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Ford Mance Capital Advisors is a real estate and fund manager that needed a complete back end systems renovation. With a huge endeavor of launching a new fund that would include hundres of particapnts and millions of dollars, their systems had to be absolutely perfect. 

Creating the road map
STEP ONE

When we started the interviewing process is became very clear that the team didn't have a clear understanding of the big picture. The nature of fund management is complex and intricate by nature. There were a lot of moving parts, and the fund leader was having trouble articulating how they all fit together in a way that wasn't overwhelming. So we created clear outline of the business plan and how all of it fit together. Prior to developing systems for his company, we needed to get to the heart and soul of what Robert wanted to accomplish with his business. We needed to hone in on his big ‘why’ and use that to fuel our changes. As such, we spent much of our initial time together defining the core values of his business that were going to propel his business forward. 

A picture speaks a thousand words

With Ford Mance Capital Advisors, one of the main hurdles was their complex industry. As a Real Estate Fund Manager and Sponsor there were many moving parts, including property management, financing, and employee management. We worked with the owner Robert who had a complex, long-term vision that needed direction in bringing it to fruition. He was never able to articulate or share his vision with others in the workplace because he had no clear roadmap on how to get from point A to point B---his vision lacked strategy.

​We spent the first few months diving deeper into understanding the core of his vision and how to communicate that with his employees. We created a 10-page systems analysis that outlined exactly what he wanted and how he was going to set out to accomplish his goals. The document included comprehensive explanations and step by step protocols to help his team visually understand all of the moving parts of the business, including the projects and people involved.

Creating the roadmap was a critical step for Robert. It helped him articulate his vision and bring his team on board with the future of the company and the goals they needed to meet. Once the roadmap was completed, Robert and his employees had a collective sense of understanding, clarity, and purpose for what was trying to be accomplished.

Teamwork & communication systems
STEP TWO

Another main issue with Robert and his team was that no one knew how to effectively communicate and work with one another. He wanted to incorporate Microsoft technology into his workplace but was unsure of how to educate his employees on the technology or how to implement it for everyday use.

One of the main components of setting up these systems was learning SharePoint (Office 365) technology from Microsoft and creating systems and protocols with the technology that was easy to understand and could be taught to the employees to help them communicate and co-work seamlessly.​

Sharepoint

Sharepoint was the main piece of technology that the company revolved around, but it turned out that almost no one knew how to use it. And those that did were creating more ambiguity than clarity. So we studied the system ourselves and created protocols for using it in a way that seemed to be the best fit for the team

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We created a system that implemented the Planner App, a task management system that involved creating custom projects, tasks, protocols, and tutorials that aided employees in managing all incoming tasks. The system also allowed employees to check on coworkers' projects to ensure all tasks were getting accomplished.

Task Management System

Communication & File Storage

​Our coworking system also incorporated the Teams App, which assisted with communication, virtual meetings and file storage. This allowed employees to effectively work together and share files in an online environment, which they were unable to do previously.
By integrating modern technology and putting systems in place, the workplace has become much more efficient.

Work culture
STEP THREE

You can have all the systems in the world and they can be perfect, but if your employees do not feel safe, inspired, and motivated, it will not matter. Work culture is one of  the most important aspects of systems development. Without a positive and impactful work culture, your business will never reach its full potential.

Personality Analysis

Through a series of interviews, we discovered the main issues within the group, most of which were solved by implementing systems. We also had to figure out which employees were happy and which ones were not. We worked through tensions between workplace relationships and addressed those as needed.
Ultimately, we switched around roles, customized expectations, and adjusted systems to make sure each employee's strengths were being highlighted instead of being pushed aside. We also implemented regular and effective team meetings, which were not previously in place. Meetings were structured with agendas and minutes were documented to ensure quality time was being spent wisely during the meetings. Personality analysis was a key component to creating a better work culture, along with enhanced communications systems.

Quality Analysis

Taking time to make the workplace better for all of the employees greatly enhanced the atmosphere. It made such a positive impact that we received multiple reports from the owner and employees that it was the best year working for that company because of the implemented changes. The employer was thrilled with the significant increase in productivity and communication in the workplace.

The Results

By the time we were finsihed it had been several months. The staff had clearly defined roles, everyone found the work environment to be a lot better. The gallery space that was introduced not only brought the internal team a lot of joy but ended up drawing in new customers during local events. 

Sandra Daniels

Office Manager

Cathy

Designer

Rober Mance

Chief Architect

Are you ready to up level your business? 

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