Contents
What Analysis is
Most organisations know when performance has started to fall short. Fewer know why.
The visible issue rarely tells the whole story. Margin pressure may come from pricing, delivery design, client mix, or uncontrolled operational drag. A stalled revenue stream may reflect weak positioning, poor sequencing, the wrong offer structure, or a market that has moved while the organisation kept operating from old assumptions. A process that feels necessary may exist only because nobody has measured its cost against its return.
Analysis is a time-bounded examination of how an organisation actually operates. It tests assumptions, traces causes, identifies where value is being lost, and turns an unclear situation into a practical order of priority.
The work is designed to produce specific findings rather than general observations. By the end, the client should understand what is happening, why it matters, and which changes carry the greatest leverage.
When Analysis is useful
Analysis suits organisations that need clarity before committing to action. That may mean examining a specific issue, or stepping back to review the commercial and operational foundations of the organisation as a whole.
It is particularly useful when performance has changed but the cause remains unclear; when a leadership team has competing explanations for the same problem; when growth has added cost, complexity, or inconsistency; or when an organisation has reached a point where the next move needs firmer evidence behind it.
The work can also help where the problem has already been named, but the proposed solution still feels uncertain. A strong analysis engagement does not simply confirm the original diagnosis. It tests whether the diagnosis deserves confidence.
What the work examines
The scope depends on the organisation and the question being asked. In practice, Analysis can cover commercial, operational, strategic, and structural issues, including:
- Pricing, margins, and commercial model design
- Revenue streams, client quality, and sales performance
- Operational cost, delivery strain, and process inefficiency
- Positioning, offer structure, and competitive differentiation
- Funding readiness, investor materials, and commercial narrative
- Organisational structure, ownership, incentives, and decision flow
The common thread is performance. Where is it being lost? What is causing that loss? What would change the result?
Focused engagement or full diagnostic
Analysis is usually structured in one of two ways.
| Engagement | Best suited to | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Focused engagement | A defined issue, opportunity, or decision | Targeted findings and a clear recommendation path |
| Full diagnostic | A broader review of the organisation’s commercial and operational foundations | Prioritised findings across the whole system |
A focused engagement examines one defined area: an underperforming pricing model, a plateaued revenue stream, an operational process creating unnecessary cost, or a funding application that needs stronger commercial reasoning.
A full diagnostic examines the organisation more broadly. It looks for visible problems, hidden constraints, unrealised value, and structural issues that may only appear once the whole system is considered together.
Focused analysis can be the right choice when the issue is genuinely contained. At an inflection point, or where the presenting problem may have roots elsewhere, a full diagnostic often produces the greater value.
What clients receive
Every engagement begins with a scoping conversation. That establishes what needs to be examined, which material will be needed, and whether a focused engagement or full diagnostic makes more sense.
The work then moves through investigation, analysis, and synthesis. Aaran reviews the relevant information, examines the commercial and operational context, tests the assumptions behind the current position, and develops findings specific to the organisation.
Clients receive a structured presentation of findings, walked through in full. The reasoning behind each recommendation is made explicit, so the conclusion does not sit apart from the evidence. A complete written record follows, with priorities sequenced clearly enough that the next actions are never left vague.
The final output is not a generic report. It is a practical account of where the organisation stands, what is limiting performance, and what should happen next.
What Analysis can produce
The specific gains depend on what the work finds. In previous engagements, analysis has supported stronger margins, lower operational cost, better pricing decisions, sharper commercial focus, and clearer leadership priorities.
For example, a Cardiff-based recruitment firm had grown steadily to £1.4m, while margins compressed year on year. Analysis found that three service lines generated 80% of profit, while two others consumed disproportionate resource for minimal return. Restructuring around the profitable core increased margin from 18% to 31% within two quarters.
A Bristol software company had plateaued at £2.1m and had not reviewed pricing in three years. The existing structure no longer reflected the value the product delivered. Revised pricing, introduced over two billing cycles, increased annual recurring revenue to £2.8m without acquiring a single new customer.
Fee structure
Fees reflect two variables: scope and organisational size. The complexity of an organisation’s decisions, and the value of resolving them generally scale with revenue. The fee structure reflects that proportionality rather than applying one flat rate across organisations with very different weight and consequence.
Hourly rates apply where scope is open-ended. Fixed-price engagements suit most clients because Analysis work can usually be defined clearly at the start.
Hourly rates
| Band | Revenue | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| A | Pre-revenue | £200 |
| B | Under £250k | £250 |
| C | £250k-£999k | £300 |
| D | £1m-£4.99m | £400 |
| E | £5m-£19.99m | £500 |
| F | £20m+ | £650 |
Fixed-price engagements
| Band | Focused engagement | Full diagnostic |
|---|---|---|
| A | £750 | £1,800 |
| B | £1,250 | £2,750 |
| C | £2,000 | £4,500 |
| D | £3,250 | £7,500 |
| E | £5,000 | £11,500 |
| F | £7,500 | £16,500 |
Analysis and Advisory
Analysis and Advisory serve different needs.
Analysis gives an organisation an evidence-based account of where it stands and what needs to change. It has a defined scope, a clear endpoint, and a final set of findings.
Advisory provides retained strategic support over time. It helps leaders act on decisions as conditions shift, priorities accumulate, and new questions emerge.
Many Advisory relationships begin with Analysis. Starting with a clear view of the organisation makes the retained relationship more useful from the outset.
Becoming a client
Analysis engagements are taken on in small numbers because the work requires proper attention.
The best fit is an organisation prepared to act on what the work finds. That matters more than size, sector, or stage. Analysis can be uncomfortable when it challenges the explanation people had become used to, but that is often where the value sits.
Organisations looking for confirmation of an existing view tend to find the process less useful. Organisations seeking clarity, even when the answer changes the plan, tend to get the most from it.
Becoming a client starts with a callback. The conversation establishes what needs examining, which engagement type fits, and whether there is current availability.
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