The AACC Method
How We Work
The AACC Method is how we work with businesses to solve problems, make decisions and build lasting capability.
Where we start
A starting point may be a specific request, such as:
- We need funding
- We need better accounts
- We need to restructure
What AACC asks instead
What are you trying to achieve — and what is preventing you from achieving it?
This distinction changes how we advise, design and execute.
Think Backwards. Build Forwards.
Reverse engineering: we start with the end in mind.
- 01Desired OutcomeThe result the business is trying to reach.
- 02Must Be True?The conditions that must hold for that outcome to be reached.
- 03Required CapabilitiesWhat the business must be able to do to meet those conditions.
- 04Existing GapsWhere the business's current capabilities fall short.
- 05Root CausesWhy those gaps exist.
Only then do we move forward through the AACC Method.
The AACC Method
Six connected stages form a continuous cycle.
The stages guide the work; the scope and outputs are agreed for each engagement.
- 01
DEFINE
Establish the objective
Start with the destination.
We establish what success actually means by asking the right questions from the outset:
- What are you trying to achieve, and why does it matter to the business?
- What does success look like, in measurable, concrete terms?
- What is the timeline, and what constraints must we work within?
- What decisions need to be made?
Output A clear objective, problem statement and success criteria.
- 02
DIAGNOSE
Understand the reality
Separate symptoms from causes.
We build a fact-based view of where the business is and why, drawing on financial, operational, legal, governance and commercial evidence, and tracing observable issues through their drivers to their root causes and the critical gaps between the current state and the desired outcome.
Output A fact-based view of where you are, why you are there, and what is holding you back.
- 03
DECIDE
Determine what matters
Turn analysis into choices.
Good analysis should lead to better decisions. We consider the viable options, evaluate each on the evidence, and assess the trade-offs, risks and implications. We do not assume that the initial solution is necessarily the right starting point.
Output A clear decision with its rationale, implications and next steps.
- 04
DESIGN
Build the solution
Build the solution around the objective.
Once the direction is clear, we design what needs to change, which can include the business and corporate structure, governance, financial systems and performance measures, organisation and roles, processes and standard operating procedures, and transaction structure and capital strategy.
Output A practical future-state blueprint.
- 05
DELIVER
Turn it into reality
Move from advice to action.
A solution has value only when it is implemented. Each major initiative is planned with its actions, owners, timeline, dependencies, performance measures, risks and review points. Where engaged, we support implementation alongside the client's team.
Output An execution roadmap: the plan against which implementation is carried out and reviewed.
- 06
EMBED
Make it sustainable
Make the improvement last.
Our work should not create permanent dependence on the consultant. We embed change in people, processes, performance reviews, governance, systems and documentation, so the business can sustain and build on it independently.
Output Processes, responsibilities and documentation to support continued use of the improved system.
The cycle
Embedding a change is not the end of the Method. When objectives change, or when the business is ready for its next improvement, the cycle begins again at DEFINE.
What to expect
- Execution, not just recommendations
- Where engaged, we help move from plan to implementation.
- Sustainability beyond the engagement
- We build systems and capabilities that remain with the business.
- Practicality before complexity
- Solutions must work in the business's real operating environment.