Optimus Think

Business Intelligence Road Map to Smarter Decisions

If your organization is having difficulty deriving greater insight, understanding, and intelligence from your data, you are not alone.  Data is everywhere. But accessing, organizing, and making sense of it can be daunting.

Power BI vs Tableau – Which is Better?

Although Tableau and Power BI are similar business intelligence tools, there are key differences that organizations should be aware of when considering analytical requirement

6 Essential Data Visualization Best Practices

We have identified 6 Essential Data Visualization Best Practices. Adhering to these best practices makes it easier and faster for users to gain insight from large volumes of data and thereby make the best decisions for their business.

Optimus SBR Named as 2021 Great Place to Work

Optimus SBR has been named as Great Place to Work for a third consecutive year.

Executing on Round 2 of Municipal Modernization Program Reviews in Ontario: Should You Approach Them as a Marathon or a Sprint?

Our overview of areas of focus for the second round of the Municipal Modernization Program, Service Delivery Reviews themes, and advice on how to execute with the funds made available for this investment.

Optimus SBR named to the Growth List for 8th Consecutive Year!

Canadian Business named Optimus SBR on the 32nd annual Growth List!

Adapting in a New Era of Corporate Travel

Travel is one of the most impacted sectors hit this year due to COVID-19. Organizations need to begin to take a critical look at what corporate travel will look like in a post-COVID world.

Optimus SBR Named as 2020 Great Place to Work

For the second consecutive year, Optimus SBR is thrilled and honoured to be named on the 2020 list of Best Workplaces in Professional Services, and as one of this year’s Best Workplaces™ in Canada. This year, we’ve also been named to the inaugural list of Best Workplaces in Ontario.

The Driving Need to Reassess Processes & Controls Related to COVID-19 Responses

COVID-19 has thrust a massive amount of change onto financial institutions. Conducting a review of the processes and controls put in place during these unprecedented times is critical as financial institutions face an increasingly complex risk environment.

Pivoting When the World Changes: Getting the Most Out of Municipal Service Delivery Reviews in the New COVID-19 Reality

Municipal services matter, and not just the ones that people see. The ones that keep things humming behind the scenes matter too. And never has that been more apparent than during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Optimus SBR Named 2022 Most Admired Corporate Cultures™ Winner!

What a thrill it is to be honoured as a 2022 Most Admired Corporate Cultures™ Winner! This award celebrates the Bold Attitude and Entrepreneurial Spirit each of us embodies.

Optimus SBR is on the 2022 List of Best Workplaces™ in Ontario

We’re pleased to announce that Great Place to Work® has named us on the 2022 list of Best Workplaces in Ontario! As our 8th Best Workplaces award in 2022, it complements our recognition on the 2022 Best Workplaces in Canada list as well as Best Workplaces for Giving Back, Hybrid Workplace, Today’s Youth, Professional Development, Professional Services, and Mental Health.

Play It Forward 2022

Optimus SBR is elated to be donating a record-breaking $42,779 to our partner charities, raised during our 9th annual Play It Forward (PIF) fundraising event. 100% of the funds raised go directly to Fort York Food Bank and Engage and Change to help those in need in our community.

Optimus SBR Recognized on 2022 List of Best Workplaces™ for Mental Wellness

We are proud to announce that we have been recognized by The Great Place to Work® Institute on the list of Best Workplaces™ for Mental Wellness for the second time! This award underscores our people first culture and our steadfast commitment to provide a mentally and emotionally healthy workplace. Our dedicated Mental Wellness Committee leads initiatives to eradicate the stigma associated with mental illness and to foster mental wellness in the workplace.

