Consulting Frameworks

Comprehensive methodologies used by top consulting firms (McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Accenture) for problem-solving, strategy, and business transformation.

How to Consult

When applying this skill, act like an engagement manager, not an encyclopedia:

0. Match effort to the ask. A quick question deserves a focused answer built on one well-chosen framework — not the full engagement flow. Reserve the complete flow below for /consult or when the user asks for a deep dive. Depth should come from the user's problem, not from the skill.
1. Clarify before analyzing. If the problem is vague, ask up to 3 questions about scope, success criteria, and constraints — or state your assumptions explicitly and proceed.
2. Lead with a Day-1 hypothesis. State your initial answer early, then use analysis to test it. Don't survey frameworks hoping an answer emerges.
3. Pick 1–3 frameworks, not many. Choose the ones that fit the question (use the Quick Framework Selection below) and apply them deeply. Listing frameworks is not analysis.
4. Show your structure. Render issue trees and matrices as ASCII diagrams so the user can challenge the breakdown. Keep every breakdown MECE.
5. Quantify wherever possible. Rough numbers with stated assumptions beat qualitative hand-waving. Sanity-check estimates top-down and bottom-up.
6. End every analysis with "So what?" Conclusions must be recommendations the user can act on, not observations. Structure final answers with the Pyramid Principle: answer first, then 3–5 supporting arguments.
7. Offer a deliverable. When a template matches the work (SWOT report, business case, project charter, RACI, BMC), offer to fill it in.

Framework Categories

Category	Frameworks	File
Problem-Solving	MECE, Pyramid Principle, Issue Tree, Hypothesis-Driven, McKinsey 7-Step, SCQ, Storyboarding, 80/20	problem-solving.md
Strategic Analysis	McKinsey 7S, Porter's 5 Forces, SWOT, BCG Matrix, 3C, 4P, Value Chain, PESTEL, Ansoff, GE-McKinsey, Blue Ocean, VRIO, Porter's Generic Strategies	strategy.md
Case Frameworks	Profitability, Market Sizing, M&A/Due Diligence, Pricing, Market Entry	cases.md
Business Design	Business Model Canvas, Design Thinking, Customer Journey, STP	design.md
Project & Change	WBS, RACI, Kotter's 8 Steps, ADKAR, Risk Matrix, Stakeholder Analysis, Balanced Scorecard, OKRs, McKinsey Horizons	projects.md
Financial Analysis	ROI, NPV, IRR, Payback, Break-even, Unit Economics (LTV/CAC), Sensitivity Analysis, Business Case	finance.md
Operations	Lean (8 Wastes, 5S), Six Sigma (DMAIC), Process Mapping, Root Cause (5 Whys, Fishbone), Pareto, PDCA	operations.md

Quick Framework Selection

"I need to solve a complex problem"

→ McKinsey 7-Step Process + MECE + Issue Tree See: problem-solving.md

"I need to structure a presentation"

→ Pyramid Principle + SCQ + Storyboarding See: problem-solving.md

"I need to analyze a company or market"

→ PESTEL (macro) + Porter's 5 Forces (industry) + SWOT (company) + 3C (positioning) See: strategy.md

"I need to evaluate growth options"

→ Ansoff Matrix + GE-McKinsey Matrix + BCG Matrix See: strategy.md

"I need to create a new strategy"

→ Blue Ocean + VRIO + Porter's Generic Strategies See: strategy.md

"Why are profits declining?"

→ Profitability Framework (Revenue × Volume breakdown) See: cases.md

"How big is this market?"

→ Market Sizing (Top-down + Bottom-up) See: cases.md

"Should we acquire this company?"

→ M&A Framework + Due Diligence + Synergy Analysis See: cases.md

"What price should we set?"

→ Pricing Framework (Cost-plus, Value-based, Competitive) See: cases.md

"Should we enter this market?"

→ Market Entry Framework + Porter's 5 Forces + Profitability See: cases.md

"I'm designing a new product or business"

→ Business Model Canvas + Design Thinking + Customer Journey See: design.md

"I'm managing a project"

→ WBS + RACI + Risk Matrix + Stakeholder Analysis See: projects.md

"I'm driving organizational change"

→ Kotter's 8 Steps + ADKAR + Stakeholder Analysis See: projects.md

"I need to set goals and measure performance"

→ OKRs + Balanced Scorecard + KPIs See: projects.md

"I need to make an investment decision"

→ NPV + IRR + Payback + Sensitivity Analysis See: finance.md

"Is this business model viable? Are customers profitable?"

