Clarkston Consulting

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm an IT manager at Fyffes North America. It's a joint venture of two companies–one from Colombia and one from Europe. We distribute South American produce in the United States and Canada.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Clarkston Consulting?

We were going through some business transformations and we needed a vendor to provide consulting services to us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Clarkston Consulting provided strategic advice, helping our company go through the transition. They also helped us select the new ERP, and we chose SAP HANA. In addition, they identified the areas that we could improve internally and assisted with a backlog of some projects.

What is the team composition?

We mostly work with four members of their team.

How did you come to work with Clarkston Consulting?

The relationship had started before I joined the company.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent about $450,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in August 2018 and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We accomplished our goals and selected the new ERP. They also gave us a report with all the business transformations and deliverables that we had expected.

How did Clarkston Consulting perform from a project management standpoint?

They've never been one day late. When they set a milestone, they always achieve it. We're impressed with their project management.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They really made an effort to understand our needs and propose what's best for our business. They're not doing it just for money. They truly care about finding the best solution. Also, they invest their time in building the relationship with their customers.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. They've been excellent.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I highly recommend them to anyone who is looking for strategic consulting and investment advice.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the IT Director of a manufacturing company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Clarkston Consulting?

We needed help with our long-term IT strategy across various divisions and business units, including some best practices and competitor analysis. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Clarkston provided IT consulting services, including a study that compared our internal processes to others in our industry. They collaborated with our IT leadership team in order to better understand our needs and challenges, providing recommendations for ways to improve internal efficiencies. 

What is the team composition? 

We worked with three people, including a senior consultant and a project manager.

How did you come to work with Clarkston Consulting?

Someone on their team approached me after I gave a speech at a technology event, so I met with their partner to discuss some high-level solutions for our IT strategy.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested around $20,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from February–May 2018. They completed the scope of work exactly within the timeline they laid out. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

They did a great job overall. They provided top-notch solutions for our IT strategy. If we had the budget to work with them again, we definitely would. 

How did Clarkston Consulting perform from a project management standpoint?

They managed the project very well and insisted on flying out to our office for every major meeting. They took the time to understand the biggest issues individuals and departments were having in order to provide personalized solutions. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their expertise and dedication to achieving client satisfaction set them apart. They also thoroughly understand the consumer good and pharmaceuticals industries and have a lot of senior consultants on their team. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. They achieved all of our goals within the scope of work.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Take advantage of the access to executives they provide, because their time can add a lot of value to the project.