The rise of digitalisation and data, new disruptive challenger brands, increased emphasis on sustainability and the breakdown of traditional market archetypes are just some of the megatrends impacting the entire CPG industry and the way it looks to the future. At Berkeley, we bring our strong consumer goods experience to bear, but will never assume we know your business better than you do. Embedded as part of your team, we help you quickly define and deliver the change you need to succeed around the world, online, with your customers, consumers, distributors and suppliers. 

It’s about doing it fast and doing it right, which suits us down to the ground. With our ‘low volume, high value’ model, we won’t overwhelm your CPG business with large teams or take months to produce results.

Enhancing the consumer packaged goods industry through digital transformation

CPG companies, traditionally B2B-focused, have the opportunity to evolve in the digital era. There are now opportunities for a dual focus on both B2B and B2C, emphasising growth and margin over efficiency. This is mainly seen in the shift from prioritising the customer (retailer, distributor, or outlet owner) to directly engaging with the end consumer (shopper). Our approach involves crafting a comprehensive top-down digital vision for CPG companies, not just a bottom-up capability strategy. This vision encompasses seizing B2C opportunities while maintaining a focus on traditional B2B relationships. It also emphasises the necessary cultural adjustment toward a "digital mindset," fostering consumer-centricity, agility, innovation, and quicker responses to market changes.

Customer (sales) transformation in consumer packaged goods companies

We help CPG companies drive their business performance by harnessing the power of their data. From Net Revenue Management/Revenue Growth Management through to Retail Execution (In Market Execution), Trade Promotions Management and Trade Terms optimisation, and on to eCommerce and Direct-to-Consumer channels, we can help you set direction and quickly drive the changes you need. If you need to transform the role of your salespeople, merchandisers and distributors; implement a new operating model; or deliver new technology capabilities we’ll help you set up and run programmes that deliver the real and lasting change needed to truly optimise your sales across all channels and markets.

Channel transformation for consumer packaged goods

We can help you build and deliver on eCommerce strategies (pure play, omni channel, direct-to-consumer and new business models) that are both profitable and meet consumer expectations. From portfolio (value density, packaging, bundling, etc.), to demand optimisation (content, SEO, etc.) and through to execution (CRM, pricing, supply chain, etc.). By being forward thinking, challenging the norm, and offering structure and rigour, we help our CPG clients adapt and even transform their operating model and core capabilities to compete.

Consumer (marketing) transformation in consumer packaged goods

Our CPG industry consulting helps organisations build and leverage digital capabilities to drive their businesses forward. From transforming consumer insight and relationship management to optimising digital asset and product information management we can help you deliver the latest and best on-line consumer experience. Wherever there’s an opportunity on which to build, or a challenge to overcome, we can help you use digital to meet your aspirations.

Consumer packaged goods services / operations transformation

Berkeley can help you set the right CPG industry strategy and deliver the necessary transformation to your key ‘back office’ functions in order to best align and support the new business reality. We work with our clients to help drive global efficiency through shared business services as well as get the ‘local vs. global’ balance right.

Energy sector consulting to manage complex change

There has never been more uncertainty and upheaval in the energy sector, driven by complex geo-political and climate factors. Oil and gas companies are responding to the energy crisis, climate change, and the green energy transition.

The level of investment and change in workforce skills required to switch to green operations is considerable. While current fossil fuel operations remain profitable, and the return on investment in renewables can be decades away, companies may find too little incentive for change – and too much risk.

But geopolitical instability continues to impact global infrastructure and supply, and the graduating workforce is not keen to work with traditional oil and gas companies. A successful strategy for the long-term will require a significant degree of transformation and adaptation.

The utilities side of the sector is facing no lesser a set of challenges, with rising operating costs forcing smaller companies out of the market, increasing regulations, and volatile energy markets. Concern is also growing over the impact of the energy crisis on consumers, including the most vulnerable in society.

Across the industry, companies are having to find new ways to improve operational efficiency, manage risks, and maintain commercial viability. Organisations are undergoing constant change to ensure they can evolve and overcome the challenges they face, including pivoting their workforce and seeking to attract new talent into skillsets and roles that didn’t even exist a mere ten years ago.

With our deep expertise in complex transformation consulting, Berkeley is uniquely positioned to help.

Strategy consulting for energy sector businesses

When your challenges are immediate, you need an immediate-term strategy. Our energy sector consultants can help you rapidly articulate such a business strategy, enabling both large and small companies not just to survive but to thrive.

We can also partner with you to develop longer term business strategies, as well as assess existing plans and provide independent assurance that they are fit for purpose.