LDTI Article 7 – How the Right Governance Strategy Can Achieve More Than Just LDTI Compliance

Reading the standard, for the experienced, is a relatively straightforward exercise. However, interpreting the requirements of the standard into actual operationalized procedures is a much more complex task, especially when […]

LDTI Article 6 – A Catalyst for Finance Transformation

The insurance industry is in a period of transition due to the changes in consumer expectations, exposure to climate, health, and economic events, regulatory pressures, and shifting market conditions. A […]

Optimus SBR is Named on the 2022 List of Best Workplaces™ in Professional Services

We are honoured to be included on the 2022 list of Best Workplaces™ in Professional Services awarded by Great Place to Work®. This award that we have received for the 4th […]

LDTI Article 5 – How LDTI Implementation Can Modernize Your Operations

Digitization does not always equal modernization. The insurance industry still wrestles with dated, manual, and time-consuming processes often involving fragmented legacy systems.

LDTI Article 4 – Benefits and Challenges of Advancing Data Maturity

In this article, we outline the benefits and challenges of advancing data maturity and how to leverage the investments in LDTI as a foundation to address the data needs of the broader enterprise.

LDTI Article 3 – Top Business Impacts of LDTI

This article looks at how the changes in accounting policies affect actuarial measurements and what they look like before and after the implementation.

Optimus SBR Awarded 2022 Best Workplaces™ for Professional Development

Great Place to Work® has announced Optimus SBR as a 2022 Best Workplaces™ for Professional Development winner! This recognizes our bold culture of continuous learning – one where our people thrive, and every experience boosts their confidence and helps them reach their full potential. Our people are our business, and as such we are fully invested in their development, and success.

Optimus SBR is on the 2022 List of Best Workplaces™ for Today’s Youth!

We’re excited to share that Great Place to Work® has announced Optimus SBR on the 2022 list of Best Workplaces™ for Today’s Youth. This is the second consecutive year that we’ve been named to this list! At Optimus we celebrate a bold, diverse, and inclusive culture providing equal opportunity for all employees to succeed.

Optimus SBR Acquires n-gen People Performance Inc.

Toronto June 9, 2022 – Optimus SBR, one of the largest independent management consulting firms in North America, announced their eighth acquisition in a decade with the purchase of n-gen People Performance Inc., a training organization that specializes in solutions for managing generational differences in the workplace.

LDTI Article 2 – Get Ahead of Your Regulatory Requirements by Using the Power of a Data Fabric

For many insurers, this is the time to question the investment in upgrading legacy point-to-point systems, using LDTI as the reason to consider an upgrade to a data fabric that captures all components of the requirement.

LDTI – Accelerate Your Implementation with the Fast Follower Strategy

LDTI Article #1 – LDTI is the most significant change in decades to the existing accounting requirements under USGAAP for long duration contracts that are non-cancellable or guaranteed renewable contracts.

Optimus SBR is Honoured to be on the 2022 List of Best Workplaces™ for Giving Back

Optimus SBR is proud to announce that we have been named on the 2022 list of Best Workplaces™ for Giving Back. This award that recognizes how employees feel about their company’s contribution to the community is a reflection of Optimus SBR’s ongoing efforts to encourage and support a bold culture of giving back. A big shout out goes to our Corporate and Social Responsibility and Pro Bono Committees, Volunteers, and Donors for their dedication and hard work!

Optimus SBR Named a 2022 Best Workplaces™ in Canada

Optimus SBR has been recognized by the Great Place to Work® Institute as a 2022 Best Workplaces™ in Canada a  for a 4th consecutive year! This award exemplifies the bold commitment our team makes every day to uphold Optimus SBR as a place where people come first, and culture is everything.

3 Data Validation Best Practices to Prevent “Bad” Data

“Bad” data can be prevented by following best practices for data validation. The goal is to create data that is consistent, accurate, and complete to ensure the data presented to business users in reports, dashboards, or other tools is correct.

Optimus SBR Named to the 2022 Best Workplaces™ for Hybrid Work List

Great Place to Work® has just announced that Optimus SBR is on the 2022 list of Canada’s Best Workplaces™ for Hybrid Work! We proudly add this to our roster of awards which include Best Workplaces™ in Canada, Best Workplaces™ in Ontario, Best Workplaces™ in Professional Services, Best Workplaces™ for Giving Back, and Best Workplaces™ for Today’s Youth!

