Front Office Diagnostic

What it is

The diagnostic is a time-boxed assessment of the front office, performed before any larger engagement is committed. It produces a written read on the current state of the function, identifies the gaps that matter, and recommends a sequenced path forward — what to fix first, what to defer, what to leave alone.

It is bought standalone by clients who want the assessment without commitment to a build. It is also the most common entry point into a larger front office engagement — when the diagnostic surfaces work the client decides to commission, the assessment becomes the brief for what comes next.

What's in scope

A structured review of the front office across the seven domains the service line covers — operating model, organization, MarTech and data, demand and conversion, customer path, AI deployment, and governance. The review draws on existing data, stakeholder interviews, system inspection, and benchmarking against comparable operating environments.

The deliverable is a written assessment, typically twenty to forty pages depending on scope, with an executive summary, domain-by-domain findings, prioritized recommendations, and a sequenced path for the next twelve months.

What it's not

The diagnostic is not a marketing audit. It does not produce a campaign-level critique or a checklist of channel-specific tactics. It operates at the level of operating model, infrastructure, and capability — the layers below execution.

It is also not a rubber stamp. The diagnostic is only useful if it can return findings the client did not expect or did not want to hear. Engagements that begin with a predetermined conclusion are declined.

When companies engage us for the diagnostic

Three patterns are common.

Before a board or sponsor conversation.

Leadership needs an independent read on the commercial function before committing to a multi-quarter investment. The diagnostic produces the document that frames the decision.

Before hiring a CMO or VP of Growth.

The hiring decision benefits from a clear definition of what the role is being asked to do. The diagnostic produces that definition.

Inside a portfolio company, post-close.

A sponsor has invested behind a commercial thesis and needs an early read on what the function actually is, what the value-creation plan should commission, and where the early-priority work sits.

Engagement shape

Diagnostic engagements are fixed-scope, fixed-fee, and time-boxed. Cycles range from four to six weeks depending on the scale of the function and the depth of system inspection required.

The staffing model is lean — one senior operator running the assessment end to end. The work is AI-native: stakeholder interview synthesis, document and data review, benchmarking, and report production are accelerated by AI; the judgment about what the findings mean and what to do about them is not.