corporation

Harvard University: Faculty of Arts & Science

Suffolk University - Continuing Education

Hewlett Packard

Union Carbide

Integrated Project Systems (IPS)

United Way of Massachusetts

Knowledge Transfer International (KTI)

Wang Laboratories

Lotus Development Corporation

WPI - Continuing Professional Education

Liberty Mutual Group

 

 

Turner Consulting

One West Water Street, Suite 201, Wakefield, MA 01880-3362

Phone: 781-246-4600 Fax: 781-245-5532

E-Mail: jjturner@erols.com          Website: www.JosephTurner.com

Eliot H. Sherman, CPA, is an associate of Turner Consulting providing strategic and operational planning assistance and CFO services to smaller, growing businesses.

Sherman was Chief Financial Officer of a medium-sized manufacturing company. He has more than twenty years of financial management experience in several manufacturing companies, holding titles as Administrative Manager, Division Controller, Corporate Controller and Chief Financial Officer. More recently, he has worked in consulting and managerial capacities for a number of businesses and non-profit organizations, including chemical manufacturing and distribution, software development, security consulting and housing rehabilitation services.

During his career, he has worked for businesses from the very small to the Fortune 50, from private to publicly held, domestic, multi-national and foreign-owned. In recent years, he has presented training programs to audiences such as Turner Broadcasting, IDG and the Industrial Analysis Support Office of the Department of Defense.

Sherman was educated at Harvard College (AB - Economics) and earned masters degrees from the Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth College (MBA - Finance) and Bentley College (MS - Taxation). He is currently a Senior Lecturer at Northeastern University, teaching both undergraduate and graduate courses in the financial faculty.

He has authored programs on controllership, financial planning and financial negotiation and teaches regularly for the state societies of CPAs and for the Professional Development Institute, the Smaller Business Association of New England and many corporations, organizations and associations. He is the author of several well-known programs in financial analysis, planning and management. He also serves as a director and advisor to several corporations and non-profit organizations in the Boston area.

 

Industries Served

Financial and insurance industries - Turner has delivered a series of project management programs, planning and budgeting, and finance seminars to mangers and staff at BankBoston and Liberty Mutual.

High technology - Turner teaches managers in organizations like Lotus, Hewlett Packard, Digital, Wang Laboratories, M/A-COM, Picker International, Union Carbide, and Novell to keep cost centers and critical projects on budget and on schedule.

Biotechnology and chemical companies like ArQule, DuPont and PAREXEL find it a core competency for their managers to complete projects on time and on budget. They enroll managers in Project Management and Project ‘98.

Higher education - Turner conducted a series of finance lectures for The Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University. He conducted his course, Planning and Managing Budgets at Boston University. Turner currently teaches Project Management and Project ‘98 at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and Babson College.

Public sector - Boston City Hospital, in alliance with The Boston Management Consortium, requested their nurse managers attend Turner’s course, Managing Budgets. The Office of Management and Budgets at City Hall asked him to deliver a series of planning courses to all of their department and agency managers.

Public Safety - The Boston Police Department saved $3.5M in a series of Turner’s budget courses to Superintendents and District Captains. He delivers, Hardball Budgeting, and Strategic Planning to police chiefs at The New England Institute of Law Enforcement Management (NEILEM) at Babson College.

Not-for-Profit - Turner consults with non-profit companies to improve their financial position: United Way of Mass Bay, YouthBuild and Massachusetts Service Alliance.

Construction - Turner taught a series of Project Management and Project ‘98 courses for construction contractors on the Central Artery and Tunnel Project through Operation A.B.L.E. and Mass Alliance for Small Contractors.

Other - Turner provided consulting at Integrated Project Systems, and Project Planning Inc. He delivered project Management skills training to command officers in the US Coast Guard.