Podcast – Vantage Performance

Cash Flow: The Make or Break of a Major Contract

Andrew Birch — Thu, 29 Aug 2013 01:23:22 +0000

It’s common for businesses to get so excited about landing a big deal that they gloss over the detail involved in delivering the work. They just look at the revenue, consider their margins and rejoice at the extra money they’ll be making. Then they sign the contract.

A big customer will present you with a lengthy contract that has been developed over the years by top class lawyers. The early euphoria can be short-lived when, a short way down the track, you realise you have committed to a job that could send you broke.

In this week’s podcast Andrew Birch, a director of Vantage Performance based in Perth, explains that you really need to spend a lot of time consuming the detail of that contract. And, he says, you should be prepared to go back to the customer and negotiate aspects of the schedule if they make the job unworkable or overly risky.

Engaging lawyers on your side can push up costs at the onset, but the reward will be worth it. Especially if it saves your business.

Listen to the Podcast –

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HR Strategy: Thriving in Uncertainty – Part 4

Michael Fingland — Tue, 20 Aug 2013 03:00:55 +0000

People are a vital part of any business. In this fourth podcast in our series looking at how to succeed in adversity we highlight the steps you need to take to ensure staff are involved in your transformation process.

Michael Fingland, CEO of Vantage Performance, explains to Phil Dobbie the importance of identifying how employees can make a difference. “Don’t make it artificial” he says. You’ll only see the outcomes if you make your staff engagement genuine.

One key element, he suggests, is setting up a staff consultative committee. And there are many more ideas discussed in this 12 minute podcast, so listen in.

Listen to the Podcast –

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Performance Improvement: Thriving in Uncertainty – Part 1

Business Strategy: Thriving in Uncertainty – Part 2

Cash Flow: Thriving in Uncertainty – Part 3

Michael Fingland — Tue, 09 Jul 2013 23:34:45 +0000

This is the third of four podcasts looking at how businesses can position themselves for an uncertain economic future.

Michael Fingland, CEO of Vantage Performance, says there are many tell-tale signs that we can expect testing times over the next year or so and your business needs to be prepared – either to survive or to capitalise on the opportunities presented by struggling competitors.

This week Michael talks to Phil Dobbie about the need to manage your capital more effectively. He says a more efficient way of operating can add several percentage points to your profit margin, as well as freeing up capital to facilitate growth opportunities as they come along.

So, what‘s involved in turning around your approach to capital management. Spend 14 minutes listening to Michael’s advice in this edition of the Vantage Performance podcast.

Listen to the other podcasts in this series:

Business Strategy: Thriving in Uncertainty – Part 2

Performance Improvement: Thriving in Uncertainty – Part 1

Business Strategy: Thriving in Uncertainty – Part 2

Michael Fingland — Tue, 25 Jun 2013 01:16:08 +0000

Michael Fingland, director & CEO at Vantage Performance says when a business is facing challenges there are usually one or two big changes to your strategy that are needed to get the business on the right track.

This week’s podcast is the second in a series of four looking at how your business can succeed in the face of adversity. Michael talks to Phil Dobbie about the need to have a clear strategy that can be summarised easily on an A3 sheet of paper.

The strategy should help you to stand out from the crowd. So how do you get to that? Listen in for some clear pointers.

Listen to the podcast –

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Performance Improvement: Thriving in Uncertainty – Part 1

Performance Improvement: 10 Winning Practises You Can Start Today

Business Transformation: Performance Improvements to Ensure Business Survival

Performance Improvement: Thriving in Uncertainty – Part 1

Michael Fingland — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 01:26:41 +0000

This is the first of four podcasts where Vantage Performance CEO Michael Fingland takes us through the process of taking advantage of an economic downturn.

In this edition he talks to Phil Dobbie about the need to be prepared. Those that aren’t prepared can easily collapse when there’s a financial downturn. Those that are ready don’t just survive, they can turn the failure of unprepared competitors to their own advantage.

This podcast looks at the guiding principles you need to establish, including risk management, stress testing and cash flow forecasts. In the next edition we apply these principles to the development of a strategy for your business.

Listen to the podcast –

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Cash Flow Forecasts in Five Steps

Turnaround: The Art of Honesty

Elizabeth Mawby — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 02:59:18 +0000

If your business is going through a turnaround it is a time for complete transparency. More than ever before.

