The automotive industry was severely hit by the 2008 crisis, leading to the closure of production plants and hiring freezes. After a short period of growth, the industry is again facing uncertainty due to a significant decrease in diesel vehicle sales as a result of changes in public policies, the difficult shift towards electric vehicles and the global trend towards car sharing. These evolutions tend to decrease anticipated sales but bring new business opportunities.

Challenges in the automotive industry

Facing these events is challenging for car manufacturers and auto parts suppliers. Recent initiatives, such as the acquisition of Kapten by Daimler and Michelin’s strategy of investing in mobility services, especially in digital technologies, demonstrate the massive shift that is coming in the future.

The impact on operations is significant. A complete change of the industrial tools, the need for agility in a traditionally cost-focused industry where fast adaptation of production capacities or mix is a huge problem and the management of spare parts in a circular economy including electric batteries have all changed the operational landscape.

How we can help with the automotive industry

We support manufacturers and suppliers in the necessary transformation of their operations with a particular focus on agility, from identifying issues to the implementation of performance levers:

Procurement and upstream optimisation

Industrial strategy

Supply chain planning

Optimizing the distribution of vehicles

• Real-time flow follow-up thanks to IoT solutions

Optimization of the spare parts supply chain

Our approach

We apply a combination of technical expertise, operational experience and business knowledge to help our clients solve automotive issues and deliver lasting results. Our personal and pragmatic approach, with challenge where needed, ensures buy-in at all levels of our clients’ businesses and a successful outcome. We have worked with a wide range of organizations in the automotive industry including Michelin, PSA Groupe, Europcar, Autodistribution, Renault,  Emil Frey, The Commercial Vehicle Business Unit (CVBU) of Tata Motors, Manheim Global Trader, Genuine Parts Company (GPC) and Avvashyacci.

The defence and aerospace industries are currently going through profound and longstanding transformations. The aerospace industry is still in rapid growth mode driven by the demand of emerging countries and new low-consumption-aircrafts. The defence industry however, is the victim of a decrease in state demand, linked in particular to the reduction of European countries’ defence budgets. This calls into question the global economic model of big defence projects that drive research and innovation.

Challenges in the aerospace and defence industry

In general, the competitive pressure, the arrival of new entrants, the transfer of technologies and the importance of local plants make it mandatory to enforce a globalized supply chain, collaboration within the company and with suppliers as well as end to end program management along the product lifecycle.

In the aerospace industry, the entire chain, from suppliers to manufacturers, should not only guarantee the ramp-up of the supply chain but also the conception of new models that are cheaper to use.

How we can help with aerospace and defence

We assist our clients in their transformation programs, from the identification of opportunities to the implementation of all operational performance levers;

Operational organization

• Definition of plants and evolution of the operational organization to anticipate or face business model issues, growth, PMI, and harmonization of functioning methods

Technology, design and collaboration

Supply chain optimization

Our approach

We apply a combination of technical expertise, operational experience and business knowledge to help our clients solve aerospace and defence issues and deliver lasting results. Our personal and pragmatic approach, with challenge where needed, ensures buy-in at all levels of our clients’ businesses and a successful outcome. We have worked with a wide range of organizations in the aerospace and defence industry including Thales, Safran Electrical & Power, Nexter Systems, Naval Group, Manchester Airports Group Plc, Airbus Helicopters, MBDA, Latécoère and Eutelsat.

Consumer goods companies used to build strong international brands that benefited from economies of scale and strong relationships with distributors, but the environment has changed.

The current generation of consumers is less sensitive to or influenced by brands: there is an increasing trend for “self-care”, small brands grow quickly, and it is increasingly important to be able to quickly interact with consumers directly through social media.

Effective operations management in the consumer goods industry is dependent upon visibility and control of all aspects of the supply chain, from material suppliers through to the consumer.

Challenges in the consumer goods industry

In this highly competitive and dynamic environment, companies must become more agile than ever to compete. Rapid response to the changing needs of consumers is the key to success. A number of evolving dynamics continue to add complexity and challenges to supply chains including increasing materials costs and constrained supply of critical inputs, driven by population growth, increasing wealth and consumerization and seismic legislation and taxation changes aimed at altering consumer behaviour and reducing environmental impact.

Consumer demand is broadening with the growth of premium and fresh products at one end, and cost-conscious consumers driving the continued need for promotions and value products at the other. There is a gradual opening up of new markets that can dramatically alter global demand, while also responding at home to channel pressures, including convenience retail and direct-to-consumer.

There is increasing market hunger for innovation due to health / environmental concerns and premiumization / segmented portfolios are putting stress on NPD processes and product lifecycle management. In addition to this, increasing data availability offers opportunities to identify additional sales and faster consumer response to those who can analyse this data effectively.

How we can help the consumer goods industry

Our role is to help our clients cut through the complexity and attain operational simplicity. We work together to develop a service response that addresses all operational pressures, allowing the strategy to be delivered efficiently.

We can help you with: 

Process and controls

Strategies and performance

Optimisation

Systems and tools

Digital solutions

Training and education

• Identifying people capability gaps and developing training and education programmes

Our approach

We apply a combination of technical expertise, operational experience and business knowledge to help our clients solve consumer goods issues and deliver lasting results. Our personal and pragmatic approach, with challenge where needed, ensures buy-in at all levels of our clients’ businesses and a successful outcome. We have worked with a wide range of organisations in the consumer goods industry including PZ Cussons, Hallmark Cards, Electrolux, Avon, Sony Computer Entertainment, Paperchase, Royal Canin, British American Tobacco, Hachette Livre, L’Oréal Paris and Avon. Learn more about us here.