Optimus SBR Named Best Workplaces™ for Giving Back 2021

Optimus SBR is honoured to be recognized on the 2021 list of Best Workplaces™ for Giving Back in Canada. We feel fortunate to be a part of an organization that has built a culture around putting people first, both within our organization and the greater community. Congratulations go to our Corporate and Social Responsibility Committee, Volunteers, and Donors!

Optimus SBR Acquires Unilytics and Launches Optimus SBR Data

Toronto, June 22, 2021, – Today Optimus SBR, one of the largest independent management consulting firms in North America, announced their seventh acquisition in a decade with the purchase of a data advisory and analytics firm – Unilytics.  At the same time, they announced the formal establishment of Optimus SBR Technology.

IFRS 17 – The Race to the Finish – The Standard vs Implementation Realities

In this final article of our IFRS 17 series, we pull everything together and discuss the other large standard impact that is likely to occur.

IFRS 17 – The Race to the Finish – Actuarial Work and IFRS 17

IFRS projects produce their own actuarial challenges. We discuss what changes you likely face, and how to address them.

IFRS 17 – Race to the Finish – Technology Solution: The Right Strategy for Data

This article outlines how the right data strategy for IFRS 17 can be extended across the enterprise to advance an insurer’s data maturity rapidly and cost effectively leveraging the investments in IFRS 17 as a foundation.

IFRS 17 – Race to the Finish – Don’t Underestimate the Complexity, Even for P&C

Even the simplest, monoline property and casualty insurers have realized there are significant complexities in practice. We have detailed some of the items you need to consider on your IFRS 17 journey.

IFRS 17: The Race to the Finish – Technology Solution Point-to-Point vs. Data Hub

Here are a few of the key implementation realities that insurers are faced with as they look to decide on upgrading their point-to-point system or upgrade to a new data hub environment.

IFRS 17: The Race to the Finish – The Standard vs. Implementation Realities

We have detailed a few of the key implementation realities that insurers are faced with as they seek to comply with the new standard.

IFRS 17: The Race to the Finish – Disruption and Transformation at Your Doorstep

With time running out, the only question left for most insurers is whether they use the opportunity of IFRS 17 compliance to simply create a minimum viable product or to truly transform their business into the 21st century and take a market leadership position.

Product Optimization: Your Competitive Advantage in a Changing World

The goal of effective product management is to ensure that products remain relevant, competitive, and profitable in the current environment. Product Optimization takes product management to the next level.

KNIME Versus Alteryx

In this blog, we will look at the two tools side by side in terms of their ETL capabilities.

Three Table Calculation Functions for Tableau that Should be on Your Radar

We’re outlining three common client problems with their visuals and how they can be solved with lesser-known table calculation functions.

The Trials and Triumphs of Working From Home

We’re sharing six key learnings we’ve uncovered in our first few weeks of transitioning to a virtual workforce.

COVID-19 – Staying Apart, but Still Working Together

We’re 100% virtual and continue to work with our clients to see them through these uncertain times.

Optimus SBR Ranks on The Globe and Mail’s Brand-New Ranking of Canada’s Top Growing Companies

Report on Business and The Globe and Mail released the inaugural list of Canada’s Top Growing Companies and ranked Optimus SBR No. 168.

Optimus SBR Ranks on the Growth 500 for the Seventh Consecutive Year

Canadian Business and Maclean’s magazine released the list of Canada’s Fastest-Growing Companies and ranked Optimus SBR No. 273 on the Growth 500. This is the seventh year that Optimus SBR has ranked on the Growth 500.

Decision Time on Ontario Health Teams: The Changing Ontario Health Care Landscape – Part 2

The Ontario Ministry of Health has made some significant decisions on Ontario Health Teams. For many organizations now, it’s decision time.