Consultants helping energy businesses with operational transition

Major established companies are having to fundamentally transform their businesses, particularly in oil and gas, while emerging companies, such as renewables businesses, are seeking to scale up and grow.

Our consultants can help at every stage of operational transition, from target operating model design, change management, to merger and acquisition (M&A) activity, including operational due diligence. As with our strategy work, we can also provide independent assurance that your transition plans are set up for success.

Energy consulting help with data and analytics

Our data and analytics consultants can help energy sector companies get more out of their data. We can help you implement the right data strategy and technology capability to deliver cost savings, and drive better business value. This can range from assessing the health of assets, and boosting their efficiency, to improving the experience for customers.

Cross-sector transformation expertise

Our extensive cross-sector experience means that our consultants can provide imaginative, tailored solutions that will fit the unique demands of your organisation. By combining deep transformation expertise with energy sector knowledge – partnering with you every step of the way – we can help your company to navigate the challenge of complex change to achieve future ambitions.

Financial services consulting: helping you adapt and transform

A new wave of complex challenges are reshaping the financial services sector: new competitors present a threat to market share; digital capabilities heighten customer expectations; and regulatory requirements are evolving. It’s vital that financial services organisations continue to adapt and transform their operations to ensure they remain competitive within an ever-changing sector.

The pace of innovation and sheer magnitude of change seen within the financial services sector are higher today than ever before. Whether it’s leading multi-faceted technology transformation programmes, appraising operational capabilities, or developing a new organisation structure, The Berkeley Partnership’s financial services clients repeatedly turn to us for help.

Financial services consulting: helping you capitalise on your data assets

Financial services is one of the most data-rich sectors in the global economy. However, many financial services organisations struggle to effectively leverage this data. Without a firm grasp on these insights, decision-making in areas such as profitability, risk, and operations can prove difficult. Our financial services consultants work alongside our clients to ensure they are able to define and obtain these critical insights and make decisions that better place their organisation within the market.

Financial services consulting: integrating risk management and operational resilience disciplines

Today, operational resilience is just as important as financial resilience as a strategic imperative. Financial services organisations need to mature their operational resilience to meet regulatory requirements, reduce the impact of operational interruptions, and enhance customer trust.

Wherever you are in your resilience journey, we can assist. Whether you need a maturity assessment and benchmarking against proprietary and industry frameworks (e.g. NIST), remediation plans or an internal case for change – we’re experienced partners that you can trust.

Financial services consulting: enabling digital-first business strategies

Many financial institutions are working with legacy IT estates, running core systems and applications that have been underinvested and do not meet the rising expectations of their customers. By implementing technology modernisation transformations, businesses can reduce their spend on maintaining technology and enhance the service level they provide, both internally and externally. Our clients choose to work with us because our financial services consultants are experts in shaping transformation projects and optimising delivery.

Financial services consulting: drive and embed changes to your structure and operating model

Successfully addressing the trends impacting the sector often requires a significant shift in the mindset and actions of your workforce; teams and people must be disciplined to deliver on strategic priorities, but nimble enough to respond to new opportunities. We work with our financial services clients to define and implement new organisation structures and changes to their operating model, but we’re equally adept at consulting on the cultural journey and embedding new ways of working.

Financial services consulting: s166 skilled persons

Berkeley is currently on the FCA’s s166 skilled persons panel and we have conducted a variety of s166 reviews. We are regularly appointed by our clients in a skilled person equivalent capacity, providing independent reviews of our clients’ technology and information management operations and technology-based change programmes.

Driving change within the government and public sector can be challenging…

…in ways unique to each organisation. At Berkeley, we understand how to work within complex political environments that aren’t profit driven – from central or local government, to regulators, to education, health and other public sector bodies.

We know that your stakeholders can be multiple and diverse, including high status specialist practitioners and experts in their respective fields, who may be sceptical of consultants and ‘management speak’. We can help you to reach consensus and achieve meaningful outcomes.

Public sector consulting: turning policy into action

Political agendas, multiple layers of governance, rapidly changing circumstances, and resource scarcity often combine to make action complex and challenging. Berkeley can help you bridge the gap between strategy and implementation.

Our public sector consulting experts have considerable experience in translating strategic direction and policy mandates into actionable change on the ground. We can partner with you to develop thoughtful, tailored solutions that get to the heart of what you want to achieve.

Government consultants engaging stakeholders and secure buy-in

Within a government and public sector context, our people know how and when to adapt our approach to quickly build credibility and secure stakeholder engagement and buy-in. At Berkeley, we only deploy small teams of highly experienced consultants, who work as part of your senior team. They can engage strategically with senior stakeholders to build understanding and reach a common position, and successfully navigate any challenging organisational politics.

