“Our mission is to enable and empower Professional Services Organizations to be profitable, scalable, and efficient through change management, process improvement, and technology”: TOP Step Consulting

“We serve our customers’ needs through our expertise in professional services automation, vendor platforms, and partners.”

Professional Service Organizations (PSOs) are currently faced with powerful changes in their industries. These changes include a robust market environment stimulating growth and its associated pains, hopes and fears surrounding the impact of the Internet and e-commerce, historic shortages of key skill sets, industry consolidation and spin-offs from mergers and acquisitions, and increasingly sophisticated customers. At the same time, the issue of technology has risen to the boardroom in PSOs. Top executives are increasingly aware of technology as a basic requirement for doing business as well as a market differentiator and competitive advantage, and they worry about the costs of falling behind the curve. A plethora of Professional Services Automation solutions are emerging which adds to an executive’s technology dilemma – which one is the right one for the organization and how can we ensure smooth adoption. This is where TOP Step Consulting enters the picture.

TOP Step Consulting improves business efficiency and productivity for Professional Services organizations. Established in 2007, TOP Step helps their customers be more profitable, scalable, and efficient through professional services automation, process improvement, change management, and in-depth training. The team is comprised of experienced Professional Services Automation (PSA) consultants who understand the challenges and rewards of managing a Professional Services Automation system in multi-office and global business environments.

TOP Step’s set of services delivers a holistic approach to the complete professional services lifecycle, fitting the needs of the client whether they are just starting to investigate automated solutions or have an established system that needs to be optimized to business changes.

TOP Step Consulting genesis

The company was founded organically. During 2007, Jodi was heavily involved in a large global deployment of the NetSuite OpenAir product as a customer and advocate. Through this experience, she recognized an opportunity to start TOP Step Consulting as way to assist customers with the NetSuite OpenAir platform and get more out of their system investment. At that time only the product vendor had expertise in the platform as there were no other OpenAir partners. An expert reputation was quickly accomplished by delivering superior solutions and advisement to customers, partnering with the OpenAir vendor, and working to establish both an online and in-person customer community for sharing knowledge and experience.

This approach earned TOP Step a reputation of partnership and knowledge enablement that resulted in growth year over year. In 2014 TOP Step Consulting expanded to include the FinancialForce PSA solution, keeping the focus on the team’s expertise in Professional Services business processes and technology.

How did TOP Step evolve as a company?

TOP Step Consulting started with just a team of one (Jodi Cicci) and within a year there was high demand for helping PS organizations deploy and optimize their OpenAir System. Jodi hired her first employee and continued to expand the team year over year. Today the company has three practice areas and has served over 300 clients. 

The company rolled out the STEPS program which is a set of services focused on professional services organizations needs throughout their journey of process improvement:

Strategize includes offerings such as Business Efficiency Assessment, which helps customers align their PSA software solution to their organizational processes, and PSA Tool Selection, which assists customers in identifying their operational needs and how to evaluate software solutions to determine the best-fit for their organization.

Tools and Process Implementation offerings include deploying the NetSuite OpenAir or FinancialForce PSA solution, integrating the PSA with other core systems, as well as establishing a Project Management Office.

Education and training focuses on project manager training, PSA administrator training, and consulting skills training.

Performance Tracking and Reporting works to help customers establish reporting metrics and measures to ensure they are gathering effective data for strategic business decisions.

Systems Management and Administration provides options for customers to have a help desk to answer those business and process questions and assist with system maintenance and release management.

Amazing fact

TOP Step Consulting started with just a team of one (Jodi Cicci) and within a year there was high demand for helping PS organizations deploy and optimize their OpenAir System. It was apparent that a company structure for growth would be needed sooner than expected. Her first employee hire is, in fact, still working with TOP Step Consulting today.  

Put out the welcome mat: Jodi Cicci, President, Founder and CEO

Jodi has been involved with Professional Services for over 25 years. Since 2005 Jodi has applied her knowledge and experience using professional services automation solutions including NetSuite OpenAir and FinancialForce PSA among others. Jodi began TOP Step Consulting in 2007, focused on improving the efficiency and profitability of professional services organizations through process improvement and technology.

TOP Step has received numerous awards and industry recognition establishing the company as leaders in providing business consulting, PSA implementation, PSA administration, and consulting skills training to enable organizations to be more efficient and profitable through process and technology. A primary focus of Jodi’s is to provide a platform for the PS community to learn and share knowledge. This passion extends to the professional services community at large by freely contributing educational webinars, eBooks, and tips as advocates for the adoption of process efficiency and technology for achieving excellence in professional services business operations.

“We work hard and learn. Sharing our knowledge is one of the greatest rewards of the work we do.”