DIEMconsulting has applied its techniques with three distinct client groups; corporate boards & executives, investors & financial analysts, public secrot policy makers & managers. The work we do is typically used to either prioritise threats & opportunities, test policies or improve their operations (see examples).
Corporate boards & executives
Our original service line was providing analysis of the financial impact of various types of security threats to corporates, so that they could develop the most cost effective threat mitigation plans. Our clients have included a number of FTSE 100 firms and so we have developed operational models of a number of sectors:
- Oil exploration & storage
- Insurance Claims processing
- Commercial property vulnerabilities
- Retail supply & demand chains
- Airport & airline supply & demand chains
- Healthcare supply & demand chains
- Transport system economic impacts
- Major project resource planning
In all cases these models allow clients to assess the financial impact of disruptions (from whatever source) and then test strategies to avoid or mitigate these risks. We have exposed our work as part of the lectures we give at the UK Resilience Centre, Cranfield University, on a number of their Corporate Risk & Security courses as well as a range of risk conferences.
Investors and financial analysts
DIEMconsulting worked with FOR Securities (a boutique investment bank in London) and its succesor Carle & Co (Sweden) to develop their ideas on the use of system-dynamics to guide investments. As a result of this work we developed overall industry models of:
- DRAM (memory chips)
- Metals (commodities)
These models are used to test the understanding of the industry and indicate the impact of industry performance of different macro & mico-economic scenarios.
Public sector policy makers & managers
Most of our work in government has focussed on defence, although we have now begun to apply our techniques to other departments such as BIS (Business Innovation & Skills)
Defence research
The early phase of the defence procurement process requires the definition of the Capabilities that will be met by equipments (as opposed to just replacing ships with ships, and planes with planes). However, with the increasing complexity of technology it is necessary to get a wider range of technical and military experts to contribute to the generation, experimentation and definition of potential military capabilities. DIEMconsulting created The IDEAS Network (where IDEAS = Independent Defence Expert Analysis) to enable this joint contribution to take place at the start of major defence research projects. The IDEAS Network, led by DIEMconsulting, has created a number of models to help defence primes to understand the drivers of particular military capabilities, identify those areas where new technology might yield the greatest benefit, and the quantify how much extra capability new technology could bring (compared to, for instance, cost or project risk). These models include:
- The System-Dynamics Analysis Framework (SDAF) for Section Close-Combat
- The C4ISTAR Capability Map and Model for Battegroup (and below) Close-Combat
Further details can be obtained from http://www.theideasnetwork.com
In addition to our work in the Concept phase of defence procurement, we have become heavily involved in assisting the MOD in developing Initial & Main-Gate business cases by using elements of our approach to ensure a robust audit trial for the evidence underpinning each case, in consultation with the various MOD scrutiny bodies.
Horizon scanning
We conducted work for the Horizon Scanning Centre (part of the Business Innovation & Skills department, formerly part of the Department of Innovation, Universities & Skills or DIUS) to map the drivers of uncertainty that affect future policy making across a range of policy areas.