The energy industry is going through a period of unprecedented change. There is widespread motivation, shared by the majority of the international community, to act now to address global warming. This involves a shift towards renewable energy generation, reducing demand for fossil fuels and technological advances that lead to a gradual slowdown in energy consumption. Consumer behavior is changing as awareness of the impact of energy consumption increases.

In the utilities industry, urbanization, demographic growth and climate change have led to the need for significant investment from the private sector to modernise aging infrastructure and guarantee high quality service.

Challenges in the energy and utilities industry

Given the challenges facing this capital intensive, dynamic and globalised industry, with ever more limited access to resources, the major international energy companies must plan how to transform their businesses, whether this is through innovation, new business models or diversification while at the same time improving operational efficiency.

In the B2C industry, investment control and operational excellence are key. In addition to this, the digital revolution provides the opportunity to update business models and improve operational productivity.

How we can help with the energy and utilities industry

Argon & Co helps its energy and utilities clients improve their operational performance, working on both the upstream (access to resources, exploration-production) and the downstream (transformation, distribution, marketing, services) value chain, while supporting change and transformation management.

Cost reduction

Improvement of facilities and equipment

Optimization of cash

Optimization of customer processes

Operational efficiency

Our approach

We apply a combination of technical expertise, operational experience and business knowledge to help our clients solve energy and utilities issues and deliver lasting results. Our personal and pragmatic approach, with challenge where needed, ensures buy-in at all levels of our clients’ businesses and a successful outcome. We have worked with a wide range of organizations in the energy and utilities industry including Reliance Worldwide Corporation, Gaz Réseau Distribution France (GRDF), ENGIE, Drax, SUEZ, EDF, Schlumberger, GRTgaz and Veolia

The fashion industry is subject to unprecedented changes with the general trend for families to decrease their clothing spend, coupled with strong pressure over profit margins. Consumer behavior has evolved. They are more informed and versatile; they are looking for innovation and are sensitive to societal and environmental impacts. Alongside these changes, “pure-e-com” companies such as Zalando and ASOS are growing their share of market as they benefit from having smaller cost structures than traditional retailers.

Challenges in the fashion industry

These market evolutions are driving the traditional fashion industry towards business transformations in order to stay competitive. There is a need to improve attractiveness through faster product launches and total customisation.  This requires reinventing product development processes including 3D conception and “lean” cycles. Fashion companies need to determine how to transform effectively to omnichannel retailing, ensuring a perfect fluidity between sales channels throughout the entire lifecycle (one stock, OMS, real time) and offering custom-fit services guaranteeing a perfect fluidity between channels.

Further to this, there is an urgent requirement to be more socially and environmentally responsible through transparency in production processes (especially in low-cost countries) and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (IOT traceability, low carbon transportation technologies etc). There is also the need to counter demand volatility and consumer versatility and to avoid soon-to-be forbidden product destruction, driving them to develop predictive technology and supply chain agility.

How we can help with the fashion industry

We work with more than 50 of the most famous clothing brands in Europe and the USA, at every step of the value chain, from strategy to project implementation. We help with:

Logistics networks

Process re-engineering

• Process re-engineering from product conception to warehouse deliveries, with a mindset of reducing delays and improving quality standards

Omnichannel transformation

• Definition and implementation of omnichannel transformation (service pallets, stock centralization strategies and order management)

Planning

Sourcing

• Redefinition of sourcing strategies on a global scale and optimizing procurement performances (supplier negotiation and collaboration)

Sales

• Improving the reliability of sales forecasts using data science

Our approach

We apply a combination of technical expertise, operational experience and business knowledge to help our clients solve fashion issues and deliver lasting results. Our personal and pragmatic approach, with challenge where needed, ensures buy-in at all levels of our clients’ businesses and a successful outcome. We have worked with a wide range of organizations in the fashion industry including Burberry, Calvin Klein Inc., C. & J. Clarks Ltd., La Redoute, L Brands, Salomon, Clarks, Orsay, Sandro, Kiabi and Kenzo

Effective operations management in the food and drinks industry is dependent upon visibility and control of all aspects of the supply chain, from crop to consumer. In this highly competitive and dynamic environment, companies must become more agile than ever to compete. Rapid response to the changing needs of consumers is the key to success.

Challenges in the food and drink industry

A number of evolving dynamics continue to add complexity and challenges to supply chains including increasing materials costs and constrained supply of critical inputs, driven by population growth, increasing wealth and consumerization. Seismic legislation and taxation changes aimed at altering consumer behaviour and reducing environmental impact have also been introduced in recent years.

Consumer demand has broadened with the growth of premium and fresh products at one end, and cost-conscious consumers driving the continued need for promotions and value products at the other. In addition, there has been a gradual opening up of new markets that can dramatically alter global demand, while also responding at home to channel pressures, including convenience retail and direct-to-consumer.

There is increasing market thirst for innovation due to health / environmental concerns and premiumization / segmented portfolios are putting stress on NPD processes and product lifecycle management. However, increasing data availability offers opportunities to identify additional sales and faster consumer response to those who are able to analyze this data effectively.

How we can help the food and drink industry

Our role is to help our clients cut through the complexity and attain operational simplicity. We work with our clients to develop a service response that addresses all operational pressures, allowing the strategy to be delivered efficiently.

