We join your team. We don't just advise it.

lateralworks consultants become active members of client development efforts — not analysts delivering reports. We engage by VP/SVP-level engineering and manufacturing leadership and typically report to CEO or COO levels.

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VP/SVP Engineering, Manufacturing, Marketing
CEO, COO, or Board of Directors
2–3 consultants, expandable
Late strategic programs, new starts, portfolio deployments

Front-end and back-end of the product development system.

The back-end is execution — causing projects to finish on time, or faster. But the effectiveness of the front-end (deciding what projects to do, aligning them with strategy and resources) directly determines whether the back-end can succeed.

lateralworks helps clients align Strategy with Execution: the right products, at the right time, delivered on schedule.

Portfolio prioritization and resource balance
MVP feature set definition from VOC
Rapid technical decision-making and trade-off analysis
Group consensus facilitation
Macro plan development and simulation
Schedule gap identification and closure
Critical path acceleration
Refresh Planning implementation
Portfolio trend tracking and early warning
Cross-organization integration (multi-site, multi-company)
Skills transfer and internal team development
Executive reporting and escalation frameworks

How a typical engagement works.

01

Assessment

2–4 weeks

We begin every engagement with a structured assessment. Anonymous surveys, 1:1 interviews at both individual contributor and executive levels. We identify the gap between actual and desired outcomes, root causes, and solution paths.

02

Structure

2–6 weeks

We define the program structure around the assessment findings. Macro plan development, team organization, decision-making frameworks, resource alignment. We establish the foundation that makes acceleration possible.

03

Accelerate

3–12 months

The core engagement phase. We join the team — actively participating, not just advising. Refresh Planning cadences, Wigglechart trending, Challenge Workshops, pull-in facilitation. This is where months come out of schedules.

04

Transfer

Ongoing

Every engagement includes skills transfer. We train the internal team to maintain and improve the FTTM System independently. The goal is that when we leave, the system continues — and improves.

FTTM Seminar Series

Training alone cannot transfer the FTTM System. The Seminar Series combines learning and doing — using live projects during the seminar itself. Each participant receives a perpetual fastWorks software license.

3 days

FTTM Seminar 1

Program Managers, Technical Leads, Technical Executive Leadership
Includes: FTTM Webinar pre-work + 3-day onsite seminar + FTTM Tools Overview Lecture for executive leadership + perpetual fastWorks license per participant
FTTM Planning Methodology and Best Practice concepts
Critical Path Method (CPM) for schedule modeling and acceleration
Basic functionality of fastProject and decisionAccelerator
Converting existing schedules to FTTM format
Using the Analyzer to diagnose and fix schedule problems
Building macro plans and implementing incremental decomposition
+4 MORE TOPICS
3 days + Multi-Month Coaching

FTTM Seminar 2

Program Managers, Technical Leads, Technical Executive Leadership
Includes: Everything in Seminar 1 + extended coaching program across live projects over multiple months
All Seminar 1 content
Live project application during seminar
Multi-month coaching on actual client projects
Refresh Planning implementation across the real team
Behavioral change facilitation — making FTTM habits stick
Executive reporting and escalation frameworks
+1 MORE TOPICS

Specialized professionals assembled around client needs.

Neal Mitchell
Founder

30+ years in technology new product development. Specializes in NPD portfolio management, executive coaching, and best practice research into high-performance teams. Co-founded a technology start-up with successful exit. 200+ FTTM projects worldwide.

NPD Portfolio ManagementExecutive CoachingFTTM ResearchBusiness Process Re-engineering
Mark Edmonds, Ph.D.
Founder

Physics Ph.D. Directed multiple 100+ person technology projects achieving world-class cycle time performance. 20+ years in advanced technology development at Philips Research, Philips Semiconductor, National Semiconductor/Texas Instruments, and as management consultant on 50+ projects.

Large-Scale Program ManagementNPD Portfolio ManagementDecision ModelingMulti-site Technology Programs
Cheryl Beninga
Associate

Former marketing executive with Intel. Venture Capital investor with 11 years and 40+ portfolio companies. Expertise in Product Marketing, Strategic Partnerships, and VC/Board-level experience.

Product MarketingStrategic PartnershipsVenture CapitalBoard-Level Engagements
Barbara D. Grant, Ph.D.
Associate

Venture Capital investor, VC-backed startup CEO, and IBM executive. Provides a platform for engaging with and improving paths for early-stage private companies.

Venture CapitalStart-up LeadershipIBM Enterprise ExperienceEarly Stage Companies
Bob Biddinger
Founder · Associate

Works with executives to develop skills and insights while providing an external sounding board for strategy. Active speaker, writer, and lead researcher on the second best practice study. Early HP employee and Seagate founder.

Executive CoachingStrategy DevelopmentBest Practice ResearchHP / Seagate Pedigree
James R. Schmook, Ph.D.
Associate

Commander, U.S. Navy (Retired). Independent management consultant specializing in strategy and executive coaching.

StrategyExecutive CoachingMilitary Program ManagementLeadership Development
Alan E. Rush, Ph.D.
Associate

Stanford University School of Business. Specializes in Executive Coaching, FTTM, Fast Operating Strategy.

Executive CoachingFTTMFast Operating StrategyStanford Business

Ready to accelerate your program?

Whether you have a late strategic product, a new program starting up, or a need to deploy FTTM across a portfolio — let's talk.

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