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Phoenix Advantage |
Company Information
Phoenix Advantage, Inc. was incorporated in 1996 as Transformation Institute. The founding partners, Arun Vedhanayagam and Bruce Blagg, had previously led the turn-around of several organizations by combining fundamental leadership with innovative information technology (see Partner Bios). Analyzing their experiences, expertise, and mutual visions, they decided to switch roles from internal leaders of change to external consultants.
In forming the company, they wanted to create a consulting model different from ones they had experienced. In particular, they wanted
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All work performed by partners and associates based on experience as well as expertise
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A focus on added value to the client, not just completing a contract
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A business model that would minimize outside intervention (i.e., consultant days) for the client and maximize the development of internal change agents
These ideals were well received by the marketplace. The company was profitable and growing in less than five months versus the industry average of three years. Clients range from $50 million to over $2.5 billion in size, and represent a wide range of industries (see Client List).
The business model used by Phoenix Advantage resulted in an organizational structure different from many of the established consulting companies. To minimize the need for consulting days, and to provide flexibility to handle clients needs, the company has limited the number of direct employees and developed extensive strategic partnerships (See Strategic Partners). Thus, Phoenix Advantage can quickly provide resources for large projects while limiting the size of engagements overall.
The vision for the company has three branches of service: Consulting, Training, and Cooperative Research. The consulting service began first and consists of two areas:
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Management Consulting. This deals with issues of operational performance, leadership, business processes, and internal change management. It may or may not require information technology.
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Technology Consulting. This deals with the design, implementation, and effective integration of information technology into the business practice. Special focus is placed on achieving the returns used to justify the expenditure for the technology.
The second branch, Training, began in 1998. It started with custom training for specific clients, and was recently expanded, through an alliance with a private college, to include public offerings. The third branch, Cooperative Research, is under development in conjunction with two other strategic partners. (For more information on each of the branches, see Services.)
