1North

How we work

Four phases and around three months to something up and running. No off-the-shelf methodology and no certifications nobody asked for. The one rule we do not negotiate is that when we leave, you have to be able to carry on.

The four phases

Weeks 1–2

1. Understand

We spend two weeks inside your operation. We talk to the people doing the work, not only to the people running it, and we look at the data you already have.

  • Short interviews with the people who execute the process
  • An end-to-end walkthrough, including the jumps between departments
  • A baseline of times, costs and errors
  • A tool inventory: what exists, what gets used and what gets paid for unused
At the end of the phaseA picture of how your operation actually works today. The real one, not the one in the manual.

Weeks 2–3

2. Focus

This is where it gets decided. We pick two or three fronts with real impact and say out loud what should stop. It is the most uncomfortable part and the one that saves the most money.

  • Prioritisation by impact and by feasibility, not by how impressive it sounds
  • A clear call on what is already running: continue, change or close
  • Measurable goals agreed with whoever will answer for them
  • A working team with names and time actually reserved
At the end of the phaseTwo or three chosen fronts with goals and owners, and a list of what gets closed down.

Weeks 4–8

3. Build

We redesign the process, build whatever is needed and put it to work with real people. We would rather have something imperfect in use than something perfect in a document.

  • Process redesign with the split between people and AI defined step by step
  • Development or configuration of the tools required
  • A bounded pilot: one team, one process, one period with a review date
  • Training of the first users while we build, not afterwards
At the end of the phaseThe new process running, with metrics comparable to the baseline.

Weeks 8–12

4. Sustain

What is not sustained does not count. We extend what works, train everyone else and write down how it is kept alive without us.

  • Extension to more teams using material that has already been tested
  • Training by role and coaching at the desk
  • Named internal owners for every piece
  • A results review and a decision on the next front
At the end of the phaseCapability left behind: trained people, assigned owners and a process that holds once we close the door.

What we do not do

  • We do not hand over a report and disappear.
  • We do not apply off-the-shelf methodologies or cookie-cutter solutions.
  • We do not start by picking the tool.
  • We do not talk only to the leadership team.
  • We do not promise savings percentages we cannot measure.
  • We do not leave dependencies: the code, the data and the documentation are yours.

How we measure

We measure before we start. Without a baseline there is no improvement, only opinion. These are the indicators we tend to use, and we agree them with you during the focus phase.

Cycle time

How long the process takes end to end, measured the same way before and after.

Cost per transaction

What each case, order or enquiry actually costs.

Errors and rework

How often somebody has to go back and fix something.

Real usage

How many people are still using it at week eight. The most misleading indicator if you do not look at it.

Team load

Which tasks have disappeared and what came in their place.

Autonomy

How many things your team can change without calling us.

Our principles

Relationships, not contracts

The relationship matters more to us than the terms of the contract. We walk the road with you and learn along the way.

Common sense over fashion

We do not do buzzwords. We look at your problem and find the solution that fits, not the one trending this quarter.

Value lives in the result

We would rather be measured by what changes in your operation than by billed hours or the thickness of a report.

Networks over hierarchies

We have surrounded ourselves with people who keep betting on new territory. Always heading north.

Does that fit how you work?

The best way to find out is a half-hour conversation.

Let's talk info@1north.es