Next-Level PowerPoint
Using a governance framework to ensure lasting success
“We want to structure our presentations better and be more efficient.”
Words to this effect are among the most common preliminary enquiries we receive. Closely followed by the marketing challenge of seeking “consistent branding.” These lead-ins imply a growing awareness of problems, which is something that develops when organizations work frequently with presentations, both internally and externally. QuickSlide provides quick relief and noticeable improvements. But you can further maximize quality and costsavings by embedding this aspect into the right structures, responsibilities and processes. Through our consulting, what may sound a little abstract to some customers at first ends up being a clear checklist that yields amazing results with very little fine-tuning.
Read a specific case study involving a large consultancy firm, and see how a standard was established within the space of a year.
1.
An initial step saw us work together to identify the core targets. One of these was to implement the corporate identity consistently (in all its facets, well beyond just the corporate design).
To measure target achievement, the Marketing department took charge of introducing the “CI Check” governance element, which includes having internal and, in some cases, external experts check the presentations provided in QuickSlide, as well as important pitch documents.
2.
The next step revolved around establishing a steering committee with decisionmakers from multiple company divisions. The decision to introduce a governance framework at the or-ganization involved defining the various steps and milestones for the following 12 months.
The steering committee approved the criteria and parameters for half-yearly reviews. To give you a better idea, here are a few examples of how such criteria can be defined:
3.
The results regarding target achievement, training requirements, potential for further standardization, or further content development are presented at the subsequent review meetings. The decisionmakers gain valuable insights into the status of their organization, and are able to approve measures with great accuracy.
4.
Once established, targets, measures and parameters continue to be monitored, with the steering committee’s activities coordinated by the department in charge reduced to one annual review.
The above steps taken for CI consistency are the same as for the targets concerning the quality of presentation content and the usability of QuickSlide. This results in a standard that truly helps all departments, and which maximizes the precise potential that had originally be set as a project target, creating a high level of acceptance and satisfaction among users and decisionmakers alike. It’s not rocket science. But it will get you a high ROI. What is needed is an awareness of the issue’s relevance, and a certain degree of consistency. To ensure you’re not left to your own devices when it comes to developing and implementing your governance framework, Strategy Compass is on hand to contribute its expertise and years of experience, and works with you to devise an approach tailored specifically to the needs and features of your organization.