Projects

Product, price and point-of-sale strategy for a retail company

Concreda created a positioning strategy and overall concept for stationery and multimedia for a business group with warehouses at multiple locations. This was comprised of both a market and competitor analysis using benchmarks along with an overview of strengths/weaknesses based on performance indicators. Based on these analyses, Concreda worked with the client to develop an implementation strategy of a product, price, point-of-sale and marketing strategy. The strategy roll-out was supported by implementation guidelines, a business case and immediate actions. The result is a consistent strategy that starts at purchasing, extends to point of sales, and covers implementation through a specific product and price structure.

Growth strategy at a construction intermediary

Together with the Managing Board of a family-run construction intermediary, Concreda developed a strategy to tap into new growth areas. In a series of workshops, strategic priorities were defined and 18 growth initiatives covering customers, products and sales channels were developed with the aim of increasing revenue by almost 20%. The implementation of the selected measures was reviewed at regular intervals and steps were fleshed out and/or modified where necessary. The result is the successful execution of the defined strategic measures through consistent implementation monitoring.

Strategic consolidation in building services

For the Managing Board of a leading building services group, Concreda led an integration project for the merger of several subsidiaries. The legal integration, which included changing the company name, was going to affect over 3,000 employees in Switzerland and Italy. The project consisted of the organisational integration, which included finances, processes and IT systems, rebranding under one joint brand, and the overseeing of the merger with targeted change management measures. The result is a strategically planned and effectively executed merger process that laid the groundwork for the realisation of organisational and procedural synergy potential.

Strategical repositioning in horticulture

For a family-run horticultural business, Concreda led the company’s strategic repositioning process. In a series of workshops, the cornerstones of the company’s new position were defined, looking at products, services, price and market presence. Based on this, the foundation for a new communication concept was set out in a second step that included an image campaign along with the operative implications for the organisation, processes and skills. Employing regular strategy and implementation reviews meant that measures could be defined clearly and individual topics refined conceptually during the implementation phase. The result is a consistently executed transformation that was managed from start to finish – from the strategic goals, to implementation planning, to operative execution.

Strategy and organisational management in the construction industry

For a company in the construction industry, Concreda, along with the company’s Managing Board, carried out a strategy check together with the aim of defining an overarching vision and fine-tuning the market presence of the different areas of business to ensure they work in sync. In an initial workshop, the positioning elements and differentiators in a changing market environment were identified, while the strategic priorities in terms of sales channels and customer approach were developed. The implications for the organisational and operational structure were also taken into consideration. This was used as a basis to present organisational planning measures to the Board of Directors. The result is a more finely tuned strategy that is in line with the altered market and competitive environment as well as recommendations for specific organisational measures.

Diversification strategy for a production and commercial company in the food industry

For a leading company in the food industry, Concreda developed a diversification strategy to boost the brand’s market share that included a downstream production strategy. Based on the company’s long-term objectives, the strategic priorities to develop innovative products, acquire new customer segments, and expand sales channels were worked out and refined during several work meetings and interviews. The implications for the organisational and operational structure were summarised as part of a downstream production strategy. The result is a sound foundation on which the Board of Directors can base decisions that outlines goals and investment figures.

Strategy for profitable growth in the consumer goods industry

For a company in the garment industry, Concreda took over 100 growth ideas and worked together with the Managing Board in a series of workshops to define and prioritise 23 growth and cost-saving projects. These comprised of measures to boost price and efficiency as well as target-group specific communication strategies along the customer journey. As part of implementation planning, the impact the measures would have on revenue and cost development were quantified in a business case, including immediate actions to increase profitability. The result is an action plan that includes responsibilities, transparency concerning how the measures will contribute to achieving revenue and cost goals, and measured variables for implementation monitoring.

Market strategy for a leading digital insurer for private policyholders

For the subsidiary of a large Swiss insurer, Concreda developed a digital growth strategy together with the client. In workshops with the Managing Board, a vision, goals and strategic priorities were defined. Based on this, measures focusing on the marketing mix (product, price, sales, communication, etc.) were set out. Finally, the implications of implementing the strategy in terms of the organisation, processes and skills were discussed and backed up with measures. The result is a strategy designed together with the Managing Board that is based around the client and the organisation, which offers transparency about how it will benefit the group’s financial objectives.

Strategy and operating model for a legal expenses insurer

For a legal expenses insurer and the subsidiary of a global insurance group, in an initial step, Concreda, together with the client, developed a vision and strategic priorities to grow their market share by 50% over a three-year period. In a second step, the implications for the operating model in terms of organisation, processes, systems, skills and measured variables were defined. Key areas were the reorganisation of customer services within a shared service centre, automation and the introduction of a new skills model. The line managers were closely followed during the transformation process and supported by the project management office and change management activities. The result is an efficient, effective and customer-orientated implementation of the strategy and operating model.

Product strategy for financial services providers

A listed financial services provider wanted to sharpen and develop its strategy. The focus was on clear positioning, prioritisation of the service portfolio and consistent customer approach. Defining an implementation plan and a set of KPI to track implementation were also critical. In several workshops, Concreda supported the CEO and his management team in developing consistent and measurable goals, strategic directions and a specific implementation roadmap. The results included a product portfolio prioritised on the strategic objectives and a marketing plan differentiated by industries. Based on the strategy, the necessary adjustments were made in the organisation. A change management and communication plan were developed for successful implementation.

