There is a version of quantitative consulting that begins with the data. You receive a file, you build a model, you deliver a report. It is a coherent service. It is also, in our experience, frequently the wrong one. The most consequential work we do at Quantum Lattice happens before a single number is touched, in the sessions where we try to establish what question is actually being asked.

The Stated Problem and the Real Problem ¶

In the majority of engagements, the problem as described in the initial brief is not the problem that needs solving. This is not a criticism of the client. It reflects the fact that organisations are complex, that the person commissioning the work is rarely the only stakeholder, and that the act of writing a brief forces a premature simplification. We have learned to treat the initial brief as a starting point for a conversation, not a specification.

A Structured Framing Session ¶

We spend the first week of every engagement on problem framing. This involves a structured session with the key stakeholders, a set of questions designed to surface assumptions, and a written summary of what we understand the decision to be. That summary goes back to the client for review before any modelling begins. It sounds slow. It saves weeks.

The Variables That Actually Drive the Decision ¶

Part of the framing work is identifying which variables are genuinely decision-relevant and which are interesting but peripheral. A common failure mode is building a model that is technically comprehensive but practically unwieldy, because it includes every variable anyone mentioned rather than the ones that move the needle. Good framing produces a short list of variables that matter and a clear account of why the others were set aside.

What Good Framing Looks Like in Practice ¶

In 2023, we were asked to model the financial risk of a proposed office relocation for a professional services firm. The initial brief was framed as a real estate question. The framing session revealed that the underlying concern was staff retention during a period of organisational change. The model we built was quite different from the one originally requested, and considerably more useful.

The Document That Prevents Scope Creep ¶

The written problem statement produced at the end of the framing phase serves a second purpose: it defines the scope of the engagement. When new questions arise mid-project, as they always do, the problem statement is the reference point for deciding whether they belong in the current engagement or a future one. This protects both the client's budget and the quality of the work.

If you are considering a quantitative engagement and are not yet sure how to frame the problem, that is a good reason to get in touch early. The framing conversation is something we are happy to have before any formal scope is agreed.