"TBD is the best thing the firm has done for years. It is like a breath of fresh air. We can handle a variety of issues in a fast and practical way without getting bogged down by argument and long-winded discussion. The group planning gives us a much better collective focus on what we have to do next and the simple means to do it as well."

Keith Simpkins FJ Warren

“It’s a bit like painting by numbers. (TBD) breaks down the leadership and management of a complex situation into easily applied, common sense actions and protocols. I always seem to know what to do next. It certainly takes away a lot of the stress of running your own business.”

Tony Chapel Golz Engineering Ltd

“TBD has achieved more in three weeks than I normally achieve in six months”.

Jeff Heyes, veteran turnaround specialist in the UK print industry Borcombe Ltd

“As managers, we are not left taking decisions in isolation also the planning system helps bring us together so that we are not fighting one another all the time. I haven’t heard the board arguing for the six weeks since the TBD process started.”

Simon Thomson, senior sales executive, Souter Marine

“Instead of having departmental rivalry, each department can now see that what they are doing may be causing a problem for other departments. They are now far more supportive of altering their own ways of doing things to assist the needs of other departments.”

Martin Daniel, production director, BAS Fine Art Printers

“The improvement projects set up by the planning team have introduced an array of initiatives including lean manufacturing techniques, such as the 5 ‘S’s, and widespread NVQ training. We are already experiencing reductions in scrap generated and are projecting a 25% savings in the despatch department. Basically the whole place just seems a lot more organised.”

Phil Williams, Operations Director, Holloid Plastics Ltd

“Senior managers now make more of a communal effort. We talk a lot more, whereas before we worked in isolation; each doing their own thing, but not really realizing our impact on other departments. Factory workflow is much improved and profitability is up.”

Marc Allen director Tekne shop fitting Ltd

“… The most exciting thing to have happened since I set up the company… Not only do we now have a much clearer overall direction, but the planning process disciplines us to focus on exactly how we will fulfil our aims."

Clive Elliott, Elliott and Hayward Partnership, agricultural contractors

“Jeremy Old has the unique ability of engaging, understanding and pulling teams of people together across all disciplines in the business and focusing us all in achieving our personal and company goals – Fantastic!”

Toby Martin, joint managing director, SPS Group Ltd

We have learned a lot from Jeremy’s involvement and now have a clear structure to the way we run improvement projects. TBD has really helped us see the forward strategy, identifying future risks and opportunities in a structured way.

Jerry Steedman, MD

"At the time we really needed help, Jeremy came through and provided invaluable aid restructuring and redirecting the business. He put us back into a healthy profit after a really difficult period when the recession hit us. A year later we are using him again to help refine systems, processes and teamwork"

Ed Taylor, Director

“TBD is just brilliant. The one-day workshop has transformed 100 or so whinges into 14 coherent projects. It has collated, filtered and ordered all the different viewpoints and opinions so that the links have become apparent and we can see where we are and where we need to get to next.”

Mandy Williamson, Chief Executive, MIND Exeter