In this edition of the Vantage Performance podcast, Elizabeth Mawby says that you should be brutally honest when dealing with key stakeholders. That includes creditors, debtors and employees.

Elizabeth explains to Phil Dobbie that, whilst you don’t need to lay all your financial details open for inspection, you do need to convince these stakeholders that there is a plan to get the business out of trouble and that they have a part to play in the process.

Listen to the Podcast –

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Turnaround: Can Your Business Be Saved?

Elizabeth Mawby — Tue, 28 May 2013 01:30:07 +0000

Often the directors of a business sense there is something afoot with their business operations, but they don’t have a sense of the magnitude of the issue. In this week’s podcast, Elizabeth Mawby says that it’s often a revelation when the turnaround specialists from Vantage Performance present the financial consequences of the problems a business faces.

The good news is that normally actions can be taken to remedy the problem. But it takes straight talking and, often, some tough decisions.

Listen in as Elizabeth describes to Phil Dobbie the first steps taken in the turnaround process. This vital initial investigation will determine whether a business can be saved and arrive at the best options to take it forward.

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Cash Flow Forecasts in Five Steps

Elizabeth Mawby — Tue, 14 May 2013 01:29:11 +0000

Cash flow forecasting is the Achilles heel of many businesses, particularly in the SME sector.

Elizabeth Mawby, a client director at Vantage Performance, has seen many companies outlining cash flows for only a week ahead. She says, to be of any use, companies need to be looking 13 weeks ahead.

Putting a cash flow forecast together is straightforward. In this edition of the Vantage Performance podcast she takes Phil Dobbie through her five step process, which looks at:

Assumptions
Sales income
Other cash inflows
Expenses
Building the spreadsheet.
.

Even if you produce a cash flow forecast regularly, it’s worth 10 minutes listening to Elizabeth’s suggestions, in case you’re missing out a vital ingredient. After all, an inaccurate forecast is next to useless.

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Leadership: A CFO for tough times

Vantage Performance — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 01:43:47 +0000

The CFO you have for the best of times is not necessarily the same person to carry you through tough times. It demands a very different skill set. Some CFOs will adapt, but not all.

In this week’s podcast Phil Dobbie talks to Barbara Ould, a director at Vantage Performance, who suggests that when times are tough all CFOs need to step up to the plate. They’ll need to demonstrate their strengths with numbers, but equally they’ll have to demonstrate strong people management skills as work to ensure that, at every level, the company is making sensible decisions.

Now is the time to ask whether you – or your CFO – will make the grade. If not, it might be time to call-in a turnaround specialist to help manage your financial affairs.

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HR Strategy: Make Way for the Interim Manager

Richard Dunks — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 01:41:58 +0000

Vantage director Richard Dunks wrote recently on the Business Strategy Blog about how to avoid the pitfalls when appointing an interim manager. That’s all fine, but our podcast host Phil Dobbie wondered why you’d want one in the first place – after all, isn’t the idea of a manager that they have a sense of continuity within the business?

Well, not so, says Richard – increasingly they’re being hired to deal with shorter term projects where a specialist skillset is needed.

In this week’s podcast we look at what type of roles interim managers can fulfil and how you can go about finding them.

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Leadership: Lessons from the Mumbai Bombings

Harsh Shah — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 02:03:59 +0000

It’s difficult to imagine that we could pick up any management practices from the horrific spate of bombings that took place in Mumbai on the 26th November 2008. Yet, true heroes emerge in the face of disaster. Amongst them, were the staff at the Taj Palace Hotel.

The hotel saw six explosions. The staff were able to evacuate guests, with many returning into the building, despite the danger. It was an example of first-class training and commitment that many brands aspire to but few achieve.

Harsh Shah, a client director at Vantage Performance, has experienced the customer service at the Taj Hotel Group. In this week’s Vantage Performance podcast he talks to Phil Dobbie about how the company has managed to offer an extraordinary commitment to customer service.

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Why Your Bank Won’t Give You a Loan

Michael Fingland — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 03:59:32 +0000

The global financial crisis has had a lasting effect – it’s harder now than ever to get a bank loan. In fact, in certain regions the number of approved loans has fallen from 1 in 5 of all applications down to just 1 in 15.

Michael Fingland, Director & CEO of Vantage Performance, says banks are just as willing to loan money, but they need to ensure the customer presents them with the core fundamentals of a business plan. In this edition of the Vantage Performance Podcast Series he explains to Phil Dobbie what you need to present if you want to avoid being knocked back.

