What this is
A standalone productised advisory offering: NGA diagnoses the reducible lag in a client’s project or operational cycle and quantifies the days (and cost) that can be recovered. Emerged from L2 v0.3 §5, where lag reduction was identified as both a feature of the full CPM Extended framework AND a packageable standalone entry product.
Why standalone and not buried under L2
- Lower entry friction than the full framework engagement
- Measurable, auditable outcome: days saved on cycle time — not abstract or directional
- Outcome-based pricing potential: charge against days recovered, not hours billed
- Natural upsell: the Lag Audit surfaces the client’s critical path — which is exactly what the L2/L4 full framework engagement then addresses
- Differentiated: most CAs don’t do this. Standard CA practice is compliance-led; lag analysis is project-management adjacent. Positions NGA uniquely.
Status: IDEA — blocked on L3 evidence
Dishant’s call (2026-05-28): create now as an idea, activate after L3 evidence confirms reducible-lag magnitudes are material in real MSME projects. If L3 finds that typical MSMEs have 15–30% reducible lag in project cycles, B4 activates immediately. If the evidence is weak, B4 stays parked.
Candidate positioning (utility-first, per v0.5 posture)
In line with the v0.5 strategic posture shift: sell as utility, not framework excellence. What works:
"Most businesses have dead time built into their cash cycle. We find it, measure it, and tell you exactly which changes recover the most. Fixed fee. One engagement." What doesn't work (dropped): "Entry-level application of the OCPA framework." — the client doesn't know what OCPA is and doesn't need to. The sale is "reduce dead time in your cash cycle", not "access to our methodology."
Pricing hypothesis
- Fixed engagement fee (e.g., ₹25,000–50,000 per audit)
- Or outcome-based: ₹X per working day recovered in cycle time
- Or as a free entry offering that upsells into the full framework retainer
Connections
- L2 — the Lag Audit uses the L2 framework’s lag identification methodology
- L3 — gates activation (confirms reducible-lag magnitudes)
- L4 — Lag Audit is a diagnostic entry point; L4 is the full diagnostic instrument
- C5 — could be offered to existing Virtual CFO clients as an add-on
- B3 — positioning and outreach integrate with the existing compliance reminders and client comms workstream
Notes
To be added once L3 evidence is in.