How do we do this? Well, we come and talk to you and we dig around in your data a bit... OK, seriously, we analyse your data to understand what the issues are. We then visit you and your organisation to meet, talk and listen to leaders and teams, both collectively and individually.

Then we go away and analyse in-depth all the information we have received to come up with an overview of where your biggest opportunities are, and how you could actually take them.

We have re-designed the Sales and Operations Planning Processes for many different large businesses, most of which are either multi-country or global. Normally we do this working with your people, using a range of workshops and techniques to ensure that they own and are comfortable with the processes they create.

Your business is unique (but trust us, we have also seen a lot of similarities over the years) and so your processes need to be unique - for you. We also try to ensure your team have some fun along the way, as process re-design workshops have never yet appeared on anyone's bucket list of "fifty things to do before I die".

This, we always find, is the really tricky bit. No matter how good your processes are, they can only ever be as good as the people who run them. Until someone invents a crystal ball that actually works, you are relying on your people to make good, accurate and honest forecasts. It's people who feed in the data, interpret the information and then make the decisions.

Your people bring their skills, expertise and experience to every aspect of your forecasting and planning processes. They also bring subjectivity, different functional expertise and loyalty to your leadership that may surprise you. So if your forecasts are biased, frequently inaccurate or just plain wrong, it may not be the processes that need help: it may be that the way people work together needs addressing. And by "people" we mean all of you. From the Board downwards, everyone needs to be involved.

We design, develop and deliver leadership, behaviour and team-working programmes that enable you and your team to agree on the right ways of working; the best behaviours; and the leadership activities and communications that are needed, to get the most out of your processes and systems.

And then we nag you until you actually implement them.