How it works

Five steps, done with your team, not to them. At each one you know what I'm doing, what I need from you, and what you get.

Agree on the question

We doFrame the executive question with you and the managers who will own the fix, and set what's in and out of scope.

You provideA 20-minute call, the problem in your words, and who makes the decision.

You getA one-page scope with the price and the finish line.

Review records and watch the work

We doRead the relevant records and observe the shifts where the problem shows up.

You provideAccess to the reports, schedules and people involved, and time on the floor.

You getA short list of what is being checked, and why.

Work the evidence with your managers

We doLine up the records against what happens on the floor, side by side with the people who run it. They know the operation; I bring the outside view.

You provideManagers' time to work through the numbers together.

You getDraft findings your team helped build: what's working, and what isn't.

Test the findings together

We doPressure-test every finding with your team before anything is final, so nothing lands as a surprise.

You provideYour management team for one working session.

You getFindings your team has checked and stands behind.

Hand over the plan and the method

We doDeliver the agreed report, next actions, and the method behind them.

You provideSign-off on the finished work.

You getThe report below, and a team that can run the analysis again next budget season.

Illustrative example · not a client result

What a finding looks like

A made-up resort, worked the way a real one would be. The P&L said everything was fine. Nobody did anything wrong. The answer was hiding in the baseline, and the team found it with us.

We're on budget. Are we leaving money on the table?

The executive question · 200-room resort (illustrative)

Symptom
The P&L is on budget and the monthly narrative raises no flags, yet flow-through trails comparable properties.
Evidence
Food and beverage labor per cover runs above benchmark, and overtime holds steady even in soft weeks.
Found together
Working through the labor numbers with the F&B director, she pointed out the budget was built from last year's actuals. We tested it together against forecast volume. That's where the gap showed up.
Root cause
Last year's inefficiency became this year's budget.
- Variance reports say “on target” because the target already includes the waste.
- No narrative flags it, because nothing is off budget.
- A system problem, not a people problem: the team did exactly what the budget asked.
Fix
Rebuild labor standards from forecast volume, and report against the standard as well as the budget. Your team learned the method during the assessment and keeps it.

Keep doingRooms is holding its margin, and pre-shift prep is solid. Protect both while anything else changes.

What it's worthAbout $51,000 a year.Assumes 45 labor hours a week above the volume-based standard, at $22 loaded, over 52 weeks. Illustrative only.

How you'll knowLabor per cover against the new standard, overtime hours, and flow-through, compared before and after.

Limitation: benchmarks show a gap, not its exact size at this property. The first quarter on the new standard is the test.

Got a question like this on your property?

Book a 20-minute call

Sample layout · illustrative

What you receive

A short report built to be used, not filed.

Assessment ReportYour property · Your operating question

Executive summaryThe answer in one page: what's happening, why, and what to do first.
Supporting evidenceThe records and observations behind each finding, and their limits.
Strengths to preserveWhat is working, why it matters, and what to protect or repeat.
Prioritized actionsRanked by impact and effort, so you know what comes first.
Who's accountableWho is responsible for each action on your team.
VerificationThe measures you'll use to confirm each change worked.
The method, not just the answerYour team keeps the tools and the know-how to repeat the analysis without us.

Implementation and follow-up are not included. If you want help putting the plan in place, it's scoped separately as a project.

What's in, what's out

Included

One agreed executive question
Records review and on-site observation
A findings session with your managers
The written report and next actions
The method, so your team can repeat it

Not included

Questions outside the agreed scope
Putting the plan in place (available as a separate project)
Legal, accounting or staffing services

Is this property delivering the return it should?