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We employ a simple, flexible and non-hierarchical structure. Major policy and strategy questions are resolved through a Management Committee consisting of the most senior professionals in the firm. Responsibility for management and administrative functions is extensively delegated, with all levels of the firm contributing. As a consequence, consultants at Dean & Company become involved with and have responsibility for major firm operating functions much earlier in their careers than is typical in the consulting industry.

Day to day case management is generally the responsibility of Managers. These individuals generally oversee the activities of more than one project at a time and usually have progressed to this level through a firm grounding in consulting at the Analyst and/or Associate level.

Associates and Analysts are at the core of Dean & Company's team-based approach to business problem solving and are given opportunities and challenges that provide them with the ability to progress as quickly as their performance warrants.

While each project is unique, the following roles normally come into play:

Research - A fundamental underpinning of our work is data, and consultants often have to be quite creative to find the critical data needed to address a client's issues. Research can range from simple tasks like downloading files from a client or performing research in the public domain (often through the Internet), to developing a creative way to collect data systematically and unobtrusively from suppliers or customers.

Analysis - Raw data are of little value. Advanced analytical techniques and model building are commonly used to integrate disparate sources of information into a coherent whole with meaningful implications for client action. Since we address questions that have not been satisfactorily answered before there is a premium on innovation and creativity.

Problem Solving - The deliverable to the client is a recommendation that will enhance their bottom line performance. This is more than research and analysis alone -- it is solving the problem and recommending practical and implementable solutions.

Communication - Effective communication is critical to ensuring full understanding of our work, both internally and with clients. Case teams cannot provide effective feedback and clients cannot implement well if they do not understand what is being proposed. Consequently, good oral and written communication skills are vital. While many of these skills are acquired over time, we expect new consultants to be able to articulate a point of view and to show promise of being able to persuade clients to act.

Client Relations - In addition to communicating results to the client, consultants need to develop skills to anticipate and react to the client's needs. The essence of our work is providing insights and solutions to enhance our clients' bottom-line; to achieve this requires an understanding of the client situation across all levels of the client organization.

Work Plan Structuring - Our work is complex and multidisciplinary. Although every assignment has a work plan that defines major work elements; individual consultants play a significant role in defining the structure of specific modules of work. The ability to identify outputs, understand what will be needed to attain those outputs and estimate how long it will take to achieve them is critical in all our work.