Optimus SBR Named on 2019 Lists of Best Workplaces™ for Professional Services and Mental Wellness

At Optimus SBR, our success is directly correlated to the happiness and engagement of our people and we are proud to announce that our organization has been named on two additional 2019 lists of Best Workplaces™ – Professional Services and Mental Wellness.

Large Regulatory Change Implementations in Financial Institutions

Must-do projects like regulatory changes can seem overwhelming and daunting, but it doesn’t need to be. With some careful forethought and the right expertise, regulatory programs can extend beyond just staying onside with the regulator, and set your organization up for long-term success.

myPractice and the “A-ha” Moment

We’ve all had an ‘a-ha’ moment. And when we do, we relish the feeling. It’s like a spark that ignites and compels you to remain in that moment of clarity. myPractice helps achieve that moment.

Optimus SBR Named as 2019 Great Place to Work

We ranked 27 out of 50 in Canada for businesses between 100-999 employees.

2019 Ontario Budget Briefing Note

This Briefing Note highlights key elements of interest to our clients from the 2019 Ontario Budget announcement.

The Changing Ontario Health Care Landscape – Part 1

In Ontario, the health care landscape is changing. We look at integrated care delivery systems, and suggest what areas for health care system planners, health service providers, and hospitals in particular, to start their transition to these new models of care.

Performance Tuning Checklist for Tableau Dashboards

This list of changes, tweaks, or considerations is designed to improve the performance of a Tableau dashboard.

Play It Forward 2018

The 1980’s were back in full force at Optimus SBR on Thursday, November 15th as our team came together for the sixth annual Play it Forward event in support of two local charities.

Counting Every Dollar

This briefing note addresses selected highlights from the Ontario government’s 2018 fall economic statement.

Finding The Money

With a new Ontario government, there has been no shortage of new developments, so we have put together this briefing for our Ontario Transfer Payment Agency (TPA) and Broader Public Sector (BPS) clients.

Optimus SBR Acquires BottomLine Group

As part of its continuing growth strategy, Optimus SBR has acquired fellow industry leader BottomLine Group.

RFM Analysis in Tableau

RFM (Recency, Frequency, Monetary) analysis is commonly used for customer segmentation, to split our users into types. This analysis is especially common in retail to create a view of customer types.

We Keep On Growing

Bold attitude and an entrepreneurial spirit. That’s what we keep coming back to as the reasons for our continued growth over the past eight years, and as evidenced by our inclusion in the Growth 500 for 2018.

2018 Ontario Budget Briefing Note

Optimus SBR’s Public Sector, Health Care and Not-For-Profit group regularly monitors policy developments at the federal, provincial and municipal level to inform its work and support clients in government, the broader public sector, and certain parts of the private and not-for-profit sectors. This Briefing Note highlights key elements of interest to our clients from yesterday’s Ontario Budget announcement.

You’re focused on results. But do you know the real keys to getting there?

5 Drivers of Organizational Effectiveness The goal of an effective organization is to maintain high performance and achieve desired results. It may sound straightforward but it’s not. Understanding what can […]

Using an Environmental Perspective to Drive Business

A paper management initiative at TD shows how an environmental focus can advance cost-reduction and service-improvement goals A key challenge for many organizations is balancing business goals with environmental responsibilities. […]

Optimizing Results with Business Intelligence Governance

This paper investigates the importance of establishing a robust Business Intelligence (BI) governance framework as part of an organization’s BI strategy. Implementing effective BI governance is instrumental in helping organizations […]

Optimus SBR Named as Best Small and Medium Employer for a Fifth Year

For the fifth consecutive year, we are honoured to announce that OPTIMUS | SBR has been named one of the Best Small and Medium Employers in Canada, Platinum.

SEG Management Consultants Acquired by Optimus SBR

The purchase of SEG is yet another strategic investment for us as it supports our goal of strengthening and expanding our position as a trusted advisor in the public sector.