The good news is, the time and energy preparing what the bank wants to hear will almost certainly spin off into positive operational outcomes within your business. You’ll get the money and have a much clearer idea of where you are heading.

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Business Transformation: The Elephant That Danced

Harsh Shah — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 03:16:55 +0000

The government-owned State Bank of India has been around for 200 years. It’s incumbency guaranteed it a market share of around 35 percent, until the middle of the last decade when their dominance halved in the space of just two years.

The turnaround was just as spectacular. By 2010 it had returned to its previous market position, despite fierce competition from new entrants.

Harsh Shah, a client director at Vantage Performance, says the success was all down to O.P. Bhatt, the first chairman in the history of the bank to visit all branches. His key strength was his ability to listen to front line workers, hear their concerns and action changes to fix issues from the ground up.

“We have shown the elephant can dance,” Bhatt said of the transformation in a media interview in late 2010.

It’s an amazing tale that Harsh Shah explains to Phil Dobbie in this week’s Vantage Performance podcast. It’s a lesson to anyone who doubts the merits of listening to advice from the shop floor.

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HR Strategy: Marissa Mayer Has a Point on Home Working

Belinda Wheatley — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 01:29:46 +0000

Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer was widely condemned when she sent an email to her 27,000 employees saying they couldn’t work from home any more. Her argument was that time spent at home was less productive than hours worked in the office.

Richard Branson called her decision “perplexing”, given how technology is making remote working easier and more effective than ever.

Marissa Mayer raises an important point, though. In this week’s podcast Belinda Wheatley, a HR business partner consulting to SMEs at Vantage Performance, says Yahoo’s CEO has done other businesses a favour. She has raised the profile of an issue that isn’t as straight forward as you might think. Beyond the question of productivity there are legal risks that need to be considered. She explains to Phil Dobbie that working from home can provide lots of HR benefits in terms of working flexibility, but it is a practice that shouldn’t be followed without a lot of thought and a clear company policy.

Listen to the Podcast –

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Performance Improvement: 10 Winning Practises You Can Start Today

Michael Fingland — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 05:32:03 +0000

We know there is no magic formula to running a successful business, but there are some common practises that will point you in the right direction. Most of them can be implemented straight away, it’s just a matter of accepting the need for change.

In this week’s podcast Phil Dobbie talks to Michael Fingland, CEO of Vantage Performance about the 10 things he thinks every business can do to improve the way they do business. The upshot is greater employee engagement, improved productivity and a fun place to work. “If you’re not having fun, it’s not a place where people will want to work,” says Michael.

Listen to the Podcast –

Michael Fingland, Director & CEO of national business transformation firm Vantage Performance, was awarded Australasian Turnaround Professional of the Year 2011 by the Turnaround Management Association, for his work with fast growth and troubled companies.

This blog is adapted from a column by Michael Fingland that first appeared in The CEO Magazine February 2013 edition.

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Business Transformation: How to Fix Your Brand Positioning

Vantage Brand — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 03:22:57 +0000

The first step in sorting out your brand positioning is realising that you need one.

In this edition of the Vantage Performance Podcast Christine Moody talks through what brand positioning is, who does it well, and what you can do today as a first step towards getting yours right.

Vantage Brand delivers the complete brand strategy services including brand audits, management, protection and development.

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Working Capital Management – Easy Wins

Andrew Birch — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 03:55:32 +0000

In this week’s Vantage Performance podcast Andrew Birch, a director at Vantage Performance talks to Phil Dobbie about some of the easy ways you can bring cash forward. It’s all to do with how you structure your invoicing, accept payments and follow-up.

As you’ll hear, a few simple changes to the way you operate can have an immense impact on the cash flow of your business.

You’ll also hear about the great European knitwear mountain. Sounds intriguing? Listen in.

Listen to the Podcast –

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Working Capital Management – It’s All in the Timing

Andrew Birch — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 05:15:10 +0000

Your business can be profitable but still hit the wall. Why? Because you run out of cash. That’s why you need to ensure you have a handle on your working capital. Andrew Birch, a director at Vantage Performance, says working capital management can provide the cheapest and easiest form of finance available to your business, but if you ignore it the consequences can be dire.

In this week’s Vantage Performance podcast Andrew talks to Phil Dobbie about businesses that have products which appear profitable, but the up-front cash requirements present an enormous amount of risk.

