Consulting Management

In 1999, Nicolai started working as a management consultant – first for an international management consultancy, then for his own business the Ignite Group since 2003.

Nicolai works cross-functional, cross-discipline, industry-independent, with an enquiry-focused consulting style. He particularly enjoys working in the ‘overlapping areas’ between business and IT, such as

• enterprise architecture and business <-> IT process architecture (including COBIT and ITIL framework standards)
• translating business requirements into IT functionalities for SDLC developments
• defining and scoping business projects for the IT delivery for better accuracy in project delivery

Nicolai offers the following management consulting services:

• Strategy definition and design of business strategies for small-mid sized companies
  • formulating and defining business strategies that are supported by a strong business model,
  • together with a fit-for-purpose operating model with a strong foundation through the right composition of the right enterprise architecture mix.

• Feasibility studies – market and PEST analysis for product development
  • through assessments of the markets, competitor, trends, PEST analysis (political, economical, social, technological conditions), business models, financial revenue and costs models and business plans,
  • Nicolai helps to determine if and how the idea/product/investment can be turn into a success.

• Program / portfolio management – for strategic programs
  • through aligning and defining a strategic program as part of the strategy definition,
  • Nicolai ensures that all projects and initiatives pull into the right direction with the right objectives.

• Enterprise architecture and operating model
  • Nicolai brings together the business with the technology
  • he translates the conceptual business strategy into an enterprise architecture design that drives and define the operating model with all the required enterprise architecture pillars to answer the following client questions:
    • For my defined company strategy, what set of resources and capabilities does my business require to deliver optimally for its business model?
    • What people resourcing and competencies do I require to operate my business?
    • What process do I need to operate my business and deliver to my customers?
    • What technology and systems are required to support the people and the process?
    • What infrastructure needs to be in place?

• Small-mid size business transformation projects
  • Nicolai works together with other experts in his network to deliver smaller business transformation projects for small medium sized companies (currently in South Africa, Germany, Switzerland and Vietnam)
  • depending on the business and project needs, Nicolai manages the project manager role or a support advisory role to the existing company project manager.

• Process and organisational design
  • process analysis of the As-Is and modelling a To-Be process that delivers and takes the people into account.
  • business process modelling together with business process improvements.
  • organisational design together with job design and reward system design and competency modelling.

• Special consulting in the following functional areas:
  • Supply chain
  • Project office management
  • In-house consulting
  • Training management
  • Product strategy / product pricing / product costing