As a recognized specialist in the food and drinks industry, we have worked with some of the world’s largest food and drinks companies over many years. Through these projects we have gained valuable insight into the market dynamics under which they operate. We can help you with:

Process and controls

Strategies and performance

Optimization

Digital solutions

Systems and tools

Training and education

• Identifying people capability gaps and developing training and education programs

Our approach

We apply a combination of technical expertise, operational experience and business knowledge to help our clients solve food and drink issues and deliver lasting results. Our personal and pragmatic approach, with challenge where needed, ensures buy-in at all levels of our clients’ businesses and a successful outcome. We have worked with a wide range of organizations in the food and drink industry including Mondelez International, Mars, Arla, Diageo plc, Treasury Wine Estates (TWE), Danone, Carlsberg, Moët Hennessy, SABMiller and Fonterra

The current economic environment for the industrial and chemicals industry is characterized by uncertainty: international trade tensions, geopolitical instability and Brexit, to name a few. In addition, consumer expectations are changing, and regulatory requirements are constantly increasing.

Globalization and digitalization are putting the value chains of industrial companies under pressure as they face an increase in customer requirements regarding quality and availability, and environmental constraints. They also need to innovate and differentiate themselves in order to continue to perform well against competitors, whether the competition is historical or due to new players. Consolidation movements are underway, as part of a race for critical size to finance ever larger investments.

In this context, and more than ever before, the industrial industry is facing major performance and transformation challenges and must therefore adapt itself to cope with these developments and uncertainties.

Challenges in the industrial and chemicals industry

Industrial companies must be both flexible enough to finance their investments or external growth operations and able to continuously strengthen their capacity for innovation in terms of products and services, while maintaining economic performance levels in line with expectations.

This depends on increasingly optimized and controlled operational performance across the entire value chain, from suppliers to customers, support functions and time to market.

How we can help the industrial and chemicals industry

We assist industrial clients by improving their operational performance in the following areas:

Our approach

We apply a combination of technical expertise, operational experience and business knowledge to help our clients solve industrial and chemical issues and deliver lasting results. Our personal and pragmatic approach, with challenge where needed, ensures buy-in at all levels of our clients’ businesses and a successful outcome. We have worked with a wide range of organizations in the industrial and chemicals industry including Ferrovial Agroman, Essentra, ASSA ABLOY, AkzoNobel, Liberty OneSteel, Bouyer Leroux, Arkema, Orora Group, Johnson Matthey and Essilor

Historically highly profitable, the life sciences industry is now undergoing accelerated change in a context of economic pressure, increasing regulatory requirements, price/service competitivity on OTC products, deregulation and the rationalization of public health devices.

Challenges in the life sciences industry

Facing these evolutions, pharmaceutical laboratories must continually improve service to their customers through the development/launch of new products or their improvement, and the development of service to the patient and the prescribers, taking advantage of digital capabilities.

Laboratories must also continue to look for scale effects to reduce increasing costs of R&D through industrial or distribution synergies. Acquisitions must be integrated effectively, particularly concerning organizational structure, processes and IT.

Life science companies need to be increasingly flexible while controlling costs; adapting the distribution strategy, improving demand steering and the collaboration model through controlling the balance between demand, inventory and industrial capacity, evolving the industrial model (decoupling points, delayed differentiation, campaign size), stock policy optimization, production cycle reduction and the management of change controls.

How we can help with life science challenges

We help life science companies transform, from operations assessment to the implementation of improvement initiatives throughout the supply chain.

Our approach

We apply a combination of technical expertise, operational experience and business knowledge to help our clients solve life science issues and deliver lasting results. Our personal, and pragmatic approach, with challenge where needed, ensures buy-in at all levels of our clients’ businesses and a successful outcome. We have worked with a wide range of organisations in the life sciences industry including Arysta, Pfizer, Merck, GSK, Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS), Novartis, Roche, Sanofi, Servier and IPSEN

While the luxury goods industry is benefiting from increasing global demand, it is also having to adapt to clients’ changing expectations: consumers have a growing taste for novelty, customization and a fluid, customer-oriented omnichannel experience, as well as increasing expectations that companies take responsibility for social and environmental issues in relation to their business.

Challenges in the luxury goods industry

These market evolutions are driving the traditional luxury goods industry towards business transformations in order to stay competitive. There are particular challenges including a need to improve attractiveness through faster product launches and total customization. This requires reinventing product development processes including 3D conception and “lean” cycles. Luxury goods companies also need to transform effectively to omnichannel retailing, offering custom-fit services guaranteeing a perfect fluidity between channels.

Other challenges include optimizing collection management (control of breadth and depth) through a location-based assortment approach, relying in particular on merchandise planning and data science tools. There is an urgent requirement to be more socially and environmentally responsible through transparency in production processes (especially in low-cost countries) and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (IOT traceability, low carbon transportation technologies etc). There is also a need to counter demand volatility and consumer versatility and to avoid soon-to-be forbidden product destruction, driving them to develop predictive technology and supply chain agility.

