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Exponential

How we work

A diagnostic-first engagement model

Every engagement with Exponential follows the same six phases, whatever the practice area. The model exists to answer the questions organisations rightly ask before hiring advisers: what will success look like in our numbers, who will actually do the work, what happens after the report, and when will we no longer need you.

The six phases

  1. 01

    1. Consultation

    A 30-minute conversation, in English or Arabic, with a senior member of the team. We listen for the outcome you want, not the service you think you need, and we tell you honestly whether it is something we should work on together.

    You receive: A written note of what success would look like in your own measures, and a proposal for a diagnostic if one is warranted.

  2. 02

    2. Bounded diagnostic

    A short, fixed-price piece of work with a fixed deliverable. We map the current state across the functions the outcome touches, quantify the gap, and identify the two or three changes that matter most. It ends with a decision that is yours to take: continue, adjust or stop.

    You receive: A diagnostic report, a prioritised list of changes with expected impact, and a costed option for the next phase.

  3. 03

    3. Programme design under one accountable lead

    If you continue, one named lead is accountable for the whole programme across strategy, finance, technology, operations and governance, bringing in specialists where needed rather than handing you five separate workstreams. Milestones, decision rights and the reporting cadence are agreed before work starts.

    You receive: A programme plan with milestones, the team by name, a steering structure, and the measures we will report against.

  4. 04

    4. Implementation

    We stay through delivery. Progress is reported against the agreed measures on a fixed cadence, fees are tied to milestones, and the steering group takes decisions on time because the information in front of it is reliable.

    You receive: Milestone reports, working sessions with your teams, and the changes actually made, not just described.

  5. 05

    5. Capability transfer and handover

    The end state is that your people run the new model without us. Training, documentation and handover are planned from the start, with a stated date on which we expect to no longer be needed, and a short follow-up to check that the results have held.

    You receive: Documented processes, trained owners for each, and a follow-up review at an agreed interval.

  6. 06

    6. Governance of the engagement

    Throughout, the engagement itself is governed: a steering group with clear decision rights, an escalation path, disclosure of any conflict of interest, and agreed handling and return of your data. This is written down in the proposal, not improvised later.

    You receive: An engagement charter covering decisions, reporting, confidentiality and data.

Principles we hold ourselves to

  • 01We define success in your numbers before we scope anything.
  • 02The people in the proposal are the people in the room.
  • 03We do not quote a programme before the diagnostic.
  • 04We plan our own exit from day one.

Across five practices

The model is the same whether the work sits in business strategy and growth, financial and wealth advisory, digital and technology transformation, operations and performance excellence, or compliance, governance and risk management. Most transformations touch several of them, which is why one accountable lead matters.

See the five practices

Common questions

How is an engagement priced?
Each phase is priced on its own. The diagnostic is a fixed fee with a fixed deliverable. Later phases are priced with milestones, so fees follow delivery. We do not price a full programme before the diagnostic, because nobody can do that honestly.
In which languages do you work?
English and Arabic, with the same team across both. Board papers, workshops and reports are produced in the language your stakeholders use.
Where do you work?
From our office in Mtayleb, north of Beirut, for organisations in Lebanon, the wider region and worldwide. Diagnostics and steering meetings can run on site or remotely, depending on where your team and shareholders are.

Start with the 30-minute consultation

Tell us the outcome you want. We will tell you whether a diagnostic is the right next step.

Book a consultation