Services We Offer

Friuch Consulting is a methodology-based firm. We approach every problem in the following way:

Established in 2003, Friuch Consulting delivers research and intelligence services. We do not use proprietary methods. Our methods are transparent and replicable. Throughout every project, our clients learn how to do the research and research methodology best practices. This puts the client in a better position to follow through on any action plans developed and to review progress against a plan at a later date.

  1. Understand and refine the idea that our clients bring to us.
  2. Validate the idea using best practice research techniques.
  3. Develop an action plan for implementing the now validated idea using tried and tested business and/or policy techniques.

Obviously, some of our clients come to us with “problems” but these problems are often indicators of an untapped market or unmet need that is waiting to become a good idea. In any case, our techniques reduce some of the risks your organization faces before proposing a solution to its customers or the communities you serve.

With varied experience across a number of sectors, Friuch Consulting is proud to offer services in the following areas:

Research and Intelligence

We use primary research (surveys, executive interview and focus groups) and secondary research (documentary research and public data mining) to assemble high-quality, fresh intelligence for your organization. This data can be used to establish or revise a business plan, marketing strategy or product development cycle. Good intelligence can also teach you something about your business that you didn’t already know.

Our approach to intelligence is to identify trends through primary research and then validating these findings through secondary research. Friuch Consulting can not only help you with your intelligence needs but has a good relationship with Federal agencies that can partially subsidize market research undertakings. In addition to better business strategy, a typical market intelligence project also provides a number of qualified leads that, if followed through, can easily justify the expense of the project.

Friuch offers research and intelligence services as a stand-alone product or as part of a larger project.

Public and Corporate Policy

With a background in public policy and field experience as a policy professional for several government agencies, Aaron Cruikshank (Principal of Friuch Consulting) is well positioned to help your regulated company or government agency with its policy challenges.

Like many policy professionals, Friuch Consulting is an adherent to Eugene Bardach’s Eightfold Path approach. Bardach's procedure is as follows:

  1. Define the Problem
  2. Assemble Some Evidence
  3. Construct the Alternatives
  4. Select the Criteria
  5. Project the Outcomes
  6. Confront the Trade-offs
  7. Decide!
  8. Tell Your Story

Friuch’s unique take on this methodology is to also introduce Business Analysis techniques to ensure that any proposed policies are technically achievable for the organization in question. With our strong skills in research, public engagement, analysis and communications – Friuch Consulting is a one-stop shop for policy.

For regulated industries, Friuch Consulting has experience in positioning internal policies to meet the requirements of an outside auditor. Oftentimes it is not the contents of a policy statement that an auditor will take issue with so much as the way it is positioned relative to the mandate of the regulatory body itself.

Business Analysis

Business Analysis is an important part of every project that Friuch undertakes and in partnership with other consultants, can be delivered as a stand-alone product. We have expertise in:

Every project benefits from an examination of your organizations operating realities since the organization is what must deliver on implementation strategy. Employee consultation, appropriate technology, understanding of complementary models and use case analysis are all important deliverables when taking an idea to market.

Our Principal, Aaron Cruikshank is currently Program Advisor to UBC’s Certificate in Business Systems Analysis. We have previously helped the school develop a new graduate program in Project Management.

Public Consultation

As a subject matter expert in public consultation, Friuch Consulting can help your organization develop community consultation plans, act as your community liaison, survey and interview your stakeholders or review your existing community consultation policies.

Our process for public consultation includes identifying the best parties to engage, early engagement of stakeholders and public input collection & analysis. We can also provide expertise on IT solutions to manage public consultation through our strategic alliance with JURAT Canada Ltd.

If your organization has not previously had a formal public consultation strategy, we would be more than happy to provide a free initial consultation in which we discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by community engagement.