How we can help the luxury goods industry

We collaborate with our luxury clients worldwide, along the entire value chain, to guide them in their transformations. For example:

Our approach

We apply a combination of technical expertise, operational experience, and business knowledge to help our clients solve luxury goods issues and deliver lasting results. Our personal and pragmatic approach, with challenge where needed, ensures buy-in at all levels of our clients’ businesses and a successful outcome. We have worked with a wide range of organizations in the luxury goods industry including Moët Hennessy, Guerlain, Coach, Burberry, TAG Heuer, Richemont, Calvin Klein, L’Oréal Paris, Louis Vuitton and Clarins

Operations transformation is a significant opportunity for investment funds to create value in their acquisitions when following a buy and build strategy. There are three stages that are critical to investors:

• The operational due diligence phase
• The implementation of transformation plans of portfolio companies
• The post-merger integration phase

Challenges in the private equity industry

The operational due diligence phase must highlight key risks and opportunities of the current situation and of the business plan. Characterized by limited access to time and data, this step requires a high level of expertise to identify and assess risks.

The next step is to ensure operations are managed effectively to maintain continuity during the closing phase. The identified levers for business improvement in the due diligence phase need to be studied in detail and implemented on the ground in collaboration with operational teams. These include cash optimization, cost reduction plans, support function reorganization, service level improvement, and adaptation of operations to support growth ambitions, amongst others.

Bringing in expertise in operations speeds-up the integration of operational teams, leaving the development of initiatives to the current management.

In build-up situations, Post-merger integration (PMI) phases should define and implement a targeted organization structure, identify synergies and build a strategy to integrate the transformation on the ground.

How we can help the private equity industry

We support our private equity clients throughout the entire investment lifecycle; from operational due diligence to the implementation of competitiveness plans and PMI. For example:

Our approach

We apply a combination of technical expertise, operational experience and business knowledge to help our clients solve private equity issues and deliver lasting results. Our personal and pragmatic approach, with challenge where needed, ensures buy-in at all levels of our clients’ businesses and a successful outcome. We have worked with a wide range of organizations in the private equity industry including Abénex, TZP Group, OpCapita, Elysian Capital, Partech, Sun Capital Partners, LGT Group, Exor, Cinven and KKR & Co

The retail industry is undergoing unprecedented change worldwide. The last decade has seen the rapid growth of e-commerce pure players, particularly in non-food, with very different cost structures to traditional players. There is pressure on margins (loss of traffic and/or revenue, reduced margins on e-commerce sales and differential growth in revenue/costs) and consumers are increasingly informed and versatile.

Challenges in the retail and e-commerce industry

The ability of retailers to offer a differentiated consumer experience or range of products, to radically optimize end to end costs to compensate for margin losses and finance necessary investments, and to guarantee operational excellence are now pre-requisites for survival.

With rising consumer expectations and pressures, digital initiatives are necessary to transform the customer experience, develop consumer insight and evolve supply chain management, sales forecasting, price management, promotions and store operations.

How we can help with retail and e-commerce

We work with 10 of the 25 largest retailers in Europe and some of the leading retailers in the US, in all areas of the value chain. We help our clients to define their end-to-end operations strategy and to implement transformations.

Our approach

We apply a combination of technical expertise, operational experience and business knowledge to help our clients solve retail and e-commerce issues and deliver lasting results. Our personal and pragmatic approach, with challenge where needed, ensures buy-in at all levels of our clients’ businesses and a successful outcome. We have worked with a wide range of organizations in the retail and e-commerce industry including Amazon, Williams-Sonoma, Target, JB Hi-Fi, IKEA, Intermarche, Carter’s, Carrefour, Waitrose and Reliance Retail

Most service companies are facing a rapid increase in customer demands, both in terms of service quality and prices. They are also faced with the emergence of new, often more agile players with disruptive business models. Service companies are forced to rethink their offer towards greater differentiation and personalization in order to avoid “commoditization” and the loss of direct customer contact, or even to radically transform their operational model.

Challenges in the services industry

Digital transformation is becoming a strategic investment, and even a survival strategy in B2C services, not only in terms of technology and services, but also with regards to the evolution of the company’s businesses and human capital.

At the operational level, the issues are known and numerous. In particular there is a need to  adjust offers and capabilities in line with market needs, companies need operational flexibility and to create an ecosystem of partners in line with their make or buy strategy, and payroll needs to be optimized as it often represents between 60% and 80% of operating costs. In addition to these, where possible processes should be optimized and automated, and relationships with strategic suppliers enhanced. Expertise must also be developed, pooled and disseminated.

Digital transformation is a new challenge, both business and operational. Digital pure players are emerging in most services with disruptive business models. Even when the size of these new entrants is not yet a threat, their ability to quickly take a significant share of the value of one or more segments is real. Companies in the industry must therefore understand, on the one hand, the customer and business dimensions of digital, and, on the other, its operational efficiency dimensions.

How we can help the services industry

We support clients in this industry in their transformation from the assessment of challenges to the implementation of all operational performance drivers: 

Our approach

We apply a combination of technical expertise, operational experience and business knowledge to help our clients solve service issues and deliver lasting results. Our personal and pragmatic approach, with challenge where needed, ensures buy-in at all levels of our clients’ businesses and a successful outcome. We have worked with a wide range of organizations in the services industry including St John Ambulance, Europ Assistance, Communisis, Banque de France, GPT Group, Foncia, Elior Group, Suncorp, Crown Commercial Service and American Express

In an environment characterized by market liberalization, the emergence of new players, rapid traffic growth and changing consumer expectations, transport and logistics players are forced to fundamentally transform their model and organization.

Challenges in the transport and logistics industry

In the air transport industry, the rise of the “low-cost” model and the rise of new players with strong competitive advantages mean that companies need to search for sustainable economies of scale.