Public sector consulting: delivering value for the taxpayer

We recognise that budget and resources can be scarce within a public sector context, and that investment needs to deliver for the taxpayer. Our public sector consulting experts work effectively within resource and budget constraints, always focused on making a real impact, delivering value, and achieving lasting outcomes.

Specialising in transformation within the public sector

Public sector organisations are often very operationally focused and may not have the capacity to focus on a change agenda, or to build the required capability. If you’re concerned your organisation may not have deep enough transformation or project leadership expertise, Berkeley's transformation specialists can help. We bring the perspectives and best practice gained from different sectors, as well as our expertise in government or public sector organisations, and work with you to adapt them to meet the needs of your organisation.

We never impose out-of-the-box solutions or methodologies. Our model is to work in partnership with our clients, building trusted relationships and collaborating on the approach that’s right for the organisation. By combining our strategy and transformation expertise with your specialist knowledge, we can bring out the best in your people and achieve results that make a real difference.

A healthcare and NHS consulting firm that understands complexity

Healthcare is one of the most highly-regulated and complex industries so it’s not surprising that healthcare transformation programmes are among the most complicated and difficult. The pressure to justify change and deliver outcomes can be overwhelming – often while having to manage multiple stakeholders and work within tight budget constraints.

At Berkeley, we understand complexity. Our healthcare consultancy team specialises in transformation under the most challenging and high-stakes circumstances, including programme turnaround where a critical project needs major intervention. We’ve worked across the whole public healthcare system, from NHS healthcare providers and clinical commissioning groups to local authorities, central government, and regulators. We also have experience working with private healthcare providers, health insurance companies and medical suppliers.

Berkeley’s healthcare consultants can work with you to develop your strategy, secure senior leadership buy-in, drive system transformation, and enable care integration. For public sector organisations, we can help them continue their journey towards delivering the NHS Long Term Plan. We can adapt as a project evolves and always remain focused on the outcomes.

The world of media and entertainment: rapid change

The media and entertainment sector is facing a startling pace of change. Digital technology has largely moved from supporting the business to being the business – and the most successful organisations are those that can combine digital capability with great innovation, creativity and content expertise.

To win in this environment requires a footprint and operations infrastructure that allows you to keep your finger on the global pulse and be sufficiently flexible to change and adapt quickly to new opportunities and challenges.

Media and entertainment consulting: new business models

Media and entertainment companies are faced with the decision to either partner with or acquire other businesses to access the latest technology and expertise, and to adapt to new business models. This is for both the breadth and depth of service offerings as well as the infrastructure to support their business operations.

Extensive customer insight is the key to optimising content, delivery channels, and advertising revenues for the media industries. However, this insight requires much greater focus, skills and expertise in information, analytics and big data than companies have ever needed before.

Media and entertainment consulting: transformation for the future

What is certain is that nothing is standing still in the media and entertainment sector. Transformational change is becoming a way of life rather than a one-off.

Media and entertainment consulting: deep sector experience

We have helped our clients in all areas of the industry – media agency holding companies, individual agencies, and the major content producers and publishers – challenge and change. Our work spans top-level, front-office business operating model design (working directly with the executive team) to large scale back-office transformation.

It’s about doing whicht fast and doing whicht right to help you achieve results, whichh suits us down to the ground. With our ‘low volume, high value’ model, we won’t overwhelm with large teams or take months to produce results. Typically only using one or two highly experienced and high calibre people, we can setup, assess or turn around major programmes in weeks, or help you cut through to a core strategy in a matter of days.

Media and entertainment consulting: by your side when it matters most

We work as close-knit part of your team, doing the work ‘with you, not to you’, and getting to results that have real ownership and buy-in.

Above all, this is about sound judgement – doing enough analysis and drawing on our experience to help you make a confident call on what’s right for you.

Private equity consulting: realising growth

Many private equity investors encounter barriers to growth and value realisation, both pre- and post-deal. Tensions can run high on both sides of the deal. How do you ensure investors and management fully align their agendas?

The Berkeley Partnership’s private equity consulting services can help bring all stakeholders together to build from common ground and remove barriers to growth. We combine private equity consulting knowledge with deep experience in shaping and delivering complex transformational change. Our consultants help clients identify and overcome the operational challenges and realise their plans for value and growth.

Private equity consulting: breaking down the pre-deal barriers

Private equity firms can only act rapidly and efficiently to address operational barriers if they first understand where they lie. With our support on operational due diligence, you can identify the barriers and address them with a practical and realistic plan, considering all options and building value pre-deal.

