Independent diagnostic for SMEs · Since 2015

COMPASS: the diagnostic that gives you a decision, not a PDF

A business and technology diagnostic made by people who understand finance, operations and systems at once: no conflict of interest, and a clear roadmap at the end, not a list of generic recommendations.

Team presenting a strategic roadmap
The problem

Whoever advises you what to buy also wants to sell it to you

When you're about to invest in technology (an ERP, a CRM, refreshing infrastructure, hiring an IT provider), the only people advising you on what to buy are the same ones who are going to sell it to you. The outcome is almost always the same: generic software that doesn't fit your real operation, projects with no business case that stall halfway through, or licenses and infrastructure that accumulate risk because no one is watching them independently.

  • Generic software that doesn't fit your real operation
  • Projects with no business case that stall halfway through
  • Licenses and infrastructure that accumulate risk with no independent review
The COMPASS method

One diagnostic, three to eight weeks, one clear decision

01

Listen

An interview with you and your key team: the real business, not the one on the org chart.

02

X-Ray

Processes, finance, people and technology, always all four, never an IT audit disguised as consulting.

03

Compass

We prioritize what to do first and calculate the return, including the honest option of not investing yet.

04

Decision

Face to face with the senior consultant who ran your case, no middlemen, no fine print.

05

Execution

Optional. A separate phase, never an implicit sale inside the diagnostic.

Decide to move forward? Implementation is a separate, optional phase, never an implicit sale inside the diagnostic.

How your diagnostic is sized

The scope is the same for everyone. What changes is the size of the work

COMPASS analyzes your whole operation across all four dimensions, always. There's no trimmed-down version. What varies from one project to another is how much work it takes to cover it, and your company is what determines that.

What's included, identical across all three
  • All four dimensions: processes, finance, people and technology
  • Interviews with the key people in the operation
  • Process map, with a maturity matrix and benchmark
  • Financial model and prioritization matrix
  • Executive Business Case and live presentation
  • Decision record with owners and dates

No deliverable is skipped at any level. Its size is determined by your operation, not by the package you hire: the process map of a single-site company is shorter than one with four sites because there's less operation to cover, not because we look at less. Interviews are estimated for the same reason, and the real number is confirmed in the proposal.

COMPASS Starter
A single line of business, one site and clearly separated functions: each area has its own people and operates in a similar way to the rest.
3 weeksEstimated duration
  • 3 to 4 estimated interviews
  • Full scope of the operation
See if this is my case
COMPASS Growth
Several units or regions, each with its own way of operating, or people covering three or four roles at once.
6 to 8 weeksEstimated duration
  • 8 or more interviews, depending on the operation
  • Full scope of the operation
  • 60-day follow-up after the decision
See if this is my case

Which one fits you is defined by the complexity of your operation, not your budget. Answer eight questions or we'll walk through it with you on the first call, before talking about money.

Who it's for

This is for you if…

Radical honesty: sometimes the right answer isn't buying technology, but organizing processes or training your team. An IT provider will never tell you that because it doesn't serve them. We will, because we don't sell technology inside the diagnostic.
Trust

We've done this with companies across very different industries

Frequently asked questions

Clarity before you decide

Does the diagnostic include implementing what it recommends?

No. The diagnostic and roadmap are independent of any vendor. If you decide to implement with EGREGIE, it's a separate, explicit phase, never an implicit sale inside the diagnostic.

What happens if the diagnostic concludes I don't need technology?

That's the recommendation, documented with the same rigor as any other. Sometimes the right answer is organizing processes or training your team before spending on systems. We'll tell you that too, because we don't sell technology inside the diagnostic.

How long does a COMPASS diagnostic take?

Between 3 and 8 weeks, depending on the complexity of your operation. The scope doesn't change: what changes is how much work it takes to cover it.

What size company do I need to be?

We work mainly with Mexican SMEs of 10 to 100 employees. What matters isn't headcount but that whoever decides is in the conversation, whether that's the owner, the general manager or a board.

Do you work with companies in any industry?

Yes. We've already worked with companies in industries as different as mining, law firms, trading companies and media. The business-decision approach applies regardless of industry.

How is the price calculated?

The scope is the same for everyone, so the price doesn't depend on how much we analyze but on how much work it takes to analyze all of it: how many people need to be interviewed, how many different ways of operating coexist, and how much of the operation is documented. It's defined on the first call, before any proposal exists.

Ready for your independent second opinion?

No commitment: in a first call, we'll tell you if this is what your business needs.