PMC Consulting Acquired by Optimus SBR

Over the past several years, we have continued to grow our organization through the deepening of industry knowledge and the expansion of our capabilities. We consistently aim to strengthen our value proposition and our relationship with you.

The 6 Surprising Reasons Your Project is at Risk

Minimize risk and promote the advancement of your organization by making change management in your project environment a priority.

Why Going Paperless is Better for Your Bottom Line

More often than not, the financial benefits of reducing paper are calculated solely by including savings related to the paper only, failing to account for money saved due to a proportionate reduction in the costs related to the management of that paper. Some organizations are aware of elements of these downstream costs, but they lack a mechanism to quantify them, while others likely have more pressing things to worry about.

How to Create a Sustainable Shared Service

The motivation for shared services as a way to improve efficiency and effectiveness in global organizations is not new, but governing an expanding shared service often proves to be a […]

4 Signs of a Poor Board Relationship – and How to Fix it

The relationship between a Board and a CEO can be extremely powerful. When a Board is on its ‘A-game’, the results are obvious. The combination of experience, insight and sound direction that a capable Board brings to the table is a dynamic mix that leaves leaders feeling reassured and empowered to lead.

A New Idea for Managing the Fund Development Process

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems are designed to typically manage an organization’s interactions with its customers or clients in support of sales and service-related processes.

The Leadership Blind Spot – What Are You Missing?

We’ve seen it time and time again. Great leaders, mediocre leaders and weak leaders all seem to have one thing in common; a blind spot when it comes to their employees. It doesn’t seem to matter how one arrived to their leadership position, or their background; somehow once a person is leading an organization, they lose their ability to see the full picture of the organization.

Taking Action in Uncertain Times

Feeling like you are stuck between a rock and a hard place these days? You’re not alone. Many local distribution companies (LDCs) across Ontario are under pressure from shareholders to reduce costs and maximize revenues, and from customers to offer more services and reduced rates (aka the rock).

Mitigating Risk

Many organizations place a lot of emphasis on communicating with external project stakeholders, and rightly so. They set up formal project communications teams which create detailed communication strategies, plans, and deliverables that go through extensive review and approval processes.

Three Reasons to “Like” Social Media

Eliciting input from stakeholders is a fundamental component of the strategic planning process and organizations have traditionally sought out this input through public meetings, surveys and one-on-one conversations with key individuals. While these methods continue to be successful, the role of social media in the strategic planning process is an option that few organizations have tapped.

Three Common Killers of Steering Committees

Steering committees work most of the time, but when they fail, the results can be disastrous; wasted money, conflicts of interest and missed deadlines are a few of the problems that can come up. Are you willing to take the risk?

Four Key Change Management Components of Successful Project Management Offices

Many organizations undertake initiatives to implement a Project Management Office (PMO) due to the commonly associated benefits such as cost reductions and on time delivery, but many find that the mere physical establishment of the PMO did not resolve their issues.

Optimus SBR Acquisition Results in Expanded Healthcare Practice

The purchase is a key investment as OPTIMUS | SBR looks to strengthen its position as a leader in the healthcare and not-for-profit sectors. RWS Advisory specializes in strategic and operational consulting to public, non-profit and private healthcare and life sciences organizations.

Patient-based Funding

Already in 2012, a great amount of material has been produced concerning Patient-Based Funding (PBF) and the Health Based Allocation Model (HBAM). Most of this however has been either basic information from the Ministry or opinion from a variety of stakeholders within the health care system.

Why Best-in-Class Organizations have a Sustainability Plan

Based on current trends, humanity will require twice as many resources than our planet can support by the mid-2030s. While waste is gathering on land, in the air, and water, there is considerable impact on the world’s ecosystems and resources. The problem isn’t as simple as consuming too much, rather the rate of consumption is systematically increasing each year.