Private equity consulting to implement the right operating model

By partnering with us, you can develop and implement the target and interim operating model states required to enable your business to get onto the necessary growth trajectory. We work with our clients to develop and deliver the operating models that are right for them, including appropriate technology enablers and the relevant people and organisational considerations.

Private equity consulting: value creation

Our consultants have the hands-on expertise to augment your team and can align multiple stakeholder groups around true value creation.

Post-deal, we can help you to create high-confidence plans to deliver the value that underpins the rationale for the transaction. This will often require additional skills and capabilities to what is in place today. We can help with key growth-enabling capabilities such as technology leadership and change management.

Management consultants combining private equity insight and transformation expertise

Berkeley’s approach to private equity consulting allows us to understand the priorities of both investors and management and focus on building trust and delivering value to both. For us, this is not a zero-sum game. We bring our impartiality and deep experience of cross-sector business operations and transformational change to provide clarity, offer informed choices, and enable change that will result in the desired outcomes.

A real estate consulting partner that understands your complexity

We know that real estate can be complicated, and it can be daunting to navigate change as a result. At Berkeley, we understand this complexity and have years of hands-on experience of running large scale programmes with real estate businesses, working directly with C-suite stakeholders. Our consultants specialise in delivering transformation under the most complex, challenging and high-stakes circumstances.

Our consulting services have helped real estate companies through challenges such as moving to a global operating model while still maintaining local expertise, driving digitisation and PropTech expansion, and implementing successful post-merger integration. Our embedded and collaborative approach and our experience of navigating complex stakeholder landscapes enables us to deliver lasting transformative change.

Real estate consulting: global benefits with local insight

Some in the industry will tell you that real estate is inherently local. While undoubtedly there will always be a local aspect to it, the industry has seen a transition to an increasingly globalised model. Developing an operating model that achieves the right balance of the benefits of global and local is not easy to do. Berkeley’s consultants can help you with the key issues: how to make a matrix organisation work, how to globally govern yet locally lead, how to set up profit and loss (P&L) to incentivise the right behaviours, and how to navigate the complex stakeholder engagement required.

PropTech and digitisation without losing the human touch

Real estate has always been a relationship-driven business, with human interaction critical in advising clients or driving deals. However, done in the right way, digitisation and the use of technology can enhance, rather than replace, these relationships. At The Berkeley Partnership, our consultants are highly skilled in all aspects of digital transformation from strategy through to implementation, and can partner with clients to leverage the full benefits of PropTech to drive growth and efficiencies.

Real estate consulting: unlocking the benefits of M&A

The real estate industry has always been highly acquisitive, a trend which is only increasing in the current climate. However, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are far from simple. For many real estate businesses, going through major M&A will represent the largest change they ever experience. Berkeley can help real estate companies derive value from their M&A through operational due diligence, designing post-deal target operating models, and managing the integration of acquired companies.

A real estate consulting partner trusted by your lead team

Not only does Berkeley understand the nuances of the real estate industry, but we specialise in tackling complex transformation challenges. Our highly-experienced consultants can help land change in the multifaceted stakeholder landscape inherent to the sector. Our approach of bringing small, experienced teams means we can directly partner with board-level members and senior executives, and bring together disparate groups from across the business – giving you full confidence that you will successfully drive change and realise the benefits.

Transport and travel consulting for the long-term future

Change is constant within the transport and travel sector – all driven by issues such as regulatory reforms, investment in strategic infrastructure programmes, the need to address capacity constraints, the push towards net zero, changing behaviour and technology, and organisational changes such as franchise renewals.

A combination of aging assets, budget constraints, a multi-faceted supply chain and overstretched internal capability can hinder strategic thinking and create a culture of ‘crisis management as the norm’.

Meanwhile, external agencies and the travelling public are scrutinising transport and travel providers’ every move.

You can make a big difference with targeted well-managed changes. As experienced transformation specialists, The Berkeley Partnership can partner with you to cut through this complexity and turn your ambitions into real results. Our transport and travel consultants focus on the long-term and can help you achieve successful, long-lasting outcomes.

Transport and travel consultants who can secure the right business sponsorship

To see success, change initiatives must align with organisational strategy and achieve full endorsement from an informed and engaged leadership. But due to operational pressures, executive sponsors don’t always have the availability or energy to focus on long-term goals. Our transport and travel consultants can help you make your case successfully, securing the strong senior sponsorship needed to advocate change and make it happen.

A transport and travel consultancy that understands the right requirements

The early stages of a change programme are often the most critical for a successful delivery but many organisations need to gain a better understanding of the urgency and allocate enough time and resource. They need to look beyond just the short-term pressures of keeping passengers moving. The Berkeley Partnership can help you lay strong foundations for long-term transformation without putting current operations at risk.

