Business Advantage Consulting, Inc. is a business success and technology consulting firm. Our firm was formed in August 2000 by Duane and Angela Cheney. As a Sacramento-based consulting firm with deep process improvement and project management expertise, Business Advantage Consulting has been providing superior business improvement consulting services to clients since its inception. With our proven track record of meeting project objectives on time and within budget, the Business Advantage Consulting team has 20 years of experience seeing projects through to successful conclusions, ensuring our clients are satisfied and the desired project results are achieved.
Since our founding, Business Advantage Consulting has successfully completed more than 235 projects for over 60 different private sector and government organizations. This impressive track record tells you two things:
- We are good at what we do – A company can only develop a track record like ours if it gets results and satisfies customers. We are proud of our reputation and know our good name is on the line with every engagement; we work hard to protect it. Business Advantage Consulting project leaders are a cut above. They are not only well-versed in project management disciplines, they are also gifted facilitators, communicators and change agents. How can we help you achieve your vision of success?
- People like working with us – Clients keep awarding us new projects because we help them succeed and work well with their project teams. Our preferred method is to collaborate seamlessly with our clients’ teams to ensure desired results are achieved and sustained, even after our engagement ends. Our projects always include mentoring and extensive knowledge transfer activities. Unlike many – if not most – of our competitors, Business Advantage consultants consistently treat others with respect. In addition, our project designs never include an approach that makes a client dependent on us as consultants. One of our goals for each project is to produce sustainable results that are independently maintained by the client. Since we earn more than 90 percent of our business as a result of word-of-mouth from satisfied customers, we are positive you will like working with us as well.
Descriptions of a dozen of our favorite completed projects are provided below as examples of the work we do.
California Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) – Vocational Rehabilitation Modernization
Business Advantage Consulting facilitated the Department of Rehabilitation’s development of a new Vocational Rehabilitation Service Delivery Model to Pilot and evaluate prior to statewide implementation. For the Pilot, Business Advantage Consulting prepared and managed organizational change and project management documents, a communication plan, and a pilot evaluation plan; led multiple project teams staffed by Department management to redesign business processes; orchestrated department-wide and external stakeholder communications related to organization change and union notifications; gained approval of new duty statements and personnel allocation model; developed and provided training on new service delivery processes and team formation concepts; and developed and implemented a plan for evaluating 16 teams piloting new service delivery processes. Working with and supporting each of these teams as well as a project steering committee, our OCM consultant helped evaluate Pilot results; designed and gained approval of a final service delivery model; adjusted personnel allocations as needed; developed new team formation and change management training materials; and facilitated the development and implementation of change management strategies.
Hewlett Packard - CalWIN Semi-Annual Reporting Project
Awarded PMI SVC Project of the Year!
Managed a large, complex, legislatively-mandated IT project within the standards of the Business-Advantage designed PMO (Project Management Office) and within the professional standards of the Project Management Institute (PMI). The project was completed on time to a state-mandated (AB6) deadline, under budget, and deployed in all 18 CalWIN counties by an 88-person project team stretching from India to China to Folsom, California to the eastern United States. It may sound like a reporting project, but in reality the team extensively modified the eligibility logic at the heart of the automated social services system and implemented the revised functionality with outstanding quality.
CalPERS Historical Member Document Imaging
Business Advantage Consulting developed and managed the historical member document imaging project scope, schedule, budget, risk management and quality assurance plan. Services included process design, system requirements definition, importing system development, and developing business procedures and training materials. Business Advantage Consulting developed the business case and overall implementation strategy for the document conversion; analyzed the existing content management system, developed business requirements and helped in high-level design sessions; assessed the existing document repositories and developed conversion recommendations for a new document management system. Responsibilities included accurately assessing all member-based documents, developing a conversion plan, and establishing a conversion quality plan for millions of paper documents.
Hewlett Packard - CalWIN PMO Redesign
Established and managed Hewlett Packard’s CalWIN Project Management Office (PMO). The management of the PMO included managing multiple project teams (up to 36 concurrent and separate small, medium and large projects), managing complex system releases, conducting team building activities, reporting and managing risk for the entire portfolio of projects, and interacting with senior executives at State, federal and county levels.