Market strategy and culture workshop for leading industrial insurer

After a merger, an international insurance group faced a challenging task. The challenge was to commit to a consistent and focused market strategy on the one hand and to strengthen internal cooperation on the other. To this end, Concreda facilitated a two-day strategy and culture workshop. In this workshop, together with the management team, the strategic foundations for the market strategy were developed and operationalised by means of initiatives. Equally important was the joint development of a team vision and specific potentials for improvement in cooperation across the organisational units. By improving internal cooperation and strengthening the team culture, the necessary conditions for a unified and effective market presence were created.

Strategy development and organisational realignment for investment and pension solutions provider

A leading provider of investment and pension solutions for private and institutional clients wanted to sharpen its strategy for the next strategic cycle. This included defining vision, mission and guiding principles as well as underlying core values. In several workshops, Concreda supported the management team in developing a structured, consistent and aligned strategy, incl. sharpening of target customers and marketing plan as well as adjustments in the organisational design. This last aspect involved, among other things, aligning the organisation more strongly with the target customer segments based on the refined strategy. In addition to sharpening roles, new tasks and responsibilities have been defined. By accompanying the implementation by a focused change management programme, it was possible to ensure that both managers and employees were involved and empowered to implement the strategy. The result was a successful strategic and organisational realignment supported by the entire organisation.

Professionalisation of project portfolio management for pension fund

An independent collective foundation wanted to improve its project portfolio management. By defining and implementing a standardised project management process, Concreda supported strategic project prioritisation, laid the foundation for transparent governance and improved resource deployment. Moreover, it established the groundwork for a structured discussion of conflicting objectives and dependencies by the executive management and the foundation board.

Supporting agile transformation for leading Swiss insurer

A leading Swiss insurer had started a multi-year agile transformation. It quickly became clear that the desired vision and objectives could only be achieved if all employees acted as drivers of the transformation and not just as affected parties. Together with IT, HR and business development, Concreda defined a transformation programme, which was implemented together with all stakeholders. Creating the common understanding with members of the executive team to effectively fulfil their role as change leaders was also a focus of the programme. Finally, Concreda empowered the internal project team to drive the programme independently once Concreda’s support was complete.

Change management during service company outsourcing in the energy sector

As part of the outsourcing of customer services and administrative activities for three large utilities companies into one service company, Concreda coordinated the change management activities between the three partners. Based on a stakeholder analysis, a comprehensive change plan was defined and developed with measures to involve and mobilise employees, including a roadshow with the Board of Directors. In weekly meetings, the change agents’ change and communication activities were coordinated. As a result, the foundation for a successful corporate transformation could be laid by investing in a holistic change plan and its coordinated implementation.

Implementation of a market strategy for a company in the logistics industry

For a global logistics company, a joint strategy was developed for the Swiss and German markets. Based on market and competition analyses and the evaluation of financial indicators, 17 strategic priorities in the areas of growth, customers and employees were defined. These were prioritised based on their potential and implementability and refined as part of implementation planning. Lastly, the financial controlling necessary to monitor target achievement was created and the results summarised for the Managing Board in quarterly reports. The result is the implementation of the strategy through a sound implementation plan and a financial controlling designed around the firm’s strategic objectives.

Strategic project prioritisation for integrated transport service provider

A leading Swiss transport service provider was faced with the challenge of strategically prioritising its projects and resources. In order to be able to do this in a consistent and coordinated manner, a full-day workshop was held with the entire management. The workshop focused on strategically assessing the project portfolio, identifying resource conflicts and agreeing on a common prioritisation. The joint development of the strategic principles, facilitated by Concreda, laid the foundation for a consistent and coordinated approach across all business units. The methodology introduced has since been used by management for regular reviews of project prioritisation and alignment of common strategic directions.

Expansion strategy for a catering company

Together with the Managing Board, Concreda developed an expansion strategy for the Board of Directors of a catering company active across Switzerland. Based on a location analysis, which included a profitability analysis and an analysis of white spots, strategic options for an expansion strategy were defined with the aim of a 5% EBIT increase. In a subsequent step based on the analysis of positioning and differentiation characteristics, specific format strategies together with approaches to increase turnover and reduce costs were developed. The result is a good foundation that the Board of Directors can use to facilitate decisions and which outlines the impacts of various expansion scenarios on the 10-year plan, and clear recommendations for implementation.

Marketing strategy for veterinary hospital

A leading veterinary hospital wanted to sharpen its strategy in order to respond even better to changing market and customer needs. The focus was on sharpening the positioning and customer segmentation as well as identifying growth areas. Furthermore, digital tools and possibilities should be increasingly leveraged for market development. In joint workshops with the hospital management and senior physicians, strategic directions were developed and agreed upon, and implementation planning was defined. Based on the results of the workshops, a consistent communication document was created and the procedure for involving the various stakeholders was adopted in order to support the veterinary hospital in operationalising the strategy.

Introduction of new ways of working for a municipality

In the context of moving into a new building complex, a city municipality took the opportunity to introduce new working models. In addition to the goal of increasing attractiveness as an employer, the core objective was also to boost employee satisfaction and productivity. By involving managers and employees at an early stage as part of a structured change management programme the foundations were laid for a successful move and effective working in the new environment. Among other things, through the nomination of ambassadors, the moderation of workshops and the implementation of a series communication and empowerment measures Concreda enabled the teams to prepare for the new working environment and collaboration culture.