Parry, Murphy and Associates

Introduction

Parry, Murphy and Associates have developed a unique and highly reliable process that allows for the development of a candid company profile not normally obtainable by a company.  This insight can be helpful in fostering growth, productivity and focusing management on the critical issues facing their company.

The objective of our assessment is to identify the strengths, weaknesses and critical issues facing a company and then to make specific recommendations to overcome these weaknesses and critical issues.  Our assessment focuses on the main functional areas of a company.  These areas normally include management, finance, sales and marketing, operations and human resources.

Our primary tool used in obtaining insight into a client's strengths and weaknesses is the development of a series of comprehensive questionnaires, designed to appraise specific functions / topics within an organization.  During our initial meeting with a client's management we customize our process, including questionnaires, to suit the client's particular type of business.  A key factor to the success of our evaluation is that most of our questionnaires are completed anonymously by a cross-section of employees / management and returned directly to our possession.  This process allows for a very candid response as an individuals confidentiality is guaranteed.

The Assessment Process  

Once retained by a client we design a preliminary assessment format, which is thoroughly reviewed with the client's senior management in order to customize our process to suit the individual company's requirements.  Together with our client, we:

• Identify which functional areas need to be assessed.
• Determine which topics, within a functional area, need to be reviewed
• Develop specific questions (line items) for each topic.
• Identify which employees are to be included in the assessment.
• Determine which line items are to be included in which employees questionnaire.

The result is a set of questionnaires, customized for each selected employee.

For each line item on an employee's questionnaire we ask the employee to "Rate your company in the following areas, using a scale of 1 through 10. 10 for "no improvement possible", 1 for "it could not get any worse".  We then obtain a final score for each line item by calculating the average points for each line item and displaying the results graphically.

The results to our questionnaires highlight those areas that we need to concentrate on in order to identify the company's strengths, weaknesses and critical issues.  Our extensive hands-on business experience enables us to constructively assess a situation and then to make specific and practical recommendations in order to improve the overall performance of the company.

As part of our assessment process, we also conduct assessments such as Employee Performance Appraisals, Personality Style Assessments, Employee Ranking of Importance of Benefits, etc.  Our methods are designed in such a way as to neutralize the fact that everyone has different standards for measuring performance.  The results of these assessments also gives a strong indication of the ability of individuals, and the group as a whole, to deal with certain situations.

Benefits of the Assessment Process.

• The issuance of a concise report dealing with strengths, weaknesses and critical issues, together with specific recommendations for improvements.
• Constructive employee involvement in the assessment process.  Reduces employee resistance to implementation of recommendations.
• Due to the anonymous nature of the information gathering process, a very candid employee response is obtained.
• Each assessment is customized to suit each client's particular needs.
• The methods by which the Employee Performance Appraisals are conducted reduces the risk of a legal challenge.
• Included to the appendix to the written report, most of the results are shown in graphic or chart format.
• Quick identification of key data by the reader of the final report.
• An assessment performed on a regular basis is an invaluable tool for management to identify changes in a particular area at a very early stage.
• Graphics and charts can be prepared showing the results for a particular area over a period of time, thereby serving as a yardstick for management to ascertain whether an area is static, improving, or deteriorating, as well as prioritizing where energies should be targeted.
• Employees appreciate the opportunity to give their input in order to improve the performance of their company.
• Assessments can be designed to measure the performance of a department and / or a manager.
• Management can gain insight into a subsidiary / division not normally obtainable through the regular channels.
• Absentee owners can keep an eye on their company without undermining management.
• An impartial, third party review to validate the action required to improve a company's performance.