Clarity FAQ

Clarity Partnership

The Clarity method is applied in SMEs as a service partnership offered by Aamu Partners, combining an experienced expert team with software tailored for the client into a systematic and long-term Clarity work approach. SMEs achieve their business objectives by making the right decisions at the right time, based on accurate information, and ensuring that these decisions are implemented in practice. When business objectives are aligned with factors that increase the company’s owner value, systematic value management yields significant results. The Clarity service partnership automates a large part of this information-based management process, allowing business leaders to focus on concrete decision-making and operational management.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Clarity Partnership

The partnership has been a significant support in the profitable growth and development of owner value for numerous SMEs. The partnership has enabled both rapid scaling of business operations and efficient cash flow-based growth. The goals of the partnership are defined individually for each client, but we have helped hundreds of companies increase their revenue, improve profitability, and enhance cash flow. The partnership maximizes the company's value in the way desired by the owners.

The Clarity Partnership initiates with a structured series of workshops, designed to foster a systematic and goal-focused approach towards enhancing the growth of the company's owner value. During these interactive and engaging workshop sessions:

  1. The owners' intentions are clarified.
  2. The factors affecting the company's value are defined.
  3. Based on these, concrete goals are formed for operational activities.
  4. The actions that impact these goals are identified and planned.
  5. It's assessed what information the company leadership needs for decision-making, and this is gathered.
  6. The company's business logic is modeled on a cash flow basis.
  7. Future business forecasts are made (which are also updated regularly).
  8. The information and data collected from the previous steps are inputted into the Clarity software.
  9. This software is then set up and launched in partnership with the client, ensuring a clear and coordinated implementation.

After the initial series of workshops and the implementation of the software, the partnership's long-term and systematic work begins to lead owner value growth. The timeline and work model for starting the collaboration are always agreed upon individually with the client, but typically the implementation phase is carried out over two calendar months, during which three half-day workshops are organized with the CEO. The CEO can invite other participants if desired.

The Clarity partnership is always customized for each client, but it always includes three areas:

1) Support and coaching from an expert team
2) Clarity software tailored for the client
3) A systematic approach based on monthly meetings

The partnership ensures that the long-term goals of the company's owners guide the everyday operations. The company's activities are reviewed and developed on a monthly basis, and the management always has access to the necessary information and independent external support for achieving goals and coaching. The expert team's support is available whenever needed, even outside the monthly meetings, and the latest figures and forecasts can be checked from the Clarity software at any time. The software makes it easy to share reports with employees and different departments as needed. Open sharing of information often increases employee engagement and enhances efficiency at all levels of the organization.

The core of the partnership's continuous service revolves around monthly meetings. The purpose of these meetings is to facilitate efficient tracking of strategic goals and decision-making on concrete actions relating to the company's operational activities for the leadership team. During these meetings, Aamu's experts present an analysis of the client company's current situation, including accurately analyzed and visualized operational numbers.

In addition to providing a monthly situational analysis, Aamu's experts offer specific observations and actionable recommendations. This approach allows the company's leadership to concentrate on making decisions, rather than on gathering and speculating on information. Decision-making is supported by all relevant data available in the Clarity software and customized business forecast models tailored to the client, which are updated monthly. This monthly model ensures a long-term, systematic, and goal-oriented approach to increasing the value of SMEs.

The Clarity software is a tool developed by Aamu Partners to support the utilization of the Clarity method. The principles of the Clarity method include identifying all relevant information, collecting it in one place, analyzing and visualizing it, and using it for decision-making. Decision-making always involves considering the future, so in addition to historical data, forecasts that are also created in the Clarity software specifically for each client must be utilized. Additionally, the implementation and effectiveness of decisions must be monitored, where the Clarity software is a convenient tool.

Each client's Clarity software is customized to suit that particular company, but the software always includes at least:

  1. A tree model that maps the cause-and-effect relationships of the company's business based on cash flow.
  2. A business metrics dashboard: monitoring and forecasts for numbers important to the business, displayed in graphs and figures. The chosen metrics vary by company but can include, for example, sales pipeline figures, cross-sales, product-specific revenue and profitability calculations, cash flow, financial calculations of operational activities, cost calculations, or even customer satisfaction figures.
  3. A roadmap, similar to a Gantt Chart, which is a scheduled action plan for achieving goals.
  4. Monthly situational analysis and related observations and action recommendations made by Aamu's team of experts.
  5. Other graphs and tables needed by the client.

