Many of the companies we engage
with, regardless of their size, are mired in similar operational quandaries. They have
been built in increments over several years, and while each
increment represented a logical addition at a given moment,
over time the various business components have grown and
aggregated to create a complex and inflexible enterprise, meaning:
Scaling the business as it grows becomes difficult
Identifying/building/leveraging unique advantages is undermined
Significant costs and capital are unnecessarily added
Core competencies are undone by distractions and fire-fighting
So what does it mean to be vertically synchronized?
Internally, it's about redrawing the organizational lines,
revamping sub-optimal processes,
reducing overhead, and cutting redundant activities.
It entails enhancing the quality of products and services,
ridding the organization of mistakes and miscommunications,
and breaking down walls between functions and units.
Externally, vertical synchronization entails streamlining
cross-company processes to reduce costs, enhance quality, and
speed operations. It's about taking a new approach to business,
working closely with partners to design and manage processes
that extend across traditional corporate boundaries.