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CASE
STUDIES
Our partners' track
records of delivering solid decision support to high technology
and aerospace leaders and investors covers a lot of ground. A select
few engagements are described briefly below.
The leading producers of consumer and enterprise software, datawarehousing
solutions, CRM solutions, and other information technology hardware
and softare components and solutions have been our partners' clients.
Our partners' aerospace clients have included the leading manufacturers
of military and commercial aircraft engines, MR&O shops, military
and commercial aircraft designers and manufacturers, defence and
civil electronics and avionics, and systems integrators.
Due
Diligence - 3 Weeks
| Issue: |
Acquirer
of an electronics infrastructure company whose sales dropped
and stayed low immediately after purchase needed to stop the
cash hemmorage.
Question 1: What was the real revenue forecast for the
acquisition?
Question 2: Why did revenues collapse?
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| Our
Work: |
Tested
acquisition's own A-list of customers against the forecast,
and found a large discrepancy; some customers had not spoken
with a sales rep. for over a year. Statistical analysis confirmed
a widening gap between real and imaginary forecasts. Marketing
and sales failures had enabled the success of a European competitor.
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| Results: |
Client
defended its business from internal rivals and external competitors,
using the best practices and differentiators we uncovered to
persuade customers and senior management of their premium value.
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Best
Practices - 8 Weeks
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Issue:
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Global
integrator of complex and sensor systems on its own platforms
(OEM) threatened by external and internal competitors.
Question 1: What, if any, was the OEM advantage in the
marketplace?
Question 2: What best practices could explain and extend
it?
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| Our
Work: |
Analyzed
the successes and failures of integration projects by both OEM
and 3rd party integrators to develop best practices and pitfalls
for the client. Measured and explained the price premium associated
with OEM integration efforts.
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Results:
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Client
defended its business from internal rivals and external competitors,
using the best practices and differentiators we uncovered to
persuade customers and senior management of their premium.
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Investment
Filter - 6 Weeks
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Issue:
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Data
warehousing developer needed to choose from a large number of
market opportunities, each requiring unique and costly product
sales strategy changes.
Question 1: Which opportunities were the best investment?
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| Our
Work: |
Filtered
the opportunities based upon risk and reward metrics to an initially
manageable number through customer and competitor research and
analysis combined with evaluation of the client's capabilities
match to each segment.
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| Results: |
Using
our findings, the solutions provider selected, funded, and moved
on the best opportunities.
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Entry Strategy
- 4 Weeks
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Issue:
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Enterprise
software developers anticipating entering a new market; to do
so it needed to identify its customers and address their needs
in their language.
Question 1: What product definition best met customer
needs?
Question 2: How could value be best conveyed in customer
language?
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| Our
Work: |
Worked
directly with customers to: test likely acceptance of the product
and refine its specifications; identify lighthouse customers
and prime the initial gate-keeper for the client; evaluate the
customer's awareness of competitors and substitutes; and discern
the customer's means and metrics for comparison.
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| Results: |
Built
a model of the customer's evaluative process for use as a sales
tool, and identified the resonant value propositions for customers.
Opened the door for the sales force, introduced them to their
most-likely customers.
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Competitor Threat
- 6 Weeks
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Issue:
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Global
software company and I.S.P. identified a potential rival rapidly
growing in parallel industries.
Question 1: Would the rival become a direct competitor?
Question 2: What would be the battlefield?
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| Our
Work: |
Performed
an analysis of the stated objectives of senior management, their
acquisition and growth activities for the past several years,
and compared that to existing opportunities for growth or acquisition
within the market. Concluded that the rival was indeed poised
to become a major threat to our client in multiple targeted
markets, most of which were not originally identified by our
clients.
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| Results: |
Management
disagreed with our findings of the new potential threats, however
within six months the rival had made a large acquisition in
the market predicted. |
Market
Validation - 2 Weeks
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Issue:
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Startup
with an aviation over-hauled purchase aggregation concept needed
to determine market acceptance for their service offering prior
to commencing next phase operations and investment.
Question 1: Were customers ready and willing to buy the
new service?
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| Our
Work: |
Developed
a web-based survey mechanism, identified and recruited respondents
matching the customer profiles and segments, and analyzed the
results. Achieved a 7% response ratio that was statistically
valid across all segments and answered the question completely.
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Results:
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Analysis
revealed the real market for the service, and highlighted which
components customers valued most and least. Based upon the findings,
the management team pulled the plug on further investment
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JV Support - 8
Weeks
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Issue:
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Major
consumer products company entered into a new kind of joint venture
to launch a new product.
Question 1: Were the terms of the agreement favorable?
Question 2: What, if any, were the areas that needed
to be re-negotiated?
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| Our
Work: |
Analyzed
similar deal structures, all within the target market, and performed
financial analyses to compare on an apples-to-apples basis.
Detailed complete supply chain of similar deals to compare directly.
Concluded that terms of the deal were not favorable and identified
three specific areas to re-negotiate terms.
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| Results: |
Client
restructured deal in accordance with our conclusions, re-negotiating
more favorable terms, thus saving significant money and resources. |
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