In the rail industry, incumbent operators are facing not only the opening up of the passenger transport market and challenges linked to flexibility, but they must also significantly improve their competitiveness while ensuring infrastructure financing.

Postal services are forced to adapt their model and organisation to the digital age, which means the erosion of mail and the rapid growth of parcel volumes. Logistics players must respond to growing demand and transform their business models to take advantage of new technologies (automation, tracking, mapping, dematerialization, data). In air and sea freight, digital technology is encouraging the emergence of new players who are disrupting business models and forcing traditional players to radically rethink their business.

Finally, tourism operators are faced with the emergence of new players who capture part of the traffic and value and force them to thoroughly review their operational model.

How we can help with transport and logistics

We support some of the main players in the industry, in tourism and air transport, maritime and rail transport, postal services, courier and logistics services companies. We assist in their reorganization and operational efficiency projects in all areas of the value chain.

Our approach

We apply a combination of technical expertise, operational experience and business knowledge to help our clients solve transport and logistics issues and deliver lasting results. Our personal and pragmatic approach, with challenge where needed, ensures buy-in at all levels of our clients’ businesses and a successful outcome. We have worked with a wide range of organizations in the transport and logistics industry including Kuehne + Nagel, Hills, Bunzl Retail Supplies, Swire Cold Storage, La Poste, AirFrance, GEODIS, Swire, ID Logistics, FM Logistic and SNCF

The acceleration of business transformations, the evolution of organizations, business disruption, employee commitment and motivation, talent management are all challenges that need strong HR support. In addition to this, new behaviors and new digital ways of working which are ever more social, mobile and interactive call HR practices into question, especially the strategic aspects which go beyond HR administration.

HR considerations

It is in this context that the HR function must transform itself; reviewing HR strategy, policies and processes, organization and talent management, while making the most of digital tools available (HR analytics, RPA, HR SaaS) to support the changes.

HR transformation

The transformation of an HR function should include workplace and work life enrichment (managerial culture, work environment, individual development), the development of the employer brand to attract talent, the anticipation of the business’ needs and planning for the skills and roles required. It also covers the implementation of effective HR processes and the management of social cohesion by ensuring there is an intergenerational balance and an inclusive approach.

Helping with HR challenges

Our team of HR consultants dig deep to identify the root of complex problems and focus on delivering tangible results for clients. The menu bar on this page provides more detail on a selection of the HR challenges we regularly work on.

We apply a combination of technical expertise, operational experience, business knowledge and common sense to help our clients solve HR issues and deliver lasting results. Our positive, flexible and personal approach, with challenge where needed, ensures buy-in at all levels of our clients’ businesses and a positive outcome

A strong operations strategy delivers the company’s aims while helping the business keep up with market changes and stay competitive.

Influences on operations strategy

Organizations need to be more fluid and agile than ever before, rapidly anticipating and reacting to change in every aspect of their operations. The growing list of challenges includes changes in customer preferences, advances in technology, regulatory reforms and constant pressure from competitors, both new and existing. Many industries are also experiencing complete overhauls, with traditional boundaries between customer and supplier constantly evolving due to the introduction of new technologies and ways of working.

Operations strategy focuses on both the existing scope of activity and options for moving the frontiers, through acquisitions or by addressing business shifts such as digital disruption and environmental challenges.

It is a mistake to think of operations as a back-office activity; an operations strategy is how an organization creates, delivers and captures value. It must link to the overall corporate strategy and consider the end-to-end activities across all its functions.

Operations strategy implementation

Once a clear strategy is generated, the next challenge is implementation. The approach may be different depending on whether it’s a new design from scratch or a transformation from an existing model, but a great operations strategy is useless unless the business can set up an environment where people are motivated to deliver it.

Helping with operations strategy challenges

Our team of operations strategy consultants dig deep to identify the root of complex problems and focus on delivering tangible results for clients. The menu bar on this page provides more detail on a selection of the operations strategy challenges we regularly work on.

We apply a combination of technical expertise, operational experience, business knowledge and common sense to help our clients solve operations strategy issues and deliver lasting results. Our positive, flexible and personal approach, with challenge where needed, ensures buy-in at all levels of our clients’ businesses and a positive outcome

Driven by increasing regulation and more environmentally conscious consumer behavior, sustainability is moving up the agenda for business leaders. Industries where reputation is critical, such as luxury goods, are making this their number one priority.

While awareness is growing, there are still gaps. Businesses may lack breadth of understanding, with a focus mainly on carbon footprint, depth of understanding, with analysis only concerning ‘direct’ impacts, excluding ‘indirect’ impacts like raw materials, or both.

First steps to sustainability

The first step is therefore to ensure that the business has full end-to-end visibility of the impact of their operations on all the major indicators like CO2, pollution, and water, from the extraction of raw materials to the sale of the finished product, to identify where to focus efforts

Modelling capability and understanding of source data allow businesses to conduct Life Cycle Analysis, which is essential to identify and prioritize improvement levers like eco-design, supplier selection, reduction of impacts in production, transport optimization, financial reporting, and many more.

Sustainability transformation

The second step is actually transforming the business’ operations to reduce their environmental impact by activating the improvement levers identified – cost, inventory, and service.

Like any ambitious and complex transformation, it requires strong technical and business expertise to drive the changes, and to maintain and improve performance.

