Helping You Maximize Your Professional Services Efficiency: TOP Step Consulting, LLC

“ TOP Step’s mission is to enable and empower Professional Services organizations to be profitable, scalable, and efficient through change management, process enhancement, technology deployment, and skill set training with a Customer First approach.”

TOP Step Consulting, LLC began in 2007 in response to the need for business consulting within the professional services industry for a SaaS Professional Services Automation (PSA) solution called OpenAir. The company focused on customer empowerment through knowledge transfer and the implementation of best practices within professional services and project based organizations. TOP Step quickly became viewed as the leader related to NetSuite OpenAir. The company expanded to include Financial Force solutions in 2014 to continue the path of PSA experts and best practices while also diversifying options for customers to consider. TOP Step Consulting strives to be the top provider of consulting services for PSA solutions and assisting customers in selecting and deploying the best fit tool.

The Professional Services Consultant
With its customer first approach and proactive information dissemination to the customer community, TOP Step Consulting positions itself as the primary organization to engage with related to PSA decision making, deployment, and enhancement. “Our focus on Professional Services consulting singles us out when compared with other consulting firms as we strive to meet and deliver on all challenges in this space,” says Jodi Cicci, President & CEO. Many of TOP Step’s solutions involve coordinating with other parts of the organization such as finance so that the knowledge base has to be extensive to address end-to-end solution considerations.
“We position ourselves as one of the top Professional Services Automation (PSA) solution providers in the industry. To maintain this position, we strive to keep on top of changing technology by partnering with the PSA vendors we support,” added Jodi.

TOP Step Consulting is also actively involved in many Professional Services Industry organizations including TSIA and PS Village to contribute to and learn about the evolution of best practices and business processes. This information provides insight for customers as it works to introduce change and establish process and solutions for more efficient and productive workforce.

Empowering Professional Services Organizations
TOP Step Consulting offers PSA focused solutions such as Business Efficiency Assessments and Deployments. Business Efficiency Assessments ensure technology is aligned to a client’s business model and therefore the technology is working for them instead of changing how they do business. Deployments follow a proven methodology of customer engagement and business modeling to ensure data capture and metrics reporting help organizations realize the investment benefits of the PSA tool. TOP Step also provides Project Management Office consulting to businesses to help them deliver projects more successfully and to have more predictable project execution and management of their projects.

Client Base
The technology and media sectors encompass a majority of TOP Step’s clients; however it aims to assist any business or organization that needs to have better efficiency with its project-based work. The company values each client equally, whether they are a small start-up or established corporation, and they range from media and tech companies or companies needing to improve global operations and business efficiency and productivity.

Client Testimonials
“Before TOP Step Consulting, we were wasting valuable time through trial and error. The knowledge TOP Step Consulting shared saved not only time but helped us overcome our challenges with resource coordination and adoption of our OpenAir system.” – Amy Horton, PMO Manager, iModules

“TOP Step Consulting freed us up to focus on what we do best and on achieving our goals. There is great value in a long-term business relationship like the one we have.” – Jeff Herron, Vice President and founding member of Beaconfire

“TOP Step Consulting was a driving force in helping us achieve our challenging globalization goals for Professional Services.” – Kyle Bowker, Vice President and Managing Director, Americas

Global Footprint
TOP Step is a virtual company with staff across the United States. A majority of its customers are headquartered in North America or Europe, resulting in a global customer footprint and international expertise.

Focus Areas
The company continues to look at building out specialty practice areas for other automation tools beyond NetSuite OpenAir and FinancialForce based on market demand.

“We have experience that comes from running PS companies and therefore understand the needs of professional services organizations. We map productivity based on the business model of each individual business.”

Meet the Leader

Jodi Cicci, President & CEO – Jodi has been implementing software systems for over 25 years in both commercial and government organizations. After quickly rising through the ranks of software developer, project lead, and project manager, she moved into operational management roles within professional services where she began paving her way toward being an expert in setting strategies for operations efficiencies using process and tools. Jodi had led large organizations in establishing a Project Management Office and compliant processes for companies to obtain CMM certification. She has worked with many global organizations to establish standard business operating practices by deploying PSA tools. In one particular case this involved 23 worldwide offices and accomplished in less than 1 year. Because of the breadth of understanding business operations, technology and cultural differences across the globe Jodi has developed TOP Step into a leading
provider of business operations efficiency services.

Prior to her OpenAir involvement, Jodi held the position of Global Project Management Director for Software AG, Inc. with global responsibility for PS tools and business process efficiency. She worked with both commercial and government customers in her leadership roles in Software AG, Inc. as well as her previous experience with Lockheed Martin.

“We have experience that comes from running PS companies and therefore understand the needs of professional services organizations. We map productivity based on the business model of each individual business.”