CUSTOM DECISION SUPPORT, INC.

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Business Development Workshops

Team workshops are basic building blocks of effective modern organizations. They are used to develop and implement marketing, manufacturing, and development plans. They are an integral part of the process of evolving a Quality learning organization. Outside facilitators provide effective processes and independent perspective.

Workshops are undertaken to engage a team in focusing on specific and often vexing organizational problems. These problems include:

• Identifying new products and markets;
• Developing business policies for marketing, manufacturing and personnel;
• Identifying sources of and means to reduce risk;
• New directions for the organization; and
• The value of products and services.

These workshops provide a mechanism to build team support and cohesion. Often this is the most important outcome.

Custom Decision Support, Inc. (CDSI) provides facilitation and process support for a number of workshop types. Effective processes have been developed for each of these types of workshops. In general, the workshop process usually has to be modified to reflect both the nature of the problem and the working style of the participants. The following are workshop formats facilitated by Custom Decision Support, Inc. Workshop processes are modified to reflect the objectives of each workshop and the needs of the participants.

1. Management Dialogs including: Building Learning Organizations, Strategic Planning, Total Quality Management (6 Sigma)

2. Creative Problems and Solutions: Creative Goals, Getting Novelty, Building in Feasibility

3. Market Focus Groups

4. Risk Analysis ,"Delphi" Forecasting, Identifying Uncertainty, Assessing Risk, Taking Action

5. Product Development Workshops

6. Future Business History, Objectives and Goals, Events and Capabilities, Cross Impact, Business Plans

7. Technology Deployment, Enabling Technology, Technology Forecasts, Technology Action Plan

Team Dialog and Creative Problem Solving

The Team Dialog Workshop is specifically designed for team building of a Total Quality Learning Organization. The workshop provides a process for protected dialog on key operational issues. The objective of these workshops is to get a consensus of actions. Creative ideas are the building blocks of business. Creative Problem Solving Workshops are designed to focus the creative potential of bright professionals on solving vexing problems. These problems include new products and services, product names, promotions, processes and organizational structures.

Focus Groups

Focus Group sessions are traditionally used to test new ideas with potential external customers and partners. However, this approach is also useful internally by encouraging feedback with anonymity.

Risk Analysis

Containing risks and uncertainty are key objectives of modern business policy and plans. Identifying and assessing risk and its impact are the objectives of risk analysis workshops. These workshops combine an interactive identification of risk and analytical compilation processes to obtain an overall assessment of the consequences of actions.

Application Workshops

These procedures and others are combined to deliver targeted processes for specific workshops. Special workshops have been developed that focus on:

• Product Development;
• Strategic Planning through Future Business History; and
• Technology Deployment.

The Role of the Facilitator

The role of the facilitator in all effective workshops is to provide the process and conduct the sessions. It is the responsibility of the facilitator to maintain the supportive environment, stimulate participation, drive the process, and the help the client meet his goals. CDSI provides facilitators for these sessions.

Workshop design and facilitation can be arranged as independent on-site sessions or as a part of a broader planning program. For further information:

Tel: (831) 854-2256 or e:mail genelieb@lieb.com