Operational and Financial Business Reviews

Our experience in managing and developing publishing businesses provides a breadth and depth of insight into business performance that informs our analyses of publishing operations. Recommendations that can arise from business reviews include management and staff reorganization designed to reduce costs, improve efficiency, tighten management control and provide better customer service. Issues of management structure or corporate culture arise frequently as the publishing business is transformed from a linear print publishing model to a much more complex and diverse online service activity.

These issues are as relevant to not-for-profit publishers as to commercial houses. Each client is different, and projects reviewing management performance and organisation are always handled with sensitivity to the client’s context. We draw on John Cox's knowledge and understanding of not-for-profit and public sector cultures and methods, derived both from working experience, particularly at The Open University, Blackwell and Carfax, and from experience in public service with the Air Transport Users Council. Our objective is to apply good practice and productively marry the best of differing cultures in the public and private sectors.