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Examples of assignments |
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A
multi-client study of the opportunities of strategic re-positioning
in the kitchen furniture industry. |
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Challenge |
Due to
intensified competition and the loss of market share, a large
part
of the Swiss kitchen furniture industry felt the need to adjust to
what seemed to
be a number
of
fundamental
changes in
the
industry. |
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Engagement |
Our
analysis of the market for kitchen furniture revealed a long-term
shift in the purchasing behaviour of end-users.
While allowing
for
large-scale methods of distribution and marketing,
this
change
was found to
give
international suppliers an
advantage over
domestic
ones in important segments
of the market. |
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From our
analysis of the underlying industry economics, we predicted
the
changing
nature
of competition
to yield
a greater diversity among suppliers in terms of
product-market focus and
the choice of competitive strategy.
Also, the
analysis
allowed us to
identify
the key
factors
of success in selected segments of the market. |
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Client value |
By
identifying, analysing and elaborating on medium
to long-term
market and industry trends, our study offered
valuable
guidance to the restructuring efforts of
suppliers. |
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The
formulation
of an international market strategy for industrial robots. |
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Challenge |
A
well-known
European technology group faced the
task of turning
a series of innovations by its microelectronics division
into a program of
industrial robotics
applications
to be marketed internationally |
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Engagement |
While the
company's products offered superior solutions
to a wide range of automation needs,
an analysis of the factory automation market was necessary in order for
market development priorities to be
properly
defined. To this
end, we assisted the company in: |
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assessing
the potential for
automation across a
pre-selected
set of industrial process characteristics. |
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identifying
user sectors, including assessments of their size and growth. |
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mapping the supplier selection criteria and the nature of
competition in major user segments and markets. |
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Client value |
Our
analysis
provided the basis
for (a) identifying a commercially viable matrix of
applications and markets, and (b) formulating
appropriate
market entry strategies. |
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A
strategic review of an international supplier of signalling devices
for industrial use. |
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Challenge |
Because of the client company's deteriorating financial performance,
its
creditors required
that a strategic review of its business
model
and operations
be undertaken. |
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Engagement |
A
comprehensiv analysis of the company’s market and industry allowed
us to (a) assess the short to medium term trends affecting its
business, and to (b) identify the main factors of success in its
area of activity. |
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Using these findings as benchmarks,
we performed a detailed assessment of
the client's operations, including its strengthes and weaknesses
relative to competitors. |
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While the company’s business model was found to have sufficient
commercial potential, a number of ‘misfits’ were identified in the
areas of product and distribution strategy. |
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Client value |
Based on our review and advice, the
client
company was financially
restructured. Also,
measures were taken to
improve
its market position and operational performance. |
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The
development of
market-related
metrics for
a leading supplier of metal-working tools. |
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Challenge |
Along
with an
intensified low-cost competition, the
client
company’s customer
processes had
become more important
as a source of differentiation and value added. Since this placed
greater demands on an
adequately
defined market focus, a comprehensive
measurement system was needed to support management decision making
and controlling. |
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Engagement |
In
close cooperation with the client’s management team, we
first conducted a review of its market and industry, allowing us to
identify the drivers of sales revenue and margin. |
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Second, a detailed
analysis of the company’s customer processes and points of customer
interaction provided the basis for developing a set of
market-related metrics. These addressed: |
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the demand potential of
customers, expressed by a composite index based on production
capacity and product mix, |
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the supplier selection
criteria of customers and their choice of supplier, |
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the content and the frequency
of the services extended to customers by the company’s sales
organisation. |
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Client value |
By
contributing to a refined segmentation of the market and a better
understanding of competition and customer purchasing behaviour, the
implemented metrics
enabled the company to fine-tune its market strategy. Also, they
allowed for adjustments
in the method and frequency of customer contact by market
segment,
yielding
substantial
reductions
in the cost of marketing and sales. |
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The
development
of a global account management
concept
for a supplier of production equipment to the chemical industry. |
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Challenge |
Reflecting on the challenges of globalisation in its
area of activity,
the
client company’s
management had become aware of the
growing need for customer processes to be managed on a
cross-border
basis. However, it lacked the necessary understanding of the issues
and challenges involved. |
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Engagement |
Our
review of the
client company’s industry identified the
progressive centralisation of the purchasing activities of major customers as
both a challenge
and a source of
opportunity:
Being the only supplier with an
international sales organisation, the company
enjoyed
an
advantage
over competitors
in terms
of
a superior
ability to (a)
co-ordinate its sales
processes across markets, and
to (b) leverage its
application
skills
in contacts with technically demanding purchasing teams. |
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For
these opportunities
to be effectively exploited,
the company’s customer processes were analysed and re-designed
to improve the cross-border co-ordination of customer contacts. As an
integral
part of this effort, its ERP system was
extended to
cover
selected items of customer and project-related information. |
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Client value |
The
access of
account managers to a company-wide customer information base
provided the cornerstone in the
cross-border
coordination of customer contacts. Also, with more than 1.000
project ‘wins’ and ‘losses’ added annually, this information
base became a
critical
source of knowledge,
enabling salespersons
to
make
superior value propositions to customers. |
