Gillian has truly done us proud. An excellent working session all round, and a very usefully concise set of notes. We much appreciate all she has contributed in helping map out our priorities and actions going forward.
Peter McCombs
President, Intelligent Transportation Systems, NZ
You did such a wonderful job yesterday creating a safe, open, friendly environment that allowed the free exchange of ideas without judgement and created a task-oriented plan that will be very useful to both our companies. This was a really worthwhile workshop.
Lynley M
Lend Lease
Do you need a vision for your business?
Do you need a business plan to enable your vision?
Do you need a partnering agreement with your suppliers?
Do you need a monitoring/feedback system to guide you with the alignment to your vision or performance?
Then you need Taylored Solutions
In the difficult and challenging world of engineering, contracting and contractors Gillian has provided and facilitated the formulation of these valuable tools with outstanding success. Gillian’s in-depth knowledge and ability to pull together a diverse group of people to agree on common objectives or KPI ‘s sets up a robust platform that ensures the success of the project.
We have used Gillian for not only our own departmental business plan but also for our major civil contracts. The framework for common objectives and agreement on values has meant that all parties are in alignment and focus on best for project resulting in no disputes and a successful outcome for all parties.
Our investment with Taylored Solutions has paid handsome dividends and I can only highly recommend them.
There is always a better way and Taylored Solutions can help you achieve break throughs in performance.
Eric Hennephof
Auckland Transport
I have recruited Gillian’s services into a number organisations I have led.
In the most recent engagement we contracted Gillian initially to build the business planning model, bringing all areas of the business into an integrated approach to planning, reporting and review.
Gillian made a significant contribution to lift the planning process’s in our company from rudimentary to competent. This was acknowledged by external audits of these functions for funding purposes and gave us a sound base on which to grow revenues and scale our organisational capability to match. This was during times of strong growth, year on year.
She was easy to work with, able to be flexible and address a diverse range of issues that occur during periods of growth. Her experience and competence over a range of management disciplines made her invaluable. Also, her quiet but competent approach allowed her to work across the organisation without making people feel threatened.
Always ambitious for the success of her client not personal aggrandizement.
I would have no hesitation in using Gillian’s services again and will do so when I have the opportunity.
CEO
Technology Company
Gillian’s experience in the formation and operation of Joint Ventures was obvious in the way she talked knowledgeably and informatively on a range of subjects, i.e. governance through to monitoring the health of the relationship, and was able to reference an extensive list of JVs she had been involved in.
Gillian drove the process until such time the JV partners took ownership and we were able to manage a seamless transition, following which Gillian remained available to assist if and when required. A very valuable, experienced and well practiced facilitator.
Robert Ferris
GM Electrix Ltd
Gillian Taylor of Taylored Solutions Limited was appointed by our client, North Shore City Council to assist in the development and implementation of a contractual relationship to ensure that the services that we provided focused on delivering best value by operating within a collaborative environment that encouraged shared problem solving and continuous improvement.
As the Partnership Facilitator, Gillian has displayed a high level of commercial acumen and contractual understanding by using formal structures and processes to ensure a successful phasing in of a partnering relationship. Because of Gillian’s customised approach, the transition was extremely smooth and met very tight timeframes.
This was achieved because Gillian utilised appropriate communication strategies for a wide range of forums with a broad mix of managerial, technical and operational participants to address difficult and complex issues.
Gillian was able to implant the importance of embracing a shared vision and set of collective goals to all involved with the contract to create an open and positive joint team culture that we are confident will lead to a long and successful relationship.
Based on the above, we would unreservedly recommend Gillian and Taylored Solutions Limited to any organisation seeking to implement or gain a greater understanding of collaborative or partnering relationships.
Dave Edwards
Bilfinger Berger Services (NZ) Ltd
In the past few years we have been working with Gillian Taylor to further develop our strategic relationship management, which in a number of instances has evolved into partnership management programs. With effective facilitation from Gillian we have seen these partnerships develop and become increasing valuable not only to our organisation, but also those we are partnering with.
Grant Dennehy
NGC Energy Services
SAP New Zealand engaged Taylored Solutions to help us develop our internal understanding about Partnership Charters and coach our Account Executives in how to develop them. They provided a framework that covered the Charter as part of an overall Partnering Agreement, which includes the agreed behaviours, goals, engagement model and ongoing performance management.
The work they (Taylored Solutions) have delivered to date has been very valuable and well received by the Customer we are currently developing a strategic relationship with. We plan to agree and finalise the Agreement and Charter through workshops using Taylored Solutions as our facilitator. We are very satisfied with the results delivered by Taylored Solutions to date.
Karel Driessen
SAP New Zealand Ltd
Gillian Taylor of Taylored Solutions has over the last 12 months provided me with professional services to improve the Relationship we have some of our major customers, by focusing on the total picture of Value Management.
Gillian’s input and feedback on some of our activities and approach has enabled us to modify and improve our processes and customer approach. This has also meant changes in some of our reporting to ensure we are measuring non-traditional indicators.
The feedback to date from these key clients has been positive, although initially it took some time to get their buy in, and in some cases a wait and see attitude exists.
In summary, I found the concepts and Gillian’s approach to them refreshing. While the results are not instant I believe the Value Management does provide a powerful tool longer term.
Relationship Manager
IT Company
Taylored Solutions personnel ran a Strategic Partnering Workshop for over 20 Senior Managers from throughout New Zealand. Their brief was to align our management thinking on partnering and what it means to us, and to introduce partnership principles, behaviours and to outline the tools and processes for effective partnering.
The outcome of this seminar formed the basis for our customer relationship strategy which we have since introduced successfully with some of our key clients.
Taylored Solutions also supported us in a major tender bid by providing the relationship message that we wished to have with the client, through input into the tender response document to attending and presenting to the client during the tender selection process.
In the future we will continue to move further towards introducing the Value Management System, a unique product developed by Taylored Solutions, that will enable the real value of the client relationship to be understood by all the partners.
From a personal viewpoint I have always found Gillian Taylor and her colleagues easy to do business with, and to be consistently modeling the behaviours that go towards building the long-term relationships and behaviours that businesses today need to exhibit.
Jeff F
Engineering Services Firm
The work on managing value in the alliance helped us, as representatives of the parent companies, to gain visibility of the overall value of the alliance to us. It helped us understand each others position better and hence we could hold a more meaningful discussion to resolve problems.
Paul Muckleston
Mircosoft NZ
