Consulting

Consulting Frameworks

Comprehensive methodologies used by top consulting firms (McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Accenture) for problem-solving, strategy, and business transformation.

How to Consult

When applying this skill, act like an engagement manager, not an encyclopedia:

1. Clarify before analyzing. If the problem is vague, ask up to 3 questions about scope, success criteria, and constraints — or state your assumptions explicitly and proceed.
2. Lead with a Day-1 hypothesis. State your initial answer early, then use analysis to test it. Don't survey frameworks hoping an answer emerges.
3. Pick 1–3 frameworks, not many. Choose the ones that fit the question (use the Quick Framework Selection below) and apply them deeply. Listing frameworks is not analysis.
4. Show your structure. Render issue trees and matrices as ASCII diagrams so the user can challenge the breakdown. Keep every breakdown MECE.
5. Quantify wherever possible. Rough numbers with stated assumptions beat qualitative hand-waving. Sanity-check estimates top-down and bottom-up.
6. End every analysis with "So what?" Conclusions must be recommendations the user can act on, not observations. Structure final answers with the Pyramid Principle: answer first, then 3–5 supporting arguments.
7. Offer a deliverable. When a template matches the work (SWOT report, business case, project charter, RACI, BMC), offer to fill it in.

Framework Categories

Category	Frameworks	File
Problem-Solving	MECE, Pyramid Principle, Issue Tree, Hypothesis-Driven, McKinsey 7-Step, SCQ, Storyboarding, 80/20	problem-solving.md
Strategic Analysis	McKinsey 7S, Porter's 5 Forces, SWOT, BCG Matrix, 3C, 4P, Value Chain, PESTEL, Ansoff, GE-McKinsey, Blue Ocean, VRIO, Porter's Generic Strategies	strategy.md
Case Frameworks	Profitability, Market Sizing, M&A/Due Diligence, Pricing, Market Entry	cases.md
Business Design	Business Model Canvas, Design Thinking, Customer Journey, STP	design.md
Project & Change	WBS, RACI, Kotter's 8 Steps, ADKAR, Risk Matrix, Stakeholder Analysis, Balanced Scorecard, OKRs, McKinsey Horizons	projects.md
Financial Analysis	ROI, NPV, IRR, Payback, Break-even, Sensitivity Analysis, Business Case	finance.md
Operations	Lean (8 Wastes, 5S), Six Sigma (DMAIC), Process Mapping, Root Cause (5 Whys, Fishbone), Pareto, PDCA	operations.md

Quick Framework Selection

"I need to solve a complex problem"

→ McKinsey 7-Step Process + MECE + Issue Tree See: problem-solving.md

"I need to structure a presentation"

→ Pyramid Principle + SCQ + Storyboarding See: problem-solving.md

"I need to analyze a company or market"

→ PESTEL (macro) + Porter's 5 Forces (industry) + SWOT (company) + 3C (positioning) See: strategy.md

"I need to evaluate growth options"

→ Ansoff Matrix + GE-McKinsey Matrix + BCG Matrix See: strategy.md

"I need to create a new strategy"

→ Blue Ocean + VRIO + Porter's Generic Strategies See: strategy.md

"Why are profits declining?"

→ Profitability Framework (Revenue × Volume breakdown) See: cases.md

"How big is this market?"

→ Market Sizing (Top-down + Bottom-up) See: cases.md

"Should we acquire this company?"

→ M&A Framework + Due Diligence + Synergy Analysis See: cases.md

"What price should we set?"

→ Pricing Framework (Cost-plus, Value-based, Competitive) See: cases.md

"Should we enter this market?"

→ Market Entry Framework + Porter's 5 Forces + Profitability See: cases.md

"I'm designing a new product or business"

→ Business Model Canvas + Design Thinking + Customer Journey See: design.md

"I'm managing a project"

→ WBS + RACI + Risk Matrix + Stakeholder Analysis See: projects.md

"I'm driving organizational change"

→ Kotter's 8 Steps + ADKAR + Stakeholder Analysis See: projects.md

"I need to set goals and measure performance"

→ OKRs + Balanced Scorecard + KPIs See: projects.md

"I need to make an investment decision"

→ NPV + IRR + Payback + Sensitivity Analysis See: finance.md

"I need to improve operations"

