National Logistics business – letters and parcels

Management audit is used for the evaluation of the upper and top management levels. It is a useful tool for companies wanting to get a clearer picture of what is really going on within their organization.

Organizations with diverse, inclusive leadership teams consistently attract the best talent, deliver superior customer experiences, and outperform the competition.

We were asked to appraise the senior management team of the largest division of a complex, formerly public sector but recently privatised national logistics business. Our remit was threefold:

• The management team had been in place for several years, but with the onset of open market competition, were these individuals able to deliver the necessary transformation of the business model?
• In what areas would they need to further develop specific skills and competencies to perform as required?
• Were these individuals appropriately rewarded and remunerated?

Our audit team devised, designed and delivered individual programmes to provide the project sponsors with an objective appraisal of every member of the management group. Our views were formed and reported through the analysis of evidence-based assessment, the application of our collective managerial experience and our extensive market and functional knowledge.

• An evidence-based assessment of each team member’s strengths and weaknesses, measured against core and job specific competencies and benchmarked against functional best practice.
• Identification of each individual’s personal development needs and provision of a specific and comprehensive development plan.
• A remuneration benchmark (linking to a staged, incremental incentive scheme).
• Introducing participants to the concept and benefits of rigorous and objective appraisals.

It was vital that the assessment process was non-threatening and enjoyable. Each participant completed the process feeling positive, having learned more about themselves, their strengths, and their specific role and contribution to the business. They were also clear about (and comfortable with) the areas identified for further personal development, and confident that progress made in such areas would directly influence their future success and remuneration.