Transport and travel consultants who can help you build the right capability

Internal change and programme management teams are often over stretched in terms of capability and capacity. Transport and travel organisations frequently need to find the right external providers and establish commercial relationships to drive the right behaviours.

The Berkeley Partnership can help you to invest in and build key skills for managing change. We can support you to develop your people, giving you the capability to run the programme over the long term and drive lasting change.

A trusted transport and travel consultancy with expertise

We have a strong track record of delivering complex change in regulated environments, where there are often constraints on funding and capability. In particular, our expertise in portfolio management and effective business planning can greatly help transport and travel providers to identify and deliver critical change initiatives whilst protecting operational performance.

We bring a ‘client-side’ approach where we will support the leaders of your organisation, acting as trusted partners and are often embedded within the client team. By working in this way, we can bring you the fresh perspective, creativity and constructive challenge needed while remaining focused on the outcomes you want to achieve.

To drive long-term success, you need a clear and actionable business strategy – one that’s well thought through, has identified the available choices, and sets a practical direction. If you’re looking for business strategy consulting services to help you, The Berkeley Partnership can transform your ambitions into real results.

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) demands are increasing, and you’ll have to adapt your business to ensure your organisation survives and thrives in the future. Complex and challenging changes to your strategy, culture and operating model will be necessary to ensure good governance, net-zero action and a positive impact on society. 

ESG consulting services that enable complex transformation

Organisations are having to rethink their purpose, strategy and operating models to address ESG considerations, such as reducing emissions to combat climate change, ensuring ethical labour practices, or achieving greater diversity, equity and inclusion. Customers are increasingly demanding the organisations they buy from to take more responsibility – and as a result, ESG-oriented businesses are thriving. In the future, any organisation that wants to be successful will need to have ESG and sustainability at its heart. 

ESG and sustainability also brings opportunities for new products and services, production methods, ways of working and supply chains that can deliver commercial benefit, not just demonstrate corporate social responsibility. It’s increasingly important for talent management too, as employees seek out purpose-led organisations with strong ESG and sustainability commitments.

As an organisation, we are also deeply committed to our own corporate social responsibility and journey to net zero, taking concerted action to make a difference.

ESG and sustainability transformation expertise that spans across your operating model

Creating an ESG-focused sustainable organisation often requires careful, co-ordinated design across several aspects of an operating model. Berkeley’s sustainability consultants can partner with you to align the necessary organisational, process, location, capability and technology elements. Our range and depth of experience helps clients to think holistically about how to translate sustainability strategy into realistic actions that lead to tangible results.

ESG transformation consultants who get your programme moving

Mobilising ESG and sustainability programmes can be particularly challenging given their cross-cutting, critical and complex nature. Berkeley’s experienced programme leaders can work with you to set up for success – working with your senior people to create the case for change, building cross-functional teams and ensuring the right governance, approaches and plans are in place.

A coherent change management strategy is fundamental to the success of business transformations, ensuring they reach their ambitions and make a lasting impact. Working by your side, The Berkeley Partnership can help you plan, drive and embed change to achieve real results.

Getting change management right

If you’re investing in any kind of change, you must ensure that change is managed well if you want to realise the full benefits.

The Berkeley Partnership can help you establish the right foundations. Our change management consultants can work with you to develop a clear, well-articulated vision and create a compelling business case. We can also help your organisation prepare for and buy into the change programme by securing leadership commitment and engaging key stakeholders.

But we can also challenge and adapt where needed, helping you to overcome the inherent complexities of change management. We can partner with you to track and measure change interventions, report progress and plans to leaders, and ensure the adoption of changes will lead to lasting outcomes.

Change management that prepares you for transformation

Effective change happens when both the individuals involved and the organisation as a whole are ready. Berkeley is a change management consultancy that can help you take the right actions to prepare your people for change. We can also work with you to ensure that your organisation’s processes, systems, culture and other operational aspects all line up to help, not hinder, the changes you need.

Change management that creates genuine commitment

It’s not enough to have people who are aware of the reasons for change; there also needs to be a genuine commitment to new ways of working, whatever the challenges. With our change management consulting expertise, Berkeley can help you create commitment - not just capability – in your organisation. We can help you identify and take the right actions to enable your people to really embrace the changes necessary.

Change management – a handy framework

We love making change happen, and helping our clients navigate the path to success. Our consultants have extensive experience in delivering successful change management – from global transformations to technology implementation, and on to introducing new cultures and ways of working. We also have expertise in change management to support agile programmes, and across a portfolio of programmes.