Helping with sustainability challenges

Our team of experts in sustainability consultancy dig deep to identify the root of complex problems and focus on delivering tangible results for clients. The menu bar on this page provides more detail on a selection of the sustainability challenges we regularly work on.

We apply a combination of technical expertise, operational experience, business knowledge and common sense to help our clients understand and address sustainability impacts, embedding real change and delivering lasting results. Our positive, flexible and personal approach, with challenge where needed, ensures buy-in at all levels of our clients’ businesses and a positive outcome

The primary aspiration for any manufacturing organization is to manage its operational performance to ensure output meets or exceeds corporate and customer expectations and requirements. It is the bedrock upon which profitability is based, investment decisions are made, future growth is created, and shareholder returns are generated. It is the crux of manufacturing.

The manufacturing landscape is hugely complex and is evolving at an accelerated pace – success in this highly competitive and dynamic market environment means that in order to compete, organizations must become more operationally agile than ever. Optimizing the combination of people, assets, materials, processes and technologies is critical.

Operational performance drivers

To understand what it takes to drive consistently successful operational performance in manufacturing, methodologies can be used to;

• Assess the current as-is state
• Clarify the future to-be state
• Create the transformational roadmap
• Identify and diagnose the challenges and improvement opportunities to be addressed along the way

Operational performance transformation

Data-driven analytical approaches ensure objective decision-making throughout the transformation process. These can be used to optimize assets, materials, and process performance, focusing on people and the change management process to maximize and accelerate benefits, minimize risk, and ensure improvements are consistently achieved and sustained.

Helping with operational performance challenges

Our team of operations consulting experts dig deep to identify the root of complex problems and focus on delivering tangible results for clients. The menu bar on this page provides more detail on a selection of the operational performance challenges we regularly work on.

We apply a combination of technical expertise, operational experience, business knowledge and common sense to help our clients solve operational performance issues and deliver lasting results. Our positive, flexible and personal approach, with challenge where needed, ensures buy-in at all levels of our clients’ businesses and a positive outcome

The ability to design and bring new products to market is essential for a company to remain competitive in the short and long term. It is a driver of business performance and enables a company to remain price competitive and improve quality.

Influences of new products development

The decisions made at an early stage of product design have an impact on all company functions, from procurement to production and distribution. In addition, digital technology offers the opportunity to redesign processes and improve efficiency.

New products transformation

To address these challenges, the company must redesign its organization, develop its skills and optimize ways of working, particularly by taking advantage of digital technology to improve performance.

There are four essential points to consider:

• R&D and engineering should increasingly integrate their suppliers and leverage new technologies (technical data management)
• New product introduction processes should be challenged to reduce cycle times as much as possible from design to market
• Innovation portfolio management to be reviewed to take advantage of potential synergies
• Design to cost must be used as a competitive lever by challenging the functions of the product (or service) to remove all resources that do not contribute directly to it

Helping with new products challenges

Our team of new products consultants dig deep to identify the root of complex problems and focus on delivering tangible results for clients. The menu bar on this page provides more detail on a selection of the new products challenges we regularly work on.

We apply a combination of technical expertise, operational experience, business knowledge and common sense to help our clients solve new products development issues and deliver lasting results. Our positive, flexible and personal approach, with challenge where needed, ensures buy-in at all levels of our clients’ businesses and a positive outcome

All companies, whatever their line of business, are confronted with a continually evolving environment. This includes volatility in raw materials prices and availability, growth periods followed by recession, changing consumer requirements, ever-increasing competitive pressure, and the emergence of new competitors, amongst others.

Priority areas of procurement

Cost optimization, margin control, risk management and agility issues remain priority topics for companies, and procurement plays a major role in achieving a company’s objectives in these areas.

Procurement transformation

There are six priorities for transforming the procurement function:

1. The development of the strategic plan which must define the ambition, challenges, strategic transformation areas and the impact on the organization
2. The definition and implementation of the sourcing strategy
3. The procurement organization (interface with the rest of the company, redefinition of the global/local link, promotion of cross-functional actions and the “internal buying experience”)
4. The implementation of category management which must cover the entire life cycle of the supplier relationship
5. The optimization of costs and the value generated
6. The management of the supplier relationship covering the whole collaboration cycle

Helping with procurement challenges

Our team of procurement consultants dig deep to identify the root of complex problems and focus on delivering tangible results for clients. The menu bar on this page provides more detail on a selection of the procurement challenges we regularly work on.

We apply a combination of technical expertise, operational experience, business knowledge and common sense to help our clients solve procurement issues and deliver lasting results. Our positive, flexible and personal approach, with challenge where needed, ensures buy-in at all levels of our client’s businesses and a positive outcome

Demand volatility, product updates, complex industrial structures or networks and distribution channels, pressure on inventory and shortening lead times all make supply chain planning  increasingly difficult. This tendency towards increased complexity will only increase over time.

The three pillars of supply chain planning

Companies can achieve excellent customer service and reduce inventory levels to the minimum required by carrying out the three pillars of supply chain planning:

• The quality of decision-making in the Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) process
• The coherence of operational distribution, production and supply plans
• Excellence in execution

Supply chain planning transformation

Companies need to adapt, questioning their planning principles to ensure they best support the business strategy and structure as well as professionalize teams through results-oriented transformations. To support operational demand planning processes, flows, inventory and capacity, companies must also equip themselves with the most effective technologies.

It is important to combine best practices by industry, and a practical approach to ensure that teams are engaged and on board with any changes envisaged.