That’s why it’s vital that every business understands the importance of working capital management. Profitability is vital too, of course, but you’ll never grow effectively without an understanding of how and when your money is being used.

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Cash Flow: Are Your Finances Set For Summer?

Vantage Performance — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 03:19:24 +0000

The holiday season is almost upon us: a time when many businesses struggle to stay afloat, with falling income, slow paying creditors and insufficient cash reserves to tide them over into the new year.

In this week’s podcast Vantage Performance principal advisor Ian Hall highlights the need to seek additional finance now, not wait until a few days before Christmas. This year banks will be particularly cautious about who they lend to. So, if you need cash, you need to approach them with a plan, highlighting why you need the cash and how and when you will pay it back.

You should also be looking at what else you could be doing to help cashflow over the summer months – such as bringing forward creditor payments, reducing costs and optimising stock levels.

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Business Transformation: Performance Improvements to Ensure Business Survival

Vantage Performance — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 05:39:51 +0000

Driving improvements in your organisational performance is crucial for your company to survive in the face of increased international competition. Yet many leaders are anxious about change – often using that unconstructive adage “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.

In this week’s podcast Phil Dobbie talks to Barbara Ould, a director at Vantage Performance, who has significant experience driving organisational performance across many top companies.

Barbara says companies often lack the experience or understanding of how to improve performance, but it’s a skill that has to be learnt. The reward is simple – survival. You only need to look at some of the major brands around the world that have disappeared over the last few years to understand that it’s dangerous to keep doing things the same way they’ve always been done.

You need to look at your strategy and your approach and make changes. And you need to do it quickly.

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High Performance Team: Does Your Team Work Like a Formula 1 Pit Crew?

Michael Fingland — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 04:28:52 +0000

In this week’s podcast Phil Dobbie asks Michael Fingland, Director and CEO of Vantage Performance, if he can point to an example of a high performance team. He says the most visible display is the pit crew on a Formula 1 race track. They have to quickly evaluate a problem, find a solution, act on it and be aware of any external circumstances that could impact the execution. And they do it over and over again. That’s how businesses need to operate to succeed.

It’s essential that a troubled business adopts a high performance culture as part of a turnaround solution. But every other business should be assuming the same approach. Often they don’t though. Many rely on industry benchmarks as a way of reassuring themselves that they are doing okay – when, in truth, they should always be aiming to exceed those benchmarks and stand out from competitors.

The conclusion to today’s discussion is, “does your team work like a pit crew?” If the answer is “no”, it’s time to change.

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Advisory Board: Why Every Business Needs a Board

Andrew Birch — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 03:27:54 +0000

In last week’s Vantage Performance podcast, Susan Morgan spoke about the importance of finding a mentor to act as a sounding board for your ideas.

This week Phil Dobbie talks to Andrew Birch, Director of Vantage Performance, who suggests you take it a step further by appointing a board to add some external influence on your business.

Andrew says the impact a board has is almost immediate, adding expertise and a fresh perspective on the business. It’s not unusual, he says, for a question to be asked, only to have the incumbent team respond, “yes, why do we do that?”

Andrew also talks about an appropriate mix of board members, where to find them and what their role is within the organisation.

If you thought boards with non-executive members were really just a necessarily evil for listed companies who needed to pacify their shareholders, it’s worth hearing what Andrew has to say.

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Leadership: Mentoring is not just an easy conversation

Sue Morgan — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 03:17:31 +0000

If you think you wouldn’t benefit from the help of a mentor, perhaps you need to take a long hard look at yourself. Behind most successful business people you will find a mentor or two – Richard Branson has six!

Sue Morgan is a Director of Vantage Performance who specialises in executive coaching; working with boards, CEOs and business owners. Sue says it takes a big ego to believe that you can’t benefit from having your way of thinking challenged: the key is to ensure that your mentor is able to test your approach and act as an effective sounding board. It should not be just a cosy chat over a cup of coffee once in a while.

In this edition of the Vantage Performance Podcast Series Sue talks to Phil Dobbie about how to find a mentor and what their precise role should be.

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Risk Management: Project Paperwork Protects Against Litigation

Matt Bradbury — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 04:43:24 +0000

Last week on the Vantage Performance Podcast Series we spoke about the importance of ensuring that you have a watertight contract before embarking on a new project.

As a supplier to the mining industry – or any large infrastructure based company – the key is to limit your exposure by ensuring risks are considered and costed in your contract. But, what if things do go wrong?

