Schulte & Co.27°57.04′N · 82°27.43′W[ WORK WITH US ]

SCHULTE & CO. · STRUCTURAL SURVEY OF A GROWING BUSINESS · BUSINESS ARCHITECTURE & TRANSFORMATION

Growth by design.

We help companies find the operational gaps preventing growth and redesign how people, processes, technology, and data work together. Put simply: we fix the gaps between the parts of the business.

[ FIND THE GAPS ][ SEE THE METHOD ]
ENGAGEMENTS ENTER THROUGH ONE REAL PAIN POINT:“Sales and delivery do not communicate well.”
NTRUE NORTH:
THE OPERATING MODEL
KEY MAP · THE METHODSEE FIG. 04
0102030405060708GATEYOU ARE HERE · STEP 01, UNDERSTAND08 · TRANSFER
METHODBUILD · PROVE · TEACH · HAND BACK
PRINCIPLEGROWTH BY DESIGN, NOT BRUTE FORCE
8 STEPS · ONE GATE · 823 HRS SAVED / YR · ≈$61,725 RECOVERED · ONE WORKFLOW
FIG. 01 · WE CONNECT BUSINESS STRATEGY TO THE OPERATING AND TECHNICAL ARCHITECTURE REQUIRED TO EXECUTE ITSCROLL: THE SURVEY DRAWS ITSELF ∨
FIG. 02

The Problem

GROWTH VS. THE OPERATING MODEL

Companies often grow faster than the systems underneath them. They add more of everything, but rarely stop to design how the pieces should actually work together.

GROWTH ADDS
G-01Employees
G-02Software
G-03Customers
G-04Vendors
G-05Sales activity
G-06Consultants
G-07Meetings
G-08AI on top

MORE OF EVERYTHING, COMPOUNDING

THE OPERATING MODEL LAGS
L-01Unclear ownership
L-02Broken handoffs
L-03Manual processes
L-04Tribal knowledge
L-05Disconnected systems

NOBODY DESIGNED HOW THE PIECES FIT

T+1T+2T+3T+4THE GAPGROWTH HIDES STRUCTURAL WEAKNESS UNTIL COMPLEXITY CATCHES UPGROWTHOPERATING MODELTIME →

FIG. 02 · THE HATCHED AREA IS WHERE COMPANIES QUIETLY LEAK TIME, MARGIN, AND PATIENCE. IT IS ALSO WHERE WE WORK.

123TIME →
1GROWTH: MORE OF EVERYTHING, COMPOUNDING
2THE OPERATING MODEL: DESIGN LAGS BEHIND
3THE GAP, HATCHED: WHERE TIME, MARGIN, AND PATIENCE LEAK
FIG. 03

Below the Surface

FIVE SYMPTOMS ABOVE · NINE COSTS BENEATH

The biggest costs are often the ones leadership cannot see. What looks like a revenue or cost problem is usually an operating-model problem.

ABOVE THE SURFACE · WHAT THE P&L SEES
V-01Missed targets
V-02Slower growth
V-03Margin pressure
V-04Customer frustration
V-05Layoffs
THE WATERLINE
BELOW THE SURFACE · WHERE THE COST LIVES
H-01Wasted employee timeTIME · LABOR
H-02Duplicated workLABOR
H-03Poor process designMARGIN
H-04Unclear ownershipRISK
H-05Bad handoffsCX
H-06Tribal knowledgeRISK
H-07Redundant softwareSPEND
H-08Weak knowledge managementTIME
H-09Key-person dependencyRISK

TAGGED BY WHAT IT DRAINS: TIME · LABOR · REVENUE · MARGIN · CX · RISK · SPEND (THE QUANTIFY DIMENSIONS, STEP 04)

0−10−20−30VISIBLE: MISSED TARGETS,MARGIN PRESSURE, LAYOFFSHIDDEN: 9 COSTSTRIBAL KNOWLEDGE · REWORK ·KEY-PERSON DEPENDENCY…SOUNDING: MOST OF THE MASS IS UNDER THE WATERLINE
0−10−20−30VISIBLE: MISSED TARGETS,MARGIN PRESSURE, LAYOFFSHIDDEN: 9 COSTSTRIBAL KNOWLEDGE · REWORK ·KEY-PERSON DEPENDENCY…SOUNDING: MOST OF THE MASS IS UNDER THE WATERLINE

FIG. 03 · THE SYMPTOMS SURFACE IN THE P&L. THE CAUSES LIVE IN THE OPERATING MODEL. WE SOUND THE WHOLE BERG BEFORE TOUCHING ANYTHING.

FIG. 04

The Method

SCHEDULE A · EIGHT STEPS · ONE GATE

One methodology, entered through one real pain point. We diagnose that problem first, and usually uncover the connected gaps.

TYPICAL DOORS IN:A BROKEN HANDOFFFRAGMENTED CUSTOMER DATAMANUAL WORK EVERYWHERELEADERSHIP IN EVERYTHINGAN AI MANDATEAN ACQUISITION TO INTEGRATE
PHASE I · DIAGNOSE · STEPS 01–04
Understand
What is the company trying to accomplish? We start with leadership's intent, not a solution looking for a problem.
OUTPUT: LEADERSHIP INTENT
Diagnose
How does the business actually operate today, not how the org chart says it does?
OUTPUT: THE CURRENT STATE
Map
People, workflows, systems, ownership, information, handoffs, drawn until the business is visible.
OUTPUT: THE OPERATING PICTURE
Quantify
What the gaps cost in time, labor, revenue, margin, customer experience, risk, and technology spend.
OUTPUT: THE COST OF THE GAPS
THE GATE
Nothing is redesigned until it is costed.
THE BUSINESS, MADE VISIBLE · SEE FIG. 03
PHASE II · ARCHITECT · STEP 05
Architect
What should the future state look like? The operating model, redesigned on paper first.
OUTPUT: THE FUTURE STATE
PHASE III · TRANSFORM · STEP 06
Implement
Process, people, technology, automation, AI, specialist consultants: the solution follows the problem. NEVER THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
OUTPUT: THE CHANGE, SHIPPED
PHASE IV · TRANSFER · STEPS 07–08
Institutionalize
Document it. Train the team. Create ownership.
OUTPUT: OWNERSHIP
Transfer
Leave the company able to run it without us.
OUTPUT: INDEPENDENCE

FIG. 04 · BUILD THE SYSTEM. PROVE THE VALUE. TEACH THE TEAM. HAND IT BACK.

