Diagnostic Call

The diagnostic call is a short, confidential conversation about the current state of a development program. It is, in effect, a second opinion — an independent expert view from someone outside the program and outside its politics.

Most programs we are asked to look at are already under pressure on schedule or quality at the point of first contact: a safety-critical program with the SOP date at risk, a multi-company integration that has fallen behind, or an Automotive SPICE assessment for which the team is not yet ready. The call gives the person responsible a clear, independent read on where the program actually stands.

What the call is

The call takes about 30 minutes and is conducted via video or telephone. You describe the program and its main problem areas, and we ask the questions we would ask at the start of an engagement. It works best with a concrete starting point — for which we recommend the Pain Check described below — but it does not depend on one.

Confidentiality

The call is confidential. Nothing you describe leaves the conversation. If you wish, we will sign a written confidentiality agreement beforehand — your own, or one we provide. We routinely work within safety-critical programs under strict non-disclosure agreements; confidentiality is a precondition of our work.

What the call provides

By the end of the call, you will have:

• An independent read on where the program stands — including a straight answer to the question that usually matters most: whether the SOP date is still realistic, and if not, what holding it would require.
• The pattern your situation matches. Programs in difficulty tend to follow recognizable patterns. Someone who has seen many of them can usually name what is driving yours, how such programs typically develop, and what recovery normally costs.
• A sense of what is normal. Much of what feels alarming inside a program is common; some of it is not. We can tell you which is which, and how comparable programs have handled it.
• The first risks we would address — where we would start, and why.

If you would like one, we will follow the call with a short written summary of these points. If we conclude we are not the right support, we will say so and indicate what we believe would help instead.

Who it is for

The call is for people who work in system development at OEMs and suppliers alike.

That includes those who run the program — program and project managers, engineering managers, and the sponsors above them — and those who carry its technical weight: chief engineers, system architects, technical fellows, quality-assurance and functional-safety leads, and the developers, test engineers, and integration engineers doing the work. What they have in common is proximity — close enough to the program to see that it is in difficulty.

Our work is concentrated in the automotive sector; the same questions arise in medical technology, rail, and industrial development.

Before the call: the Pain Check

The CORE SPICE Pain Check is a short self-assessment of where a program is under pressure. It takes a few minutes to complete and covers the main dimensions of a program’s health.

We recommend running it before you contact us and sending the result together with your request. It gives the call a concrete basis, so the thirty minutes go to substance rather than orientation. The call is equally open to you without it — if you would rather simply talk, that is fine.

The Pain Check can also be used entirely on its own, without a call.

→ CORE SPICE Pain Check: https://projectcrunch.com/pain-check/

How to book

A diagnostic call is free of charge and carries no obligation. To arrange one, please write to info_at_unitedmentors.com with a brief description of the program and the current situation— and, where possible, your completed Pain Check. We will reply within one working day to agree on a time.