Hawthorne Ventures
About
Modus is an AI-powered organisational design platform built for New Zealand HR leaders and change teams. It automates the process-heavy work that consumes most of a restructure (position descriptions, position impact analysis, consultation documentation, and feedback analysis) so your team can focus on the decisions and change management that actually require human judgement.
Most restructuring projects spend the majority of their time on documentation and administration. Modus changes that. HR teams can move from brief to consultation-ready outputs in a fraction of the time, without sacrificing quality or rigour.
What Modus does
Modus works as an end-to-end organisational design toolkit, with nine modules that can be used independently or together:
- Insight: Analytics dashboard, position analysis, survey insights, and automation assessment give you a clear picture of your current state before any design decisions are made.
- Design: Design principles, functional design, org design, and position description writing tools help you move from strategy to structure with confidence.
- Consultation and Decision: Position impact analysis and feedback analysis tools streamline the consultation process, reducing administrative burden and surfacing what matters.
Who uses Modus
Modus is used by HR leaders, HR teams, and change programmes working with New Zealand organisations across the public service, local government, health, education, iwi, financial services, utilities, and large corporates. Management consultants supporting clients through complex organisational change also use Modus to improve the speed and quality of their work.
About Hawthorne Ventures
Hawthorne Ventures is a Wellington-based organisational design consultancy and technology company. The founding team brings deep experience across HR leadership, organisational design, and technology, and has worked with more than 80 New Zealand organisations. Modus has been built and refined in close collaboration with the practitioners who use it.
HRNZ Q/A
Describe your product or service and what it delivers:
Modus is an AI-powered organisational design platform. It automates the time-intensive work involved in restructures (position descriptions, impact analysis, consultation documentation, and feedback analysis) helping HR and change teams move quickly from complex workforce change to clear, consultation-ready outputs.
What size business or organisation does your product/ service suit
Modus suits mid-sized to large organisations undergoing restructuring or organisational design work, operating model changes, and workforce planning. It's particularly well suited to organisations with dedicated HR teams managing complex change processes, where the volume of documentation and consultation requirements creates significant manual workload. Smaller organisations with occasional restructuring needs can also benefit, particularly where they're managing the process without external consultant support.
What kinds of organisations may be interested in your product/ service?
Modus is relevant to any NZ organisation undertaking restructuring, workforce redesign, operating model change, or formal consultation. This includes central and local government, health, education, iwi organisations, large corporates, utilities, and financial services. HR leaders managing formal consultation processes will find the most immediate value. Management consultants and change practitioners supporting clients through complex organisational change are also a strong fit.
How long has your product/ service been on the market?
Modus was built by an experienced team of organisational design, HR, and technology practitioners. It went live in early 2024 and has been refined through practical use with New Zealand organisations and continues to evolve based on the needs of HR and change teams.
What does your standard product cost
Modus is priced based on your organisation's size, scope, and the modules you need. Full platform access starts from $7,500 + GST, with tailored options available for organisations that only require specific tools, such as position description writing, position impact assessment, feedback analysis, or consultation documentation. We work with each organisation to understand what they're trying to achieve and recommend the most practical package for their needs. Contact us to discuss your requirements.
Are there annual licensing costs? How are these structured?
Modus is typically licensed on an annual basis, giving organisations ongoing access to the platform and its full suite of organisational design tools. Annual licensing enables HR and People leaders to use Modus across multiple initiatives throughout the year, including organisational design, workforce planning, consultation, position design, and feedback analysis. For organisations with a one-off requirement, project-based pricing is also available. We work with each organisation to recommend the model that best suits their needs.
Is your product an off the shelf solution, or does it require customisation?
Modus is an off-the-shelf SaaS platform, so no custom implementation is required to get started. It has been built for New Zealand organisational design and consultation processes, which means most organisations can use it without modification. Where specific requirements exist, such as existing position description templates, consultation document formats, or internal frameworks, these can usually be accommodated within the platform's existing structure.
How long does your product take to implement? How does customisation impact this?
Modus requires no technical implementation. Access is provided through a web-based platform with no IT deployment, system integration, or lengthy setup process. Where configuration is needed, it is typically limited to aligning templates or frameworks with the organisation's existing approach, and does not add material time to getting started.
What is your post-implementation support? Are there costs to this or is the up-front cost inclusive of additional support?
All packages include onboarding support so users can apply Modus to their project and get value quickly. Depending on the package, this may include guidance on using the modules and practical advice on structuring the work. Hawthorne can also provide additional consulting support where organisations want help with organisational design, consultation planning, feedback analysis, or change implementation. Any additional support costs are agreed upfront, so organisations have full clarity before work begins.
Would you be able to provide example customers/ organisations who would be willing to allow site-visits for potential customers to view a demonstration of the product or service in action?
Subject to customer approval and confidentiality requirements, we can provide customer references, arrange discussions with existing clients, or deliver tailored demonstrations using sample or de-identified information. Please contact us directly to discuss what would be most useful.
