For Consultants
“A consultant arrives with a defined scope and a deliverable. Your value is expertise applied to an important problem—quickly, precisely, and with enough professional distance to see what people inside the organization may no longer see. But a well-executed engagement can still begin from the wrong starting point if the presenting problem is assumed to be the condition that deserves priority. Before the scope is written, there is another question worth answering: What does the evidence indicate is actually limiting performance now?”
— Lawrence M. Schneider, Founder & CEO, Schneider Axiom Institute — Founder of U.S. Lock Corporation, now owned by The Home Depot
The $89 Business Constraint Diagnostic™ gives consultants a structured diagnostic starting point before a scope of work is built around the presenting problem. The Diagnostic is designed to identify the probable governing constraint class indicated by the diagnostic evidence and the structural condition within that class that appears to be limiting performance. A personalized 2,200+ word written finding is delivered within 72 hours.
Find your consulting practice category below to see how diagnostic capability can strengthen the work you already do.
Select Your Consulting Practice Category
Different consulting disciplines encounter different presenting problems—but similar symptoms can arise from very different structural causes. Select your practice category to see how the SAI diagnostic approach can complement your existing expertise before the engagement scope is established.
Your consulting specialty provides context. The evidence determines the finding.
Management and Strategy Consultants
The recommendation was sound. The implementation was faithful. The performance gap persists. Before revising the strategy or extending the engagement, determine whether the original scope was aimed at the condition that actually deserves priority.
Growth and Revenue Consultants
The growth plan is producing activity, but the revenue ceiling has not moved as expected. More tactics may help—or the limitation may sit somewhere the growth strategy was never designed to address. Diagnosis helps determine which condition deserves priority.
Sales Consultants
Sales is often where a revenue problem becomes visible. But declining conversion, weak pipeline, missed targets, and inconsistent performance do not establish their own cause. Diagnose what is limiting performance before the sales audit becomes the presumed solution.
Marketing Strategists
Campaigns may be producing traffic, leads, attention, or engagement while revenue still fails to respond as expected. Before increasing spend or redesigning the strategy, determine whether marketing is the condition that deserves priority—or where another limitation is becoming visible.
Operations Consultants
The process improvement is producing measurable gains, yet the broader performance gap persists. The next question is whether operations still deserves priority—or whether improvement has exposed a different condition now limiting the business.
CPA Firms, Accounting Practices and Exit Planning Advisors
Your client has brought you the same margin problem repeatedly. The financial statements document what happened. Diagnostic evidence can help determine what condition may be producing the performance reflected in those numbers—and what deserves attention first.
Business Law Attorneys and Legal Practices
A recurring legal issue can sometimes be more than an isolated event—but the legal event itself does not establish the underlying business cause. Diagnostic evidence can help determine whether a structural business condition deserves attention alongside the legal resolution.
Turnaround and Restructuring Professionals
By the time a business reaches crisis, cash pressure, debt, declining revenue, operating failures, and leadership decisions may all be competing for attention. Restructuring requires action—but diagnostic evidence can help determine which condition deserves priority within the recovery sequence.
Executive Recruiters and Search Firms
A search can identify an exceptional candidate and still leave an important question unanswered: Is the role itself positioned to solve the business problem it was created to address? Diagnostic evidence before the search brief is finalized can help determine whether another hire is addressing the condition that deserves priority.
Commercial Bankers
Financial stress often becomes visible to the banker before its cause is clear to the business owner. Declining liquidity, covenant pressure, borrowing needs, and deteriorating performance are evidence of a problem—but not necessarily evidence of its source. Diagnosis can provide another layer of evidence before the next consequential credit or business decision.
The Engagement You Are About to Write Is on This List.
Your consulting discipline tells us how you work. Your client's operating environment provides another layer of context. Select the category closest to the client's business to see how the SAI diagnostic approach applies in that environment.
The problem described in the brief may be important. The diagnostic question is whether it is the condition that deserves priority.
BEFORE THE SCOPE IS WRITTEN
A consulting engagement may represent thousands—or substantially more—in client investment. An $89 Business Constraint Diagnostic™ can provide structured diagnostic evidence before the engagement is built around the presenting problem.
1. CONSULTANT PURCHASES THE $89 DIAGNOSTIC
The consultant purchases the Diagnostic for the prospective or existing client.
2. CLIENT COMPLETES THE DIAGNOSTIC
The client completes the 81 targeted questions personally, with the consultant's assistance if desired.
3. SAI DELIVERS THE WRITTEN FINDING TO THE CONSULTANT
Under the consultant-funded workflow, SAI furnishes the written finding to the consultant who purchased it.
4. CONSULTANT REVIEWS THE FINDING
The consultant determines how the evidence should inform the client conversation.
5. SCOPE THE ENGAGEMENT FROM A MORE INFORMED STARTING POINT
The finding can help the consultant determine whether the presenting problem is the appropriate starting point before the scope is finalized.
$89 BEFORE THE SCOPE CAN CHANGE THE STARTING POINT.
If the client purchases the Diagnostic directly from SAI, the written finding is delivered directly to the client. The consultant may ask the client to share the finding for joint review.
If your written finding does not identify a clear, actionable governing constraint, your $89 will be refunded.
Ready to Apply the SAI Business Constraint Discipline™ Professionally?
The $89 Business Constraint Diagnostic™ gives you direct experience with SAI's structured diagnostic process for an individual business. The Certified Axiom Strategist (CAS) develops the professional diagnostic capability to apply the SAI Business Constraint Discipline™ across consulting and advisory engagements. For senior executives and professionals seeking the Institute's most advanced curriculum, the Certified Axiom Executive (CAE) extends that capability through the complete FDC, CAS, and CAE curriculum.
CAS includes the FDC curriculum. CAE includes both the FDC and CAS curricula. Neither CAS nor CAE requires completion of another SAI credential before enrollment; completion of the $89 Business Constraint Diagnostic™ is the common prerequisite.
SAI credentialing can also establish eligibility to apply for participation in the SAI Practitioner Referral Network, subject to applicable program requirements.
Learn More About the CAS — $1,997 → Learn More About the CAE — $4,997 → Compare All Programs →Not Sure Where to Start?
Before introducing the Business Constraint Diagnostic™ to a client, consider completing it for your own consulting practice.
Experiencing the process yourself gives you firsthand knowledge of the 81 questions, the diagnostic experience, and the written finding before you decide how to incorporate it into a client engagement.
Or use the consultant-funded workflow with a prospective or existing client when you want structured diagnostic evidence before the scope of work is finalized.
81 targeted questions · approximately 30 minutes · 2,200+ word written finding · delivered within 72 hours
Strengthen the individual.
Strengthen the family.
Strengthen the company.
Strengthen America.
Schedule Coffee with Larry
If you want to discuss how the diagnostic fits your consulting practice — or whether the CAS or CAE is the right credential for your situation — this is where that conversation begins. Free. 15 minutes. No agenda.