Where it starts
Understanding Your Business Comes Before Advising It
Organizations usually contact ID2Solve™ when they're facing an important challenge, weighing an opportunity, or recognizing that their current approach is no longer producing the results they need. Sometimes the problem is already visible. Often, leadership knows something isn't working but hasn't yet identified the cause. We begin by helping the client gain clarity — understanding the organization, its leadership, and its environment before any recommendation is made.
The quality of a business solution depends on the quality of the investigation that comes before it.
THE ID2SOLVE METHOD
Identify it. Understand it. Solve it. Execute it.
IDENTIFY IT
What is actually happening?
UNDERSTAND IT
Why is it happening, what is at risk, and what alternatives exist?
SOLVE IT
Determine the appropriate course of action and build the plan.
EXECUTE IT
Work alongside management to put the approved solution into action.
The detailed five-stage, ten-step process below shows how this method is applied in an engagement.
Where it starts
Five stages, one clear path.
1
Understand
Listen, define the concern, confirm fit.
2
Investigate
Scope the work, gather reality.
3
Identify
Symptoms vs. causes; weigh options.
4
Recommend
Clear findings, workable plan.
5
Implement
Support execution, review results.
1
Understand
Listening first — and confirming fit.
Step 1 · Initial confidential conversation
An honest first discussion — not a sales presentation.
Leadership explains the situation, its concerns, and the outcome it hopes for. We seek to understand what prompted the inquiry, how long the issue has existed, what's already been tried, who's involved, and what's at risk if it isn't addressed.
Step 2 · Preliminary review and engagement fit
Not every inquiry should become an engagement.
We evaluate whether the matter fits our advisory expertise — a diagnostic, a project, ongoing support, a specialist referral, or a candid acknowledgment that it's outside our scope. We accept an engagement because we can add value, not simply because help was requested.
2
Investigate
Defining the work, then understanding the reality.
Step 3 · Define the objective and scope
A clear scope prevents confusion and unrealistic expectations.
We establish the primary issue, the questions to answer, the areas to review, who participates, the deliverables, each side's responsibilities, and the fee structure — so leadership knows what the engagement will accomplish, and what sits outside it.
Step 4 · Discovery and information gathering
Understanding how the organization actually operates.
Interviews, workflow review, financial and operational information, vendor and market assessment. We don't rely solely on reports or meetings — we work to understand how decisions are really made and whether leadership's assumptions match business reality.
3
Identify
Separating symptoms from causes.
Step 5 · Diagnose the underlying issue
The most important distinction we draw: symptom versus cause.
Employee problems → often unclear leadership or accountability.
Step 6 · Evaluate options and risks
The recommendation must be realistic for the people who will implement it.
We weigh the courses of action against the client's resources, capabilities, risk tolerance, and long-term objectives — including the cost of acting versus the cost of delay. We don't recommend an approach because it's popular or theoretically attractive.
4
Recommend
Clear findings, and a plan that works.
Step 7 · Present findings and recommendations
Enough clarity to decide with confidence — not an overwhelming report.
In clear business language: what we reviewed and identified, which issues need immediate attention, which risks and assumptions matter, the options available, what we recommend and why, and what should happen next.
Step 8 · Develop the action plan
Recommendations have limited value without a workable plan.
Priority actions, responsible individuals, resources, dependencies, deadlines, phases, and accountability points — built around the organization's actual capabilities.
5
Implement
Support through execution — leadership stays in control.
Step 9 · Implementation support
Guidance and structure — without taking authority from management.
Advising through execution, reviewing progress, resolving obstacles, coordinating advisors, and monitoring milestones. We provide guidance and an independent perspective; management retains responsibility for decisions.
Step 10 · Review results and determine the next stage
Some engagements conclude; others become lasting relationships.
We review what's been completed and achieved and whether objectives still hold. Some engagements end once the project is done; others develop into longer-term advisory relationships through Consivara™ - Monthly Senior Advisory Access when leadership wants continued independent guidance.
A shared responsibility
The client's role in the process.
No advisor can create lasting improvement without leadership commitment. The strongest outcomes occur when the client examines difficult issues, questions established assumptions, and takes responsibility for implementation. We ask leadership to:
Provide accurate, complete information
Make the right people available
Communicate concerns honestly
Review recommendations carefully
Make timely decisions
Hold individuals accountable
A shared responsibility
Confidential, and genuinely independent.
Confidentiality & discretion
Clients share sensitive operational, financial, and family information; we treat it with discretion. The scope of confidentiality is set at the start, and information is shared only with those the client authorizes or as required by law — especially in family-business, succession, and negotiation matters.
Independent & objective advice
We're not committed to selling a software platform, financial product, or predetermined solution. When outside expertise is needed, we may recommend a licensed professional — the client controls that choice. Independence lets us advise on the whole situation, uninfluenced by any product sale.
frequently asked questions
How we work — questions executives ask.
What happens during our first conversation?
We discuss the issue, opportunity, or transition in front of your business and determine whether ID2Solve is the right fit.
Do you diagnose the problem before recommending a solution?
Yes. We first identify and understand what is actually happening before deciding what should be changed.
Who will actually work with our company?
You work directly with experienced senior consultants—not a senior salesperson who later transfers the work to junior analysts.
Do you work remotely or onsite?
Both approaches can be used. The appropriate combination depends on the project, location, people involved, and work required.
How much time will our management team need to commit?
Only what is reasonably necessary. We structure the work to obtain the information and decisions required without creating unnecessary demands on management.
Will you work with our existing employees and executives?
Yes. We work alongside the client's team and keep managers in their appropriate positions of authority.
Can you work with our attorneys, accountants, brokers, or other advisors?
Yes. When specialized expertise is involved, we can coordinate with the client's existing professional advisors.
Do you implement your recommendations?
We can help carry approved recommendations through execution rather than simply handing management a report and leaving.
What types of deliverables do you provide?
Deliverables are determined by the objective and may include assessments, action plans, research, process recommendations, documentation, market analysis, or other practical work products.
How do you protect confidential information?
Confidentiality is treated as a fundamental part of the consulting relationship, and access to sensitive information is limited to what the engagement requires.
What happens if the scope changes during the engagement?
We discuss the change with management, determine its impact, and agree on the appropriate adjustment before expanding the work.
How do we know whether progress is being made?
We establish priorities, actions, responsibilities, and appropriate measures so management can see whether the work is producing movement.
How long does an engagement normally last?
It depends on the objective. ID2Solve offers monthly access, focused short-term projects, and customized engagements for more complex work.
Do we have to commit to a large consulting project?
No. The appropriate starting point may be Consivara™, an Advisory Sprint, or a defined project depending on what the company needs.
¿Cómo empezamos?
Start with a confidential conversation. Tell us what is in front of your business, and we will recommend the most appropriate way to proceed.
Every engagement begins with a confidential discussion.
Tell us about the challenge, opportunity, or decision facing your organization — and we'll determine together whether our advisory process is right for your needs.