Keel. Book a call
A working session at the far end of our meeting room

Six practices. Fixed fees.

Each engagement is led by a partner, runs six to twelve weeks and is priced in writing before it starts.

Where every engagement starts

The diagnostic, $8,500

Two weeks. We interview your managers, read two years of figures and spend a day where the work is done. You get a written plan with what each problem costs and how long the fix takes, and it is yours to use with or without us.

For work that runs longer

Retainers, from $6,000 a month

For forecasting, change and board work that lasts past twelve weeks. The days included are set in the letter of engagement, and either side can end it with thirty days' notice.

01

Operations

For companies whose orders take longer to go out than they should, or whose overtime bill keeps rising.

What you get

  • Order-to-delivery mapped with the people who do each step
  • Capacity and scheduling rules for each line or team
  • A weekly measure of lead time and rework
  • Two of your staff trained to keep it running
Length
8 to 12 weeks
Fee
Fixed, from $42,000

02

Pricing

For companies whose sales grow every year while the margin on them does not.

What you get

  • Every discount granted in the past year, reviewed line by line
  • New price lists and a quoting sheet your sales team will use
  • Approval rules for discounts above a set level
  • A monthly margin report by customer and product
Length
6 to 8 weeks
Fee
Fixed, from $28,000

03

Finance and forecasting

For owners who hear about a cash squeeze from their bank before their own reports show it.

What you get

  • A 13-week cash forecast, updated every Monday
  • A monthly pack of figures in the format your lender asks for
  • An annual budget built with each department head
  • After setup, we run the forecast with your controller each month
Length
6 weeks to set up, then monthly
Fee
Setup from $24,000, then $6,000 a month

04

Growth

For companies weighing a new market, a new product line or the purchase of a competitor.

What you get

  • Profit by customer, product and region, from your own books
  • Three options for growth, each with its cost and its risk
  • A one-year plan for the option you choose
Length
8 to 10 weeks
Fee
Fixed, from $36,000

05

Change

For a reorganization, a new ERP system or a merger that has to happen while the business keeps trading.

What you get

  • A staged plan with a date and an owner for every step
  • A weekly progress meeting with your leadership team
  • What to tell staff at each stage, and when
  • A partner on site for the week of the cutover
Length
10 to 12 weeks, or monthly
Fee
Fixed from $48,000, or $6,000 a month

06

Board advisory

For owners preparing a sale, a handover to the family, or a first board with outside members.

What you get

  • A partner at four board meetings a year, and on call between them
  • Board papers and an agenda set up with you
  • Help finding one or two independent directors
Length
Twelve months, renewed yearly
Fee
Retainer from $6,000 a month
An advisor going through the pricing review with the client's owner

Case study · Pricing

A bakery supplier won back four points of margin.

A family-owned maker of frozen baked goods in Wisconsin, 210 people in two plants. Sales had grown by a third in three years while gross margin fell from 31% to 24%.

The diagnostic found discounts outside the price list on six orders in ten, set by eleven different people. In nine weeks we rebuilt the price list, gave discount approval to two people and set up a weekly margin report.

+4.2 pts
Gross margin
9 weeks
Engagement
$38,000
Fixed fee

Four kinds of company we know well.

Manufacturers

Food, plastics and metal fabrication, in plants of 50 to 400 people.

Clinic and hospital groups

Multi-site practices and regional hospitals: scheduling, billing and staffing costs.

Wholesale and distribution

Stock levels, freight and pricing for distributors carrying thousands of products.

Professional firms

Engineering, law and accounting practices: billable hours, rates and partner pay.

Not sure which practice fits?

Describe the problem in a few lines. A partner reads every enquiry and replies within one working day.