FIG. 05

The Financial Case

ONE WORKFLOW, QUANTIFIED END TO END

Better architecture creates measurable value. This is the arithmetic of a single redesigned workflow: the kind Step 04 exists to find.

L-01CURRENT WORKFLOW20 MIN / DAY / EMPLOYEE
L-02REDESIGNED1 MIN / DAY
L-03TIME RETURNED19 MIN / DAY
L-04AT SCALE× 10 EMPLOYEES × 260 DAYS
L-05RECOVERED49,400 MIN / YR
L-06IN HOURS823 HRS / YR
CAPACITY RECOVERED≈$61,725AT A ≈$75/HR LOADED RATE · FROM ONE WORKFLOW

REDUCTION: AND THAT IS ONLY ONE WORKFLOW.

01020 MINCURRENT · 20 MIN / DAY / EMPLOYEEREDESIGNED · 1 MIN / DAY19 MIN / DAY / EMPLOYEE · RETURNED TO REAL WORK

FIG. 05 · ONE AXIS, TWICE. THE HATCHED SPAN IS THE CAPACITY THE REDESIGN HANDS BACK.

CURRENT · 20 MIN / DAY / EMPLOYEEREDESIGNED · 1 MIN / DAY19 MIN RETURNED TO REAL WORK01020 MIN

FIG. 05 · THE HATCHED SPAN IS THE CAPACITY HANDED BACK.

FIG. 06

AI Philosophy

THE FRONTIER, APPROACHED DELIBERATELY

Do not automate a bad process.

We start with the business, not the technology. Technology should support the business, not complicate it. AI is added last, and only where it creates value.

WRONG WAYPROBLEMBUY AITHE MESS, AUTOMATED FASTERRIGHT WAYPROBLEMUNDERSTAND & SIMPLIFYHUMAN · AUTOMATED · AIIMPLEMENTVALUE
WRONG WAYPROBLEMBUY AITHE MESS,AUTOMATED FASTER
MATCH LINE · CONTINUED
RIGHT WAYPROBLEMUNDERSTAND & SIMPLIFYHUMAN · AUTOMATED · AIIMPLEMENTVALUE
Q-01What do we already own?
Q-02What overlaps?
Q-03What is underused?
Q-04What should be automated?
Q-05Where does AI make sense?
Q-06What will this cost as usage scales?

THE TECHNOLOGY-STRATEGY AUDIT · ASKED BEFORE ANY TOOL IS BOUGHT. BETTER TECHNOLOGY DECISIONS COME FROM BETTER BUSINESS ARCHITECTURE.

[ ASK ABOUT AI, PROPERLY ]
UNFIXED GROUND · SURVEYED BEFORE SETTLED
FIG. 07

The Partners

BUSINESS ↔ TECHNOLOGY, ONE TRANSLATION LAYER
BUSINESS ARCHITECTURE
Nathan Schulte

“Why should the CEO care?”

SCOPE
B-01Business problem & go-to-market
B-02Workflow gaps & organizational alignment
B-03Leadership priorities & discovery
B-04ROI & the executive story
FIELD QUESTIONS
?Where is money being lost?
?Where is time being wasted?
?Where is growth being constrained?
?What makes the company harder to operate?
?What must change from a business standpoint?
TECHNICAL ARCHITECTURE
Brandon Massie

“How do we make it work?”

SCOPE
T-01Systems, data & integrations
T-02Automation & AI feasibility
T-03Security & risk
T-04Implementation reality & cost at scale
FIELD QUESTIONS
?What is technically broken?
?Can this be automated? Should AI be used?
?What data is required, and what must integrate?
?How difficult is implementation?
?What will it cost to operate at scale?
BUSINESS PROBLEMBUSINESS ARCHITECTURETECHNICAL ARCHITECTUREIMPLEMENTATIONROIWE TRANSLATE BETWEEN BUSINESS LEADERSHIP AND TECHNICAL TEAMS, BOTH DIRECTIONS, EVERY WEEK
BUSINESS PROBLEMBUSINESS ARCHITECTURETECHNICAL ARCHITECTUREIMPLEMENTATIONROI

WE TRANSLATE BETWEEN BUSINESS LEADERSHIP AND TECHNICAL TEAMS, BOTH DIRECTIONS, EVERY WEEK

WHO WE WORK WITH
W-01Leadership teams
W-02Growing companies
W-03PE-backed businesses
W-04Companies undergoing transformation
W-05Companies implementing AI
W-06Companies integrating acquisitions
W-07Companies that feel harder to run than they should

FOR INVESTORS & BOARDS: “You have the financial model. We build the operating model required to achieve it.”

BM-01 · HANDED BACK

Build the system. Prove the value. Hand it back.

We are not trying to become another permanent layer of complexity. We build a stronger operating model, implement it with your team, and leave the company better equipped to scale on its own.

[ START WITH ONE PROBLEM ][ WORK WITH US ]

CORRESPONDENCE: WORK@SCHULTEAND.CO · LINKEDIN