Why the Move to a Chequeless Society Should be Embraced by All

Canada, like much of the world, has undergone dramatic change in its payment landscape over the past three decades. Perhaps the best illustration of this transformation is the displacement of cheques by electronic alternatives as the primary non-cash payment method.

What’s in your Project Management Toolbox?

Every profession has its “tools of the trade” and project management is no different. The project management toolbox consists of tools required to initiate, plan, execute, control and close projects.

Is it time your project got a physical?

We visit our health care professionals on an annual basis because they have the tools and expertise to confirm that we are in good health, or if there is an issue, to be able to detect it before it becomes out of hand.

When project management becomes an enforcement exercise

Do people in your organization groan when they have to deal with the Project Management Office (PMO)? Are they worried about getting their wrist slapped, again? Was another checklist left with an unchecked box causing angst amongst your project managers. Do calls from your PMO often go ignored, emails left unread and meeting invites postponed? You may have a Project Management policing complex.

Calm the chaos

You’ve seen it before, when multiple projects need to be completed, energy is high and people are eager but the environment is unorganized chaos. In this situation communication breaks down, milestones fall through the cracks, and budgets are blown.

Is Your Business Ready for An Enterprise Resource Planning system?

The allure of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems cannot be understated. The opportunity to integrate most of your business processes into a single software solution is “a one-stop shopping” panacea for all your data integration needs. With shopping list in hand, you can begin the process of shopping for that ERP system that best satisfies your needs.

Are Office Politics Killing Your Project?

Have you ever included ‘Office Politics’ as a risk to your project? Probably not, but maybe you should. While it may sound silly, consider the potential implications of ignoring this challenging dynamic.

Organizational Cultures and Individual Behaviour

Successfully joining, managing, buying, partnering or merging with an organization depends on a great many factors. Indeed, aligning the different forces and communities within any organization is a complicated task. We are often tempted to focus on the factors that have immediately measurable dollar values, but intangibles are often among the real causes of success and failure.

Business Process Automation

The whole point of technology – and this is an overly simplistic view – is to automate routine, repetitive tasks with the goal of reducing costs, eliminating non-value added activity and improving productivity. This is a concept that dates back to the industrial revolution – increase productivity and reduce costs through mechanization.

Is it normal to resist change?

Perhaps the simple answer for this question is … Yes! However, what may not be common is our response to the change process. Hopson and Adams (1976) postulated that an individual coping with change goes through a seven-phase process:

Improve your Business Risk Management by Accounting for Risk Cultures

More conservative businesses seek to manage risk, while more daring ones seek to actually leverage the risk and harness the opportunities that go along with it. The emergence of these different “cultures of risk” is psychological in nature, as different organizations perceive risks in different manners. And then, based on the perceived magnitude of the risk, together with the perceived ability to realize a reward, each organization has a different reaction.

Secrets to Successful Internal / External Consulting Partnerships

Many organizations use both internal and external consultants, as different requirements arise. Indeed, some use hybrid internal-external teams, with an eye to leveraging deep institutional knowledge and memory as well as external perspective, objectivity and expertise.

3 Factors Impacting The Return on Your Business Intelligence Investment

The decision to invest in business intelligence (BI) tools can and should be an easy one. To put it quite simply, good information and intelligence is required by every organization. In an era where competition is fierce, having ‘accurate’ information in hand can act as a catalyst for building competitive advantages. It can also help an organization to make quicker and more logical decisions, which in the long run leads to a more profitable bottom line.

A New Alchemy: Non-Market Factors and your Strategic Plan

Market Factor Strategies are built on maximizing offense-oriented business line priorities. Conversely, Non-Market Factor Strategies focus on minimizing negative impacts and liabilities. As a result, responses to Non-Market factors (led by governance, compliance and risk management functions among others) are all too often treated as boxes to be routinely checked off.

Optimus and Kemerer Group Merge

Optimus Consulting Group and Kemerer Group Inc. announced today the closing of the agreement to merge their operations and jointly purchase the assets of SBR Global. T