Strategy

Recent developments

Traditionally a prime field for management consultants, the expectations concerning the design of strategy recommendations have undergone substantial changes in the recent past. The times of “round-table thinking” have passed, and consultants increasingly have to act as critically minded sparring partners for their clients, working eye-to-eye with them when it comes to technical or operational questions, while never losing their strategic eye for the bigger picture. These trends have taken hold in the following areas:

1. An increasing need to take operational implications into consideration already in the first design of the strategy, instead of planning its implementation separately from the actual definition of the strategy. This is driven in particular by the recognition of the importance of potential IT obstacles and of the motivation of staff for the new direction.



2. Growing relevance of in-depth technical know-how in the development of strategies. Apart from full knowledge of the industry, the competitive situation, and the markets, modern requirements touch upon details concerning the product’s characteristics, relevant channels, processes, or regulatory constraints.



3. A stronger need for defining strategies not only in general categories like price leadership, quality distinctions or similar aspects, but rather in terms of carving out the particular strengths of the company and using them as the distinguishing factors, while eliminating potential weak spots to a point that allows the company’s strengths to take hold in the markets. A detailed differentiation by product categories, channels, or regions has become indispensable.



4. The need to design strategies in such a way that they offer options for reacting to changes in the markets without blurring the company’s distinguishing features in an undefined profile.

With our consultancy concept and the skills mix available in our senior teams, we already meet all of these new requirements.

Our consultancy services / interests

We can cover the entire range of project profiles in the area of traditional strategic considerations:

• Market entry strategies, with particular emphasis on Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
• Market positioning strategies and refocusing of companies’ market profiles.
• Product and pricing strategies.
• Channel and distribution strategies, also in combination with incentive systems.
• Competition analyses.
• Risk-oriented overall management and indicator systems in a strategic light.