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Strategy & Planning

We help clients achieve their business objectives through a set of tangible actions.

We work in conjunction with our clients to develop a strategic plan with the goal of increasing organizational value, taking into consideration a range of internal and external factors, such as competition, trends, regulations, peer performance, location, demographics etc. 

Success Stories

Where we began

Our client is an international leader in the development, manufacturing and marketing of veterinary pharmaceuticals and animal health products. Having grown significantly in the US in recent years, the company now plans to accelerate its market share in Europe over the next 2-5 years. Based on a number of recommendations, we were invited to work with the Ireland and UK sales team to develop a business strategy for the company for the next three years.

Challenges

The company has had considerable success growing sales in many categories, but now faces a challenging market where competition has increased dramatically and where previously winning products are quickly becoming commodities. The link between market potential and the capacity of the wider organization was felt to be an area of great opportunity for the company in the EU.

What we did

We began a process with the sales, technical and marketing teams to research and analyze market dynamics. In parallel, we worked with the team to identify strategic growth areas in the market, focusing on specific product opportunities, capabilities and sectors. We worked with the team to build a strategic direction for the company and developed 3-year plans that were supported by detailed forecasts and financials.

Results

The business strategy was presented to the board and approved. We have since been asked to help the team redefine their approach to market growth, including their pricing model and their approach to maximizing margins.

Utilities are required to sustainably and proactively manage the environment in which they work, which includes the rehabilitation of road surfaces. Our utility client was facing ongoing penalties and repeated work costs due to poor quality or temporary post-work reclamation. There were 3,700 failed inspections at 780 sites, with new cases being reported at a rate of about 15 per week. This far exceeded the company's ability to resolve outstanding issues, and the frequency of problems increased each year.

Challenges

The outgoing process was forward-and-forget focused, meaning that the focus was on individual results and the overall business objective was lost. On the ground, teams were disappointed by repeated failures. Each team believed strongly in its own ability to solve problems, and the problem was always "somewhere else," preventing a long-term resolution.

What we did

Using a commitment-based management system, our strategic management consultants set up two teams: one to handle the 780 outstanding cases, and the other to focus on the rigorous resolution of any new cases. Our goal was to establish a new action management and engagement network aimed at getting it right the first time. This meant that no complaint or defect was ignored or action delayed. To support the management and strategic planning of this process, our strategic planning consultants designed and implemented a commitment tracking tool that oversaw all activities, and coupled it with a risk reporting tool.

Results

With the dedicated backlog team and the new commitment-based approach, 500 cases were resolved in six months. Coordination and case management improved significantly, resulting in a continued reduction in the backlog. Further improvements were seen in reporting and resolution with the Council's road authorities. In addition, visibility of contractor performance allows for prompt corrective action.