The Consultant’s Guide to Evaluating a Company, Part 1: The Diagnostic Overview – Mapping the Basics

The Diagnostic Overview – Mapping the Basics

Focus:

• Company overview

• Key statistics: number of employees, management structure, departments

• Core mission, values, and industry context

• Market position: competitive landscape

Introduction

Every successful business evaluation starts with a clear, objective company overview. As a consultant, this foundational phase is where you set the tone and gather essential data to frame your entire analysis. Before looking at financials, performance metrics, or marketing campaigns, it’s critical to understand the business's who, what, and how. Who runs it? What are its core values? How is it structured?

This post will cover:

• Key company statistics

• Leadership and hierarchy

• Foundational mission and values

• Competitive landscape

• Industry classification and context

Our goal? To create a diagnostic blueprint that captures the company’s DNA.

🧠 Understanding the Corporate Identity

Before diving into stats, understand how the company defines itself.

1. Company Mission & Vision

• What is the purpose of the business?

• What long-term change does it hope to create?

• Are mission and vision communicated internally and externally?

2. Core Values & Culture

• Does the company have defined values? Are they reflected in day-to-day operations?

• Interview management and employees to gauge whether these values are lived or merely displayed.

📊 Gathering the Core Statistics

A solid diagnostic overview includes complex numbers that define the company structure:

1. Total Employees

• Full-time/part-time split

• Growth rate in headcount (monthly/yearly)

2. Management & Leadership

• How many managers are there?

• How many report directly to the CEO?

• Identify key departments (e.g., Sales, Ops, Finance, Marketing)

3. Organizational Structure

• Flat vs. hierarchical

• Centralized vs. decentralized decision-making

• Presence of cross-functional teams

🗺️ Industry Landscape

To evaluate a company objectively, you must understand its market context.

1. Sector & Subsector

• What industry is the business in?

• What niche or sub-sector?

• How fragmented or consolidated is the market?

2. Key Competitors

• List top 3–5 competitors

• How does the company position itself against them?

• Is the positioning based on price, quality, service, innovation?

3. Market Share & Reach

• National vs. international footprint

• Market penetration level (emerging, established, declining)

• Customer types: B2B, B2C, enterprise, niche, mass-market

🧭 Strategic Alignment

1. Founders vs. Current Management

• Is the company founder-led?

• Has it transitioned through leadership generations?

• Are there gaps between founder vision and current operations?

2. Decision-Making Framework

• Are decisions data-driven, experience-led, or reactive?

• Does the company use advisory boards, strategic consultants, or internal think tanks?

3. Internal Governance

• Are there documented SOPs, compliance protocols, and ethical frameworks?

• Is the company actively measuring performance and internal compliance?

🛠️ Tools for Mapping the Overview

Use the following methods to create a complete diagnostic snapshot:

• Employee survey tools (e.g., Officevibe, Culture Amp)

• Org chart builders (e.g., Lucidchart)

• Leadership interviews

• HRIS exports for employee data

• Industry research platforms (e.g., IBISWorld, Statista)

📌 Consultant’s Checklist for the Company Overview

✅ Clearly defined mission and values ✅ Headcount by department and employment type ✅ Org structure diagram (current and ideal) ✅ Executive team profile and responsibilities ✅ Industry sector, market position, and competitive set ✅ Internal governance snapshot

This checklist will help you structure your executive summary for internal or external stakeholders.

🚀 Strategic Takeaway

The diagnostic overview phase is about orientation. Like a doctor taking vitals before prescribing treatment, your first step as a consultant is to map the entire company landscape—from its people and purpose to its competitive environment.

Everything that follows (financial review, marketing audit, operations strategy) depends on this initial framework being clear and grounded in reality.

This blog post was written under hybrid authorship: a collaboration between human strategy and AI-enhanced writing tools.