Helping with supply chain planning challenges

Our team of supply chain consultants dig deep to identify the root of complex problems and focus on delivering tangible results for clients. The menu bar on this page provides more detail on a selection of the supply chain planning challenges we regularly work on.

We apply a combination of technical expertise, operational experience, business knowledge and common sense to help our clients solve supply chain planning issues and deliver lasting results. Our positive, flexible and personal approach, with challenge where needed, ensures buy-in at all levels of our clients’ businesses and a positive outcome

Production, industrial maintenance, quality management and process management are obviously at the heart of many industrial issues. These areas (commonly referred to as manufacturing) are being disrupted by market developments, societal changes and technological disruptions. As a result, it is essential to have a clear and detailed manufacturing strategy for those who need to adjust their production model amid business challenges.

Manufacturing priorities

We assist industrial companies both in the upstream phases of diagnosis and in the implementation of roadmaps, focusing on six major priorities. These include:

• The redesign of industrial (and logistics) systems
• Make or buy strategy
• Performance optimization
• Setting up a network of excellence
• Improving agility
• Digital transformation

Manufacturing transformation

Thanks to solid operational experience, our consultants rely on tried and tested techniques, combining strong analytical capability to provide pragmatic and workable recommendations, and onboarding techniques for clients.

Helping with manufacturing challenges

Our team of manufacturing consultants dig deep to identify the root of complex problems and focus on delivering tangible results for clients. The menu bar on this page provides more detail on a selection of the manufacturing challenges we regularly work on.

We apply a combination of technical expertise, operational experience, business knowledge and common sense to help our clients solve manufacturing issues and deliver lasting results. Our positive, flexible and personal approach, with challenge where needed, ensures buy-in at all levels of our clients’ businesses and a positive outcome

The e-commerce era has dramatically shaken up access to the consumer; brands traditionally linked to wholesale intermediaries can now access their end customer directly, whilst the traditional retailers are looking to maximize the presence and use of their physical stores to resist, or even win the service battle against pure e-commerce players. Even the big players in this area are looking at the optimal balance between the agility of e-commerce and the attractiveness of a physical point of sale.

Principles of an effective channels to market strategy

Defining the channels to market strategy is now imperative for a company to be able to survive and grow. There are four dimensions that must be addressed:

1. Defining the access strategy to the final consumer – how to develop new sales channels without cannibalizing the old ones or ensure a smooth transition
2. Optimizing the planning and management of the offer by sales channel – what are the process and tools which make it possible to plan budgets, prices and assortments between channels to generate more turnover
3. Optimize e-commerce operations – how to control costs and inventory in a service inflation environment
4. For bricks and mortar retailers – how to reinvent the store’s role in an end-to-end approach

Helping with channels to market challenges

Our team of channels to market consulting experts dig deep to identify the root of complex problems and focus on delivering tangible results for clients. The menu bar on this page provides more detail on a selection of the channels to market challenges we regularly work on.

We apply a combination of technical expertise, operational experience, business knowledge and common sense to help our clients solve channels to market issues and deliver lasting results. Our positive, flexible and personal approach, with challenge where needed, ensures buy-in at all levels of our clients’ businesses and a positive outcome

With constrained capex budgets, extending the lifetime of equipment becomes an increasing priority and an ever-increasing collective challenge. Developing the right maintenance plans, and embedding the right operational structure to maintain the optimal condition of assets, is critical to controlling cost and maintaining asset utilisation.

Principles of maintenance and after sales

Different types of equipment and assets come with different levels of complexity and so maintenance plans and operational support need to be structured accordingly.

There are broadly four operational models to manage maintenance and after sales support:

• Fleet management (e.g. trucks, trains and aircraft)
• Large Infrastructure maintenance (e.g. rail networks)
• Field service (e.g. household appliances)
• Consumer goods aftersales (e.g. common electronics)

In each of these models, the customer interface will be different. This interface can range between a direct and personal interaction between the consumer and the operator (e.g. on-site repairs), to an arm’s length B2B interface using help desks and customer contact centres.

Transforming maintenance and after sales

Using our deep experience in maintenance and after sales we support our clients in designing and implementing the best model to support their business objectives and their customer’s needs, including operational maintenance, customer relations, asset management and spare parts supply chain.

Helping with maintenance and after sales challenges

Our team of consultants dig deep to identify the root of complex problems and focus on delivering tangible results for clients. The menu bar on this page provides more detail on a selection of the maintenance and after sales challenges we regularly work on.

We apply a combination of technical expertise, operational experience, business knowledge and common sense to help our clients solve maintenance and after sales issues and deliver lasting results. Our positive, flexible and personal approach, with challenge where needed, ensures buy-in at all levels of our clients’ businesses and a positive outcome.

Business transformation has become a popular aspiration. Companies want to do it and consultants want to help them. Transformation symbolizes potential and growth; it enables businesses to embrace complex and difficult business challenges, with the successful ones emerging more resilient and more powerful. Transformation management  is the coveted journey to continued higher performance and the basis for sustained competitive advantage.

Principles of transformation management

Only 30% of transformation programmes are successful. The failure rate suggests that it is incorrect for management to believe that a good communication plan and robust training are sufficient conditions for success. It is often the situation that the business case and benefits are not realized, and while the ’what’ of the program is understood, the ‘how‘ and ‘why‘ can be less clear.