California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) - Automated Knowledge Test Expansion
Business Advantage Consulting provided management and business analysis to develop a detailed assessment of the automated throughput processes, established individual baselines for each field office throughout the state, and projected future efficiencies. Activities included conducting a market research and demographic study report; developing a written assessment and recommendation of the To-Be workflow analysis and design that maximizes the automated knowledge testing efficiencies based on gaps found and identified in the As-Is written knowledge test process; and developing a written assessment and recommendations that included statistical data that identifies customer testing needs, future growth and business considerations over the next five (5) years.
CalPERS OSSD Central Receiving & Mailroom Business Process Improvement
Business Advantage Consulting evaluated business processes for the Central Receiving, Warehousing, Asset Management/Inventory Control, related Procurement functions/systems and Mailroom Operations providing analysis towards operational efficiency for process re-design in the management and tracking of items received at CalPERS. Recommendations identified process improvements and required metrics tracking. This project improved operational performance and increased efficiency in all the divisions that are internal customers of the processes. These endeavors resulted in reduced regulatory compliance risk, improved efficiency and effectiveness, reduced cycle times, reduced rework and processes that are more easily learned and communicated to others.
CA Franchise Tax Board Business Problem Analysis
Business Advantage Consulting led organizational impact and change management efforts for the enterprise-wide Business Problem Analysis (BPA) Project. Our OCM consultant’s successfully created a foundation for IT strategy for the next decade. Project results: Organizational design and transition management expertise; Created a BPA project communication plan; Conducted discovery interviews with stakeholders and subject matter experts; Facilitated organizational team sessions specific to systems of work; Created “As Is” Organizational Profiles, “To Be” Organizational Models, Gap/Roadmap Tables, and Organizational Risk list for multiple systems of work and enterprise services; Created an Organizational Change Management Plan and conceptual change management framework for use in implementing the opportunities; Facilitated sponsor validation sessions for each Tax Business Opportunity (TBO); and created and made presentations to FTB stakeholders, Governance Council and TBO sponsors as needed throughout the BPA project lifecycle.
CA Office of Systems Integration Cross Project Support
Business Advantage Consulting delivered organization design and transition planning services to the California Office of Systems Integration organization units that included the Project Management Office, Strategic Planning and Alignment Office, and the Enterprise Architecture Office. Facilitated the development of an OSI Operational Improvement Plan and Strategic Plan, department governance framework, and IT portfolio project intake tools.
CA Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) - Home Ownership
Managed the project team responsible for developing a new Loan Origination system comprised of five distinct applications to replace CalHFA’s legacy loan origination system. Provided project management and oversight for the technology vendor to ensure the system was successfully designed, developed, tested, and implemented. The project also included converting and validating well over 40,000,000 data records, utilizing comprehensive data conversion and sample plans. Interfaced regularly with Executive and Senior level staff to provide status reports and report on issues, risks and budget. Developed and managed project schedule which included developing a reporting system to effectively and dynamically track project progress.
CA Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) - eUHR Project
Provided project management, business analysis and system development services to CCHCS/CDCR SOMS project, electronic medical records (eUHR) subproject. The subproject’s purpose is to implement the EMC Documentum content management solution for all 33 men’s and women’s institutions.
California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) - Enterprise Transition Management (ETM) Project Implementation and Transition Support
Business Advantage Consulting provided transition management services to prepare staff and the organization for changes associated with the implementation of the new my|CalPERS system. My|CalPERS is a system that facilitates the access of pertinent data and applications online, replacing 49 legacy systems. The first phase of the project prepared CalPERS staff for the workforce transitions associated with the new my|CalPERS system. The second phase focused on operational efficiency opportunities across the enterprise. Our OCM consultants had responsibilities that included: supporting transition of Data Reporting and Change, Configuration and Release Management activities; developing, facilitating and supporting improvement opportunities (changes); conducting Change Readiness Assessments, evaluating responses and reporting results to maintain feedback loops with CalPERS staff; developing division specific transition plans, and SCO priority error and On-line Help transition plans; developing Transition Plans for the onsite SCO staff and project supported Online Help staff; and supporting the Document Capture, Document Management, Document Distribution and mailroom activities.
CA Legislative Data Center Strategic Communication Planning
Business Advantage Consulting developed and facilitated implementation of a Strategic Communication Plan, working closely with the Communication Management Officer and Chief Architect for the California Legislative Data Center, the California Legislative Counsel Bureau and the Legislative Counsel of California.