Diagnostic process
In four weeks, a prioritized set of actions tied directly to KPIs and quantified financial impact — ready for immediate implementation.
The diagnostic
Four weeks to a prioritized, quantified roadmap
The Diagnostic is a fixed-scope engagement built around one mutually agreed primary KPI. In four weeks, Stallion delivers decision-grade outputs tied directly to financial impact — ready for immediate implementation by your team or ours.
The Trigger
When an organization is ready for a Diagnostic
When production KPIs are being reviewed in regular meetings, but:
- Targets aren't defined or enforced
- Variances aren't broken down into quantified drivers
- There's no reliable link between operational actions and what moves performance
It's most likely time to conduct a diagnostic for performance drivers and root causes.
Typical Options
Three paths at this stage
Internal Resources or New Hire
Project managers take a minimum of 90 days to hire and onboard. As an embedded long-term resource, they can be cost-effective but risk getting stuck in politics and losing independent perspective.
Speed
Impact
Value
Working With Stallion
In four weeks, we deliver a prioritized set of actions tied directly to KPIs and quantified financial impact ready for immediate implementation by us or your team
Speed
Impact
Value
Working with Big Firms
Big firms take time to mobilize and deliver. Results will likely include an on-sell phase for further work and cost without focus on the highest impact levers.
Speed
Impact
Value
The fastest and safest way to find real value opportunities — without committing to a big program or a new hire.
Outputs
What the Diagnostic produces
Plus an Executive Summary and supporting analyses, tools, reports, and dashboards.
KPI Driver Structure
A structured map of the relationships between operational inputs and the KPIs that matter - showing what drives each outcome and how confidently it is measured.
Opportunity Register
A ranked list of quantified performance gaps, each linked to the KPI it affects, functional area, and estimated financial impact of closing it.
Prioritization Matrix
A two-axis view of each opportunity - impact versus ease of capture - to support an informed, sequenced decision on where to act first.
Performance Driver Implementation Roadmap
A sequenced execution plan tied to prioritized opportunities with owner, timeline, estimated hours, and KPI impact for each initiative.
The Structure
Four weeks. No surprises.
Findings are shared throughout as they are validated. There are no last-day reveals — the client team is involved at each stage and aligned before the final meeting.
| Week | Objective | Key activities | Client involvement | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 Build the picture | Build a clear view of current performance and a preliminary KPI Driver Structure. | Collect and validate data, assess and benchmark KPIs, map KPI relationships. | Kickoff / briefing, data requests, weekly update. | Primarily remote — optional walkthrough. |
| Week 2 Validate on the floor | Validate recorded KPIs in real-time observation and identify root causes. | Conduct observation to validate KPIs, assess bottlenecks and root causes. | Interviews, work shadowing, weekly update. | On-site. |
| Week 3 Quantify the opportunity | Quantify identified opportunities to prioritize the greatest impact. | Finalize KPI Driver Structure and Opportunity Register, estimate financial impacts. | Validation sessions. | Typically on-site. |
| Week 4 Align on priorities | Align with the client team on highest priorities and roles / order of implementation. | Validate findings with key stakeholders for prioritization and develop the Roadmap. | Priority workshops, roadmap sign-off. | Findings meeting — typically on-site. |
| Decision point Choose the level of support | Determine what assistance is needed to achieve the Roadmap. | Review highest-value opportunities, assess client skill and bandwidth to capture. | Decision meeting. | Typically on-site. |
Week 1
Build the picture
- Objective
- Build a clear view of current performance and a preliminary KPI Driver Structure.
- Key activities
- Collect and validate data, assess and benchmark KPIs, map KPI relationships.
- Client involvement
- Kickoff / briefing, data requests, weekly update.
- Location
- Primarily remote — optional walkthrough.
Week 2
Validate on the floor
- Objective
- Validate recorded KPIs in real-time observation and identify root causes.
- Key activities
- Conduct observation to validate KPIs, assess bottlenecks and root causes.
- Client involvement
- Interviews, work shadowing, weekly update.
- Location
- On-site.
Week 3
Quantify the opportunity
- Objective
- Quantify identified opportunities to prioritize the greatest impact.
- Key activities
- Finalize KPI Driver Structure and Opportunity Register, estimate financial impacts.
- Client involvement
- Validation sessions.
- Location
- Typically on-site.
Week 4
Align on priorities
- Objective
- Align with the client team on highest priorities and roles / order of implementation.
- Key activities
- Validate findings with key stakeholders for prioritization and develop the Roadmap.
- Client involvement
- Priority workshops, roadmap sign-off.
- Location
- Findings meeting — typically on-site.
Decision point
Choose the level of support
- Objective
- Determine what assistance is needed to achieve the Roadmap.
- Key activities
- Review highest-value opportunities, assess client skill and bandwidth to capture.
- Client involvement
- Decision meeting.
- Location
- Typically on-site.
Findings are shared throughout as they are validated — no surprises or last-day reveals.
Diagnostic Brief — how we work with client teams through the four-week process
After the Diagnostic
Choosing the right level of support
The Diagnostic concludes with a Performance Driver Implementation Roadmap. The decision point determines what level of support is needed for implementation.
Internal implementation
Ideal when
Teams with the skill and bandwidth to move quickly once direction has been confirmed, requiring no oversight to implement the Roadmap.
What's included
Knowledge and document transfer following Diagnostic completion.
Moderate risk of delays vs. Roadmap timeline.
Variable effectiveness and sustainability
Fractional oversight
Ideal when
Teams that have most skills to execute and high bandwidth, but require occasional help with specific problems or political challenges.
What's included
Knowledge transfer plus additional check-ins and targeted work on an as-needed basic to overcome roadblocks or accelerate cross-functional steps.
Lower risk of delays vs. Roadmap timeline.
Moderate effectiveness and sustainability.
Readiness Phase
Ideal when
Organizations that need stronger leadership alignment, management systems, or operational capability before executing the Roadmap.
What's included
Knowledge transfer followed by targeted work to strengthen management systems, leadership alignment, KPI ownership, and problem-solving capability before implementation begins.
Foundational activity that may accelerate the Roadmap timeline.
Highest effectiveness and sustainability.
Implementation sprint
Ideal when
Teams where speed and quality are critical, and/or teams that can benefit from ongoing coaching, governance, or accountability.
What's included
Knowledge transfer and immediate, rapid implementation by Stallion - demonstrating best-practice management behaviours with weekly progress updates.
Minimal risk of delays vs. Roadmap timeline.
High effectiveness and sustainability.
Commercial structure
A fixed scope. A guaranteed outcome.
The Diagnostic is structured around one mutually agreed and defined primary KPI — for example OEE, material spend, or labour cost.
Stallion provides
- ✓ One senior practitioner (plus subject matter experts as needed)
- ✓ Four-week Diagnostic engagement with all four deliverables
- ✓ Guaranteed identification of $100,000+ in capturable benefits — prorated refund if not met
Client provides
- • One mutually agreed primary KPI (e.g. OEE, material spend, labour cost)
- • ~2–5 hours per person per week for meetings and shadowing
- • Access to relevant operational data and floor time
Fixed fee. No retainer. No on-sell requirement.
Fixed fee. No retainer. No on-sell requirement.
See how diagnostics fit into the full engagement sequence.
The improvement sequence