30 Best Small Companies to Watch 2020
The Silicon Review
As an organization grows, there are always operational issues that develop which may seem challenging to manage. Companies need to recognize that having solutions in place to overcome these operational issues is paramount to their success. From dealing with unprecedented uncertainties to taking care of overhead, these common issues are often more prominent than we think. Any kind of business can encounter operational issues, and these can cause large drains on business resources and energy.
To overcome the operational challenges, a company called Racca Solutions Group provides a multi-disciplined pragmatic approach to solving operational challenges. RSG was founded in 2012 after its Founder Stacy saw a substantial gap in the world of operational consulting. After using many third-party consultants in his previous roles, he was frustrated with the typical complaints that make the world of consulting look bad. An example of this would be a “green” consultant assigned to complete projects while the company is paying a senior consultant price, consultants that outstay their welcome, or zero-knowledge transfer is executed. Because of these complaints, the operations team is then not able to maintain the work when the consultants leave. Stacy then based RSG’s core values on what he disliked about using consultants in the past. Eight years later, RSG has evolved into a world-class consulting firm with a large client base of middle-market focused private equity firms and middle-market companies in various industries.
In conversation with Stacy Racca, Founder and CEO of Racca Solutions Group
Q. Can you tell us about your management consulting services in brief?
RSG has four vertical focuses: private equity, business transformation, financial management, and information technology (IT.) All four verticals focus on adding value and extreme growth to a company’s bottom line. To achieve this, RSG believes their client must start by knowing where they currently stand before determining an organization’s next steps. The approach begins with an assessment of the people, processes, and technology. Once these critical components are evaluated, the vision for the company can then be developed. A “playbook” is created for the organization that shows its current state, strengths, weaknesses, and recommended next steps with an estimated timeline. In a roundtable setting, the RSG team and client team discuss the findings and agree on a plan. The plan is executed in three ways: the client’s internal team can complete all projects themselves, RSG can manage the process and fill in any gaps when needed, or RSG can complete the entire project and do all of the “heavy-lifting.” RSG will help as little or as much as preferred by the client. Finally, the rest of the client team is given clear direction on their next steps and are empowered to reach their goals.
Q. Why organizations, especially middle-market companies, suffer from operational inefficiency?
Typically, clients who engage RSG’s services are doing whatever it takes to “get the job done,” generally by brute force. Their primary focus is on making the required sales and hitting current goals. Their focus is not on documenting their processes, determining if there is a more efficient way of getting the job completed, and creating a solid foundation. Tribal knowledge is lost as the organization transitions, exponential growth, and people come and go, etc. There is a significant gap in the structure as the processes were poorly or never documented. Leadership does not know what is happening within their walls; they only see that the job is getting completed, which leads to an extremely inefficient and costly culture. Simply put, they spend more time working in the business versus working on the business.
Q. Talking about financial and sales efficiency, how do you help organizations build a strong foundation within their financial limits?
RSG partners with their clients throughout a process that focuses on listening to their ideas and goals and developing practical solutions that lead them to their targets. By working together, solutions are developed to achieve their goals. To respect the clients’ budgets, RSG provides three flexible options once the opportunities are determined. The first option is that RSG can complete all projects, do all the heavy lifting, and ensure the knowledge transfer occurs within their team so that when RSG is gone, the client can sustain the newest changes. The second option is that RSG can manage the process and assist the client’s internal team in completing the projects internally. When needed, RSG can help the internal team when struggling with a project or situation. The third, and least costly option, is that RSG can create a plan for the client’s internal team to complete all the heavy lifting.
Q. Do you have any new services that are ready to be launched?
RSG recently dedicated a vertical for our Financial Management services based on our clients’ requests. Our previous clients have consistently asked for an evaluation of their financials, from a holistic approach (inquiry to order, order to cash), and not just “crunch” the numbers. When engaged, the priority is to determine what is driving the numbers and how that affects operations. RSG brings substantial value to the client because our teams are previous operators and plant managers and have a strong financial background. Being pragmatic is crucial to determine the next best steps for the organization and to create a plan to execute on.
Meet the leader behind the success of Racca Solutions Group
Stacy Racca, President/CEO, served in the United States Army for fourteen years and was honorably discharged. Stacy has extensive experience in Board of Director roles and is currently serving on four private company boards. He has a demonstrated twenty-year history of solving complex business processes, manufacturing, and technology challenges with small to Fortune 100 companies spanning many industries throughout the globe. Stacy is an expert in leadership, operations, logistics, supply chain solutions, information technology, change management, enterprise systems, and process reengineering in world-class manufacturing and services environments. He has led projects around supply-chain transformation, business profitability optimization, mergers and acquisition due diligence, business integration, internal expansion, ERP/technology implementation, and negotiation/executing complex contracts with top management. He is also highly skilled in Lean Six Sigma. His experience and ability to infuse Racca Solutions Group (RSG) with his leadership principles have resulted in sustained growth and a sterling market reputation within many sectors.