The Clarity software has pre-built technical integrations with the most common financial management systems, but its operation is not solely based on these technical integrations. It's not necessary to technically connect the Clarity software to a client company's internal systems. Instead, it's sufficient for our analysts to have access to the necessary data sources. Our analysts manually take care of analyzing, visualizing, and transferring data into the Clarity software. Thanks to our process, all systems are compatible with the Clarity software, and the information is processed not only through technical systems but also by experienced professionals.

Unfortunately, you cannot purchase just the Clarity software. The Clarity software is designed to support the implementation of the Clarity method in a partnership company, and the software is only available as part of a Clarity partnership.

The Clarity partnership only requires the client company to provide Aamu's experts with access to agreed-upon data sources and to accept billing based on the agreed pricing. The pricing is tailored individually for each client, based on the workload and the value delivered. No additional investments are needed: the partnership includes all necessary time, personnel, and tool resources. The monthly workshops will take up a few hours of the time of the designated individuals, but these sessions generate clear and tangible value for the client.

Initiating the Clarity partnership does not require IT investments from the client. One component of the partnership is a software tailored for the client, but the customization and technical aspects are managed by Aamu while the initial series of workshops are conducted. Additionally, the Clarity software does not need to be integrated into the client's systems; it is sufficient that our analysts have access to the necessary data sources.

The initial workshop series for the Clarity partnership and the customization and implementation of related systems cost a one-time fee of €3,000 to €9,000, depending on the elements included in the workshop series (for instance, whether an owner strategy needs to be created from scratch during the workshops). The content of the ongoing service is always tailored to the client's needs, which is why the price varies between €2,000 and €6,000 per month.

Factors influencing the price include the content and nature of the tailored service, the client's size (Aamu has clients with revenues ranging from €1 million to €85 million), the client's own human resources and their participation in the collaboration, the client's corporate structure, the number and location of the client's offices outside Finland, the currencies used by the client, and the systems the client has in place. The price is proportional to the amount of work and the value provided.

Our contracts have a two-month notice period. Therefore, if desired, it's easy to terminate the agreement. So far, not many have chosen to do so.

An accountant is responsible for bookkeeping and meeting legal requirements. In contrast, the Clarity partnership is tailored to each client, identifying what makes their business valuable and how to enhance this value. It focuses on guiding daily business management, making timely, informed decisions based on accurate information, and ensuring the effectiveness of these decisions in achieving set targets.

While an accountant makes entries based on financial transactions, the Clarity partnership delves into the company's actual figures to understand past events and determine the best operational actions in the future. This approach is geared towards realizing long-term strategic objectives and increasing the company's value for its owners.

The Clarity partnership is not a CFO service, although CFO services can also be purchased from Aamu Partners. The Clarity partnership is specifically focused on increasing owner value and encompasses much more than just financial management. Not all client companies in the Clarity partnership have an internal CFO. In these cases, our comprehensive service can often completely substitute for a CFO. In many partnerships, we work alongside the CFO, providing significant added value to the company's executive team.

If this page does not answer your specific question about the Clarity partnership, it would be beneficial for us to arrange a separate meeting to explore how Clarity can assist your particular business. You can have an efficient and confidential 45-minute discussion with our expert - without a salesperson or a sales agenda.

Mission

Our mission is to serve as the reliable partner for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), aiding them in increasing shareholder value. We engage in shoulder-to-shoulder cooperation with our clients, employing our distinctive Clarity method, a unique approach to ensure the profitable growth of SMEs.

We are dedicated to fostering the growth and success of SMEs, both nationally and on the international stage.

Vision

Our goal is to be the first thought of SME entrepreneurs when considering the enhancement of their company’s shareholder value. We aim to be recognized for our developed Clarity method, which has helped thousands of SMEs achieve significant success and sustainable growth.

Our vision is to be the partner that assists thousands of SMEs and their owners in realizing their full potential.

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We are a chill team that values each other and competence. We do our best to help our clients to succeed in implementing their growth strategies. Send us an open application if you want to join us.

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