Appleton Greene – Technology Innovation
Executive Summary
Appleton Greene Value comes from the successful delivery of products and services by an organization to its customers and clients. Delivery of value is most often measured from two perspectives: direct contribution to an organization’s portfolio of products and services, or indirectly through improving the internal processes and infrastructure which contribute to or support the organization’s direct value chain. Dr. Meeks’ Technology Innovation service is premised on ‘Innovation as a Service,’ wedded to the multiplier effects of applying the right Technology to a businesses’ challenges, whether it be product innovation or process innovation. This is not cliché, this is clients understanding something needs to change and being willing to challenge internal assumptions about their products, services, or the processes by which they are delivered to the marketplace. Appleton Greene
Further, though value can be measured several ways (as addressed above), sometimes an organization makes a value break-through when it re-evaluates its operating assumptions and models—from their clients’ and customers’ perspectives. For example delivering value (own organization) or receiving value (organization’s clients’ view). That is focusing on delivering or receiving products or services in the marketplace: product/service delivery (the client organization), product/service receipt & use (the client organization’s customers and clients). Appleton Greene
Value stems from how efficient and profitable products and services are delivered to customers on the one hand, and how useful those products and services are to using customers—to aid in their own value chains. Technology Innovation is the practice of innovating with technology to improve all or part of value-chain pipeline through product/service design, development, marketing, delivery and customer support. Ultimately, Technology Innovation is about finding ways to do things faster, better, cheaper to use an oft-quoted aphorism. Appleton Greene
Being a technology-focused executive, manager, engineer, and user, Dr. Meeks has built a successful career around finding or developing improved processes and product/service offerings that incorporate the leveraging effects of technology and/or process innovation to speed processes, transform information, and improve decision making related to organizations’ individual value propositions. In this regard, innovating to deliver value often incorporates value-based, data-driven decision making. Being influenced by some leading technology firms in the US federal systems providers market space, Dr. Meeks has embraced the “Innovation as Service” mantra. He aims to share these tenets and these successes with Appleton Greene’s clients. Dr. Meeks excels at conceptualizing and acting on the users’ view. Appleton Greene
Service Methodology
Dr. Meeks’ service methodology comprises 5 integrated steps: Conduct pre-consulting engagement interviews, oriented on client goals & parameters; Build out a foundational statement of current and future value, internal or external; Gather data, research the drivers and blockers to value; Perform assessment of opportunities for process and/or product/service innovation; Produce clear statement of Technology Innovation opportunities and associated action plan. Appleton Greene
The service begins with a pre-consulting client engagement meeting with key company executives. The purpose is to understand the executives’ perspective of customer value and customer experience currently being delivered. Also critical is learning the company’s near-term and long-term goals for the consulting engagement. The focus is understanding company goals and objectives and placing them into context. Key pieces of information include the company’s strengths and opportunities for improvement, and to round out a traditional “SWOT” analysis, the marketplace opportunities and threats that bear on the consulting engagement. Appleton Greene
After the engagement begins, the next step is to develop a foundational statement drilling into the company’s value goals, customer value from the company’s perspective, and characterization of their customers’ experiences, and opportunities for Technology Innovation. Analytical and process frameworks—commonly used, or proprietary to the consulting engagement will be discussed. The point of this step is to level-set the baseline and the targeted outcome. Appleton Greene
The next step is iterative and comprehensive: gathering relevant data that bear on the problem. Sometimes this is interviews in group and individual settings. Often this is also internal or external performance data bearing on the problem as part of the context for the data gathered through interviews, etc. A key aspect is to channel and focus the best ideas emerging from within the client’s managerial and executive workforce, and to place them in context with the goals and analytical frameworks discussed in the prior two steps. Appleton Greene
The fourth step is for Dr. Meeks to be the “honest broker,” synthesizing the data and goals collected and assessed in the prior steps and complete the Technology Innovation assessment as discussed at the outset of the consulting engagement. Appleton Greene
The fifth and final step is to produce and disseminate final deliverables as agreed upon at the outset. Notably, this is not about a “fire and forget” assessment of a consultant’s thoughts on improving and innovating value propositions within the organization. But rather, the focus is on designing and delivering actionable plans for improving processes and increasing value within the firm, and as delivered to the client’s customers. Dr. Meeks remains available to assist in execution, as desired. Appleton Greene
Service Options
Companies can elect whether they just require Appleton Greene for advice and support with the Bronze Client Service, for research and performance analysis with the Silver Client Service, for facilitating departmental workshops with the Gold Client Service, or for complete process planning, development, implementation, management and review, with the Platinum Client Service. Ultimately, there is a service to suit every situation and every budget and clients can elect to either upgrade or downgrade from one service to another as and when required, providing complete flexibility in order to ensure that the right level of support is available over a sustainable period of time, enabling the organization to compensate for any prescriptive or emergent changes relating to: Customer Service; E-business; Finance; Globalization; Human Resources; Information Technology; Legal; Management; Marketing; or Production.Appleton Greene
Service Mission
Dr. Meeks is an experienced innovation and strategy professional with over thirty years of global experience with government and commercial customers. He has served in executive and managerial roles, in industry, in the military, in the US and abroad. Most recently, he has been consulting to the Veterans Administration (VA), providing product management for a portfolio of web and mobile medical apps for clinicians and other health care providers or Veteran-patients, or of hybrid apps the speed and improve the communications between providers and patients.Appleton Greene
Dr. Meeks is an active speaker, teacher, thinker and doer. His Twitter profile briefly encapsulates the integration of active verbs and value-producing nouns: Verbs: imagine, envision, innovate, and strive. Nouns: leader, educator, technology, convergence. Though innovating by leveraging the multiplier effects of technology are personal passions and profession interests, Technology Innovation can, but does not have to, incorporate new technology. Technology integration as a factor in Technology Innovation is very situation-specific. Dr. Meeks is experienced delivering new value in both high- and low-tech settings. Appleton Greene
Dr. Meeks is also/has been adjunct university faculty, instructing and guiding undergraduate or graduate students in strategy, technology, leadership, and project management courses for over 20 years. This is relevant for many reasons, but the two main ones are:
(1) He naturally arrives at all professional engagements knowing that while people have widely diverse backgrounds, experiences, and knowledge bases, they have come together at that instant for a common purpose. Thus bridging the background-, experience-, and knowledge-based diversity found within a group is key to group success. Appleton Greene
(2) Communicating effectively with others is a challenge. Not everyone can do it well. People who enjoy and excel at teaching others know that we all have preferences on how we receive, process, and learn new information: effective teachers teach in the way that is needed to convey the lesson at hand. Effective communicators know and practice this skill as well. Appleton Greene
To summarize, the mission of this service is to support and energize clients’ efforts to create strategic innovation within their organizations, using the leveraging benefits of technology wherever appropriate. And, to assist clients in not just envisioning the path forward, but to successfully implement it as well. Appleton Greene
Dr Meeks is an approved Senior Consultant at Appleton Greene and he has experience in management, globalization and information technology. He has achieved a Doctor of Philosophy, a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science. He has industry experience within the following sectors: Government ; Education; Healthcare; Defense and Manufacturing. He has had commercial experience within the following countries: United States of America, or more specifically within the following cities: Washington DC; Alexandria VA; Reston VA; Richmond VA and Baltimore MD. His personal achievements include: designed database assessment algorithms; led systems engineering test teams; managed mobile apps portfolio; redesigned performance metrics scorecards and streamlined analysis & reporting process. His service skills incorporate: program management; project management; data analytics; technology integration and communicating complexity.
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