→ Process Mapping + Root Cause Analysis + Lean + Six Sigma See: operations.md

The Complete Consulting Flow

1. RECEIVE PROBLEM
   └── Clarify scope and success criteria
              ↓
2. CREATE DAY-1 ANSWER
   └── Initial hypothesis based on experience
              ↓
3. DEFINE PROBLEM (SCQ)
   └── Situation, Complication, Question
              ↓
4. STRUCTURE (MECE + Issue Tree)
   └── Break into testable components
              ↓
5. PRIORITIZE (80/20)
   └── Focus on high-impact branches
              ↓
6. BUILD WORKPLAN
   └── Who, what, when, how
              ↓
7. STORYBOARD (Ghostpack)
   └── Design the end deliverable
              ↓
8. CONDUCT ANALYSES
   └── Test hypotheses with data
              ↓
9. SYNTHESIZE ("So What?")
   └── Extract insights and implications
              ↓
10. STRUCTURE COMMUNICATION (Pyramid)
    └── Answer-first, supporting arguments
              ↓
11. PRESENT & DELIVER
    └── Communicate, get approval, implement

Framework Combinations

Strategic Planning

PESTEL → Porter's 5 Forces → 3C → SWOT → Issue Tree → Recommendations

New Market Entry

Market Sizing → Porter's 5 Forces → 3C → Market Entry Framework → Financial Analysis

M&A Evaluation

Strategic Rationale → Target Analysis → Due Diligence → Synergies → Valuation → Integration Plan

Business Turnaround

Profitability Analysis → Root Cause → Value Chain → Cost Reduction → Quick Wins → Transformation Roadmap

Product Launch

Market Sizing → STP → Business Model Canvas → Pricing → Go-to-Market → OKRs

Transformation Program

Current State → Gap Analysis → Kotter's 8 Steps → WBS → RACI → Balanced Scorecard

Available Templates

See templates/ for ready-to-use documents:

• SWOT Analysis Report
• Business Model Canvas
• Business Case Template
• Project Charter
• RACI Matrix

Framework Index (Alphabetical)

Framework	Category	Primary Use
3C Framework	Strategic	Competitive positioning
4P Marketing Mix	Strategic	Marketing strategy
5 Whys	Operations	Root cause analysis
5S	Operations	Workplace organization
80/20 Rule	Problem-Solving	Prioritization
ADKAR	Change	Individual change management
Ansoff Matrix	Strategic	Growth strategy
Balanced Scorecard	Execution	Strategy measurement
BCG Matrix	Strategic	Portfolio management
Blue Ocean Strategy	Strategic	Market creation
Business Model Canvas	Design	Business model design
Customer Journey	Design	Customer experience
Design Thinking	Design	Innovation process
DMAIC	Operations	Process improvement
Due Diligence	Case	M&A evaluation
Fishbone Diagram	Operations	Root cause analysis
GE-McKinsey Matrix	Strategic	Portfolio prioritization
Hypothesis Tree	Problem-Solving	Testing theories
Issue Tree	Problem-Solving	Problem decomposition
Kotter's 8 Steps	Change	Organizational change
Lean / 8 Wastes	Operations	Waste elimination
M&A Framework	Case	Acquisition evaluation
Market Entry	Case	New market decisions
Market Sizing	Case	Opportunity sizing
McKinsey 7-Step	Problem-Solving	Problem-solving process
McKinsey 7S	Strategic	Organizational analysis
McKinsey Horizons	Execution	Growth portfolio
MECE	Problem-Solving	Structuring
NPV/IRR/ROI	Financial	Investment analysis
OKRs	Execution	Goal setting
Pareto Analysis	Operations	Prioritization
PDCA Cycle	Operations	Continuous improvement
PESTEL	Strategic	Macro environment
Porter's 5 Forces	Strategic	Industry analysis
Porter's Generic Strategies	Strategic	Competitive strategy
Pricing Framework	Case	Price setting
Process Mapping	Operations	Workflow visualization
Profitability Framework	Case	Profit analysis
Pyramid Principle	Problem-Solving	Communication
RACI Matrix	Project	Role clarity
Risk Matrix	Project	Risk prioritization
SCQ	Problem-Solving	Storytelling
Sensitivity Analysis	Financial	Risk assessment
Six Sigma	Operations	Quality improvement
Stakeholder Analysis	Project	Stakeholder management
Storyboarding	Problem-Solving	Presentation planning
STP	Design	Market targeting
SWOT Analysis	Strategic	Situation assessment
Value Chain	Strategic	Activity analysis
VRIO	Strategic	Resource advantage
WBS	Project	Work decomposition