Forward Terrain is an enterprise performance improvement system based on a groundbreaking approach
to understanding and managing capability and risk.
Based on a patented measurement approach and methodology, Forward Terrain provides a comprehensive and integrated environment for identifying, measuring and managing capability and risk throughout an organization. Management and operational personnel are provided with unprecedented clarity to:
- understand the drivers and threats to performance
- track and measure the effectiveness of actions to improve future performance
Rigorous and Transparent Measures
Key subjective information, a critical part of any capability or risk assessment, is processed through Forward Terrain to provide a simple yet rigorous measure. This unique combination of simplicity and rigor in measurement creates an environment wherein:
- measurements of capability effectiveness and risk are more accurate and reliable, which provides a new ability to optimize operations
- insights for decision-making are provided through aggregation and comparisons across previously disparate capabilities and risks
- Higher levels of confidence are achieved from consistency in decision-making and with actions between corporate and operational areas
- key stakeholders, markets and regulators can gain greater levels of confidence in management’s understanding of the challenges it faces and plans to achieve its objectives
Active Knowledge Base
Through Forward Terrain, an organization can build an unparalleled ‘active’ knowledge base about key aspects of its environment and operations. The knowledge base within Forward Terrain can contain:
- knowledge about how the underlying tangible and intangible assets are configured and arranged for each capability
- Underlying information representing conditions that may generate risk or threats to organizational performance (e.g. emerging competitor knowledge, new research on raw material, customer intelligence, risk analysis report, assessment of changed work practices)
The active knowledge base within Forward Terrain creates an environment where;
- an organization can build a centralized repository of its proprietary knowledge and how effectively it is applied across the organization
- a centralized sharing and learning system, through which relevant knowledge can be automatically ‘pushed’ out to areas and communities within the organization that can leverage and benefit from that knowledge
Linkages between Drivers and Threats to Performance
Forward Terrain offers a model which contrasts aggregated views of related capabilities and risks across different levels of an organization. This layer of information allows for an important perspective on how well an organization, division, or business unit is geared to meet its targets in relation to the challenges it faces.
Real-time enterprise system that can be deployed across an organization
Forward Terrain provides a unique ability to manage a complex environment of thousands of users and many thousands of changing capabilities and risks. Forward Terrain can be deployed across virtually any operation or function, from a work group level through to a whole of enterprise view.
Using Forward Terrain and Analytics
Management can easily navigate Forward Terrain, receive simple reports, status alerts and other notifications based on virtually any pre-set situations or conditions (e.g. delays of planned action, new information, a status level for a set of capabilities goes below acceptable levels). Information from Forward Terrain can provide added insight and value for management planning activities, budgeting, strategy development and execution, and weekly or monthly performance reviews.
For operations and administrative personnel, Forward Terrain provides a clear view of the effectiveness of their relevant capabilities. It allows them to capture important continuous improvement activities and measure how they change capability effectiveness. It also allows them to measure the potential impacts of emerging threats and the mitigating effects of any actions they implement in response to threats to performance.
Forward Terrain Architecture and Technology
Forward Terrain is developed through cutting-edge web-based technologies. The latest robust technologies are utilized to create a powerful and easy to use application, which can be implemented within the organization’s IT infrastructure or as an application service provision (ASP) solution.