Implementing business transformation

Successful transformation requires alignment throughout the business and the full and visible commitment of the leadership team. Best practice involves co-creation of the approach, self-selected engagement and involvement, and a culture of continuous change. The ‘why‘ and ‘how‘ are as important as the ‘what‘. Our approach to managing transformations directly addresses this; it includes a suite of tools and techniques focused on ensuring that a transformation is set up and managed to maximize and speed up the benefits, while minimizing risk and ensuring the change is sustainable.

Helping with business transformation challenges

Our team of transformation management consultants dig deep to identify the root of complex problems and focus on delivering tangible results for clients. The menu bar on this page provides more detail on a selection of the transformation management challenges we regularly work on.

We apply a combination of technical expertise, operational experience, business knowledge and common sense to help our clients solve transformation issues and deliver lasting results. Our positive, flexible and personal approach, with challenge where needed, ensures buy-in at all levels of our clients’ businesses and a positive outcome

At a time when there is significant investment in digital and IT technology, most companies are asking themselves the same questions: should we invest in these technologies, and to do what? How do you put them into place? What about the traditional technologies such as ERP and APS?

Pillars of digital and IT strategy

There are three elements a company needs to consider when addressing the questions above:

• Mastery of the relevant technologies to understand what they bring and how to test them
• Knowledge of the specific eco-system of each digital area – which are much more complex than for mature technologies
• A pragmatic approach, which starts with concrete use cases that demonstrate their feasibility and value

Digital and IT strategy implementation

Successful implementations deploy initiatives such as machine learning for forecasting, tracking of complex flows through IoT, applying RPA to repetitive processes and use of intelligent planning tools.

There are many areas where a company may look for assistance; digital operations strategy, IT architecture, assistance in selecting a solution, and implementation support, but the key is to ensure that value is added to the business.

Helping with digital and IT challenges

Our team of digital and IT consulting experts dig deep to identify the root of complex problems and focus on delivering tangible results for clients. The menu bar on this page provides more detail on a selection of the digital and IT challenges we regularly work on.

We apply a combination of technical expertise, operational experience, business knowledge and common sense to help our clients solve digital and IT issues and deliver lasting results. Our positive, flexible and personal approach, with challenge where needed, ensures buy-in at all levels of our clients’ businesses and a positive outcome

The finance function must move beyond its traditional role and increase its support to the steering of strategic, financial and operational activities across the enterprise. The objectives are to maximize the return on capital employed and cash generation to accelerate the achievement of profitable growth.

Principles of finance

Strategically, there are six top issues facing CFOs:

• Supporting the CEO in the definition of the strategic plan
• Aligning financial planning to the strategic plan
• Positioning the function as a key player in business transformation
• Creating value and making good investment decisions supported by proper business cases
• Defining the right management framework to optimize the enterprise’s financial performance
• Managing information to guarantee the comprehensiveness and precision of the financial indicators of value creation

Operationally – where the objectives are to maintain and increase competitive advantage – the challenges are to secure and improve direct margins, strengthen operational and financial prediction capability, control operating costs and accelerate the generation of free cash flow.

Transforming business finance

To address these issues, the finance function must rethink how it is organized, develop its skills and optimize its activities, where appropriate taking advantage of digital developments.

Helping with finance challenges

Our finance consultants dig deep to identify the root of complex problems and focus on delivering tangible results for clients. The menu bar on this page provides more detail on a selection of the financial challenges we regularly work on.

We apply a combination of technical expertise, operational experience, business knowledge and common sense to help our clients solve business finance issues and deliver lasting results. Our positive, flexible and personal approach, with challenge where needed, ensures buy-in at all levels of our clients’ businesses and a positive outcome

Driven by advancements in technology and increasing access to data, there is a growing reliance on data capabilities enhancements and AI for businesses across various industries. Business leaders are therefore looking to prioritize the adoption and integration of these technologies into their strategies and day-to-day operations.

Still considered as unexplored frontiers for many, numerous businesses are yet to fully embrace the extensive range of possibilities presented by data and AI. There are discernible gaps in achieving a holistic approach that combines data strategy and AI adoption, often overlooking the crucial integration of people, processes, and systems.

The data and AI journey

Before embarking on a transformation journey, ensuring robust data capabilities in support of the overall company strategy is essential. This involves understanding the unique needs of our clients’ business and developing a bespoke end-to-end data and AI strategy at both the corporate and functional levels.

This comprehensive strategy will ensure that the required data capabilities are identified along with thie processes and governance to make the transformation a success. Additionally, an integral part of the journey is identifying processes across various functions that can leverage generative AI to augment people capabilities.

Data and AI transformation

Once the building blocks for a successful data and AI transformation are diligently identified, work can commence to turn the vision into a reality. Recognition that success goes beyond just having the right tools and systems in place is crucial at this stage.

Without strong transformation management and effective communication at all levels of the organization, there is a great risk of failure. By prioritizing these aspects alongside the technological considerations, organizations can pave the way for a successful data and generative AI implementation, driving innovation and achieving sustainable growth.

Helping with data and AI challenges

Our team of data and AI consultants dig deep to identify the root of complex problems and focus on delivering tangible results for clients. The menu bar on this page provides more detail on a selection of the data and AI challenges we regularly work on.

We apply a combination of technical expertise, operational experience, business knowledge and common sense to help our clients solve data and AI issues and deliver lasting results. Our positive, flexible and personal approach, with challenge where needed, ensures buy-in at all levels of our clients’ businesses and a positive outcome