→ Unit Economics (LTV/CAC) + Break-even See: finance.md

"I need to improve operations"

→ Process Mapping + Root Cause Analysis + Lean + Six Sigma See: operations.md

The Complete Consulting Flow

1. RECEIVE PROBLEM
   └── Clarify scope and success criteria
              ↓
2. CREATE DAY-1 ANSWER
   └── Initial hypothesis based on experience
              ↓
3. DEFINE PROBLEM (SCQ)
   └── Situation, Complication, Question
              ↓
4. STRUCTURE (MECE + Issue Tree)
   └── Break into testable components
              ↓
5. PRIORITIZE (80/20)
   └── Focus on high-impact branches
              ↓
6. BUILD WORKPLAN
   └── Who, what, when, how
              ↓
7. STORYBOARD (Ghostpack)
   └── Design the end deliverable
              ↓
8. CONDUCT ANALYSES
   └── Test hypotheses with data
              ↓
9. SYNTHESIZE ("So What?")
   └── Extract insights and implications
              ↓
10. STRUCTURE COMMUNICATION (Pyramid)
    └── Answer-first, supporting arguments
              ↓
11. PRESENT & DELIVER
    └── Communicate, get approval, implement

Framework Combinations

Strategic Planning

PESTEL → Porter's 5 Forces → 3C → SWOT → Issue Tree → Recommendations

New Market Entry

Market Sizing → Porter's 5 Forces → 3C → Market Entry Framework → Financial Analysis

M&A Evaluation

Strategic Rationale → Target Analysis → Due Diligence → Synergies → Valuation → Integration Plan

Business Turnaround

Profitability Analysis → Root Cause → Value Chain → Cost Reduction → Quick Wins → Transformation Roadmap

Product Launch

Market Sizing → STP → Business Model Canvas → Pricing → Go-to-Market → OKRs

Transformation Program

Current State → Gap Analysis → Kotter's 8 Steps → WBS → RACI → Balanced Scorecard

Available Templates

See templates/ for ready-to-use documents:

• SWOT Analysis Report
• Business Model Canvas
• Business Case Template
• Project Charter
• RACI Matrix

Framework Index (Alphabetical)

Framework	Primary Use	File
3C Framework	Competitive positioning	strategy.md
4P Marketing Mix	Marketing strategy	strategy.md
5 Whys	Root cause analysis	operations.md
5S	Workplace organization	operations.md
80/20 Rule	Prioritization	problem-solving.md
ADKAR	Individual change management	projects.md
Ansoff Matrix	Growth strategy	strategy.md
Balanced Scorecard	Strategy measurement	projects.md
BCG Matrix	Portfolio management	strategy.md
Blue Ocean Strategy	Market creation	strategy.md
Business Model Canvas	Business model design	design.md
Customer Journey	Customer experience	design.md
Design Thinking	Innovation process	design.md
DMAIC	Process improvement	operations.md
Due Diligence	M&A evaluation	cases.md
Fishbone Diagram	Root cause analysis	operations.md
GE-McKinsey Matrix	Portfolio prioritization	strategy.md
Hypothesis Tree	Testing theories	problem-solving.md
Issue Tree	Problem decomposition	problem-solving.md
Kotter's 8 Steps	Organizational change	projects.md
Lean / 8 Wastes	Waste elimination	operations.md
M&A Framework	Acquisition evaluation	cases.md
Market Entry	New market decisions	cases.md
Market Sizing	Opportunity sizing	cases.md
McKinsey 7-Step	Problem-solving process	problem-solving.md
McKinsey 7S	Organizational analysis	strategy.md
McKinsey Horizons	Growth portfolio	projects.md
MECE	Structuring	problem-solving.md
NPV/IRR/ROI	Investment analysis	finance.md
OKRs	Goal setting	projects.md
Pareto Analysis	Prioritization	operations.md
PDCA Cycle	Continuous improvement	operations.md
PESTEL	Macro environment	strategy.md
Porter's 5 Forces	Industry analysis	strategy.md
Porter's Generic Strategies	Competitive strategy	strategy.md
Pricing Framework	Price setting	cases.md
Process Mapping	Workflow visualization	operations.md
Profitability Framework	Profit analysis	cases.md
Pyramid Principle	Communication	problem-solving.md
RACI Matrix	Role clarity	projects.md
Risk Matrix	Risk prioritization	projects.md
SCQ	Storytelling	problem-solving.md
Sensitivity Analysis	Risk assessment	finance.md
Six Sigma	Quality improvement	operations.md
Stakeholder Analysis	Stakeholder management	projects.md
Storyboarding	Presentation planning	problem-solving.md
STP	Market targeting	design.md
SWOT Analysis	Situation assessment	strategy.md
Unit Economics (LTV/CAC)	Customer profitability	finance.md
Value Chain	Activity analysis	strategy.md
VRIO	Resource advantage	strategy.md
WBS	Work decomposition	projects.md