It’s a question we put to Matt Bradbury, a partner at McCullough Robertson – a lawyer specialising in infrastructure, construction and engineering. He says if it does come down to a dispute, both sides win by reaching a commercial arrangement, rather than turning to litigation.

If it goes further than that, your case will be helped if the project is supported by adequate paperwork – it’s often the deciding factor in terms of which party is at fault. Would you be happy to stand behind your record keeping if it ever was called on in a court of law?

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Risk Management: Contracting Out The Risk

Michael Rochester — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 04:09:26 +0000

As we heard last week on the Vantage Performance Podcast Series many suppliers in the Mining sector work on a handshake deal, without the support of a contract. It’s a situation that’s changing as the industry faces slower growth and a less certain future. That means suppliers need to protect themselves by ensuring they have a watertight contract in place.

Michael Rochester, a partner at legal firm McCullough Robertson and guest podcaster, specialises in contracting for mining services and infrastructure projects. In this podcast he explains the importance of understanding the risks associated with a project and ensuring those circumstances are spelt out in the contract. He also talks about how to mitigate risk against non payment and the need to be aware of termination for convenience – the right for a customer to cancel a deal if their circumstances change. You need to ensure that the criteria around such a termination reflects the impact it could have on your investment in the project.

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Risk Management: All Change in Mining Services Contracting

Vantage Performance — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 03:56:14 +0000

In this week’s podcast, David Osborne, part of the Vantage Performance leadership team, explains how many mining services contracts push ahead with a handshake and very little in the way of due diligence.

Often the details of the contract are overlooked and issues are left unchallenged until it’s far too late. He says the situation is changing – the sector is facing challenges and with it comes the need for more accountability and reduced risk.

Mining services companies need to treat the contract process more seriously and ensure that they have the necessary resources to manage the job properly. You can shake on it, but get the paperwork right in the first place.

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Business Transformation: Why You Need a Brand Strategy

Vantage Brand — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 03:39:43 +0000

Every company has a business strategy, but not everyone has a brand strategy. Yet a focus on brand helps to position your business in the eyes of your customer or prospects.

In this week’s podcast Christine Moody, tells Phil Dobbie that the strategy involves determining your brand personality and what it promises to your customer. The outcome could be as simple as a word or phrase that differentiates your business from all others and provides an opportunity to secure future business.

Once you have arrived at your brand promise you need to ensure that the approach is articulated throughout the organisation and reflected in everything you do.

It sounds relatively straightforward, but arriving at your unique brand story can take a lot of soul searching. Often it involves rebuilding the essence of what your company is all about.

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Business Transformation: Understanding Brand Controls Your Future

Vantage Brand — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 05:40:20 +0000

In this edition of the Vantage Performance podcast Christine Moody explains why understanding your brand position is vital to the success of any business.

It’s all about finding a customer proposition that makes you unique and determining how that is represented by the personality of your company. Then you need to ensure that this personality is reflected through the various touch points you have with your customers. Of course, to do that, you have to know where all those touch points are and understanding the journey the customer goes through when engaging with your company.

As you’ll hear, there’s a lot of work to be done, but the payoff can be significant.

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Business Strategy: 5 Ways to Secure Your Business

Michael Fingland — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 02:30:46 +0000

In this week’s Vantage Performance podcast Michael Fingland says that typically only 5-10% of businesses will be planning ahead for an economic downturn. Those that do could easily come out on top when the economy recovers, simply by following a few simple rules on streamlining your business for maximum efficiency.

Michael talks to Phil Dobbie about the five steps you should take to secure your business:

1. Repositioning your brand
2. Diversifying your customer base
3. Paying down debts
4. Selling surplus or non-core assets
5. Having a plan B.

Companies that follow this approach will be surprised by the positive impact it can have on the team culture, offering employees greater peace of mind at a time when other businesses are struggling.

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Risk Management: The Storm Isn’t Over Yet

Michael Fingland — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 03:12:32 +0000

A slowing growth rate in China, record levels of household debt and growing uncertainty in the world economy are all conspiring to create a tough year for Australian businesses in 2013.

In the first edition of the new Vantage Performance podcast Phil Dobbie talks to Vantage Performance’s Director and CEO Michael Fingland about business prospects for next year. Michael says many businesses are not prepared for what’s ahead and he highlights the warning signs to look out for.

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