Creating strategic direction and action plan

Challenge

A niche international courier and logistics service provider experienced slow growth and inconsistent profitability despite targeting a large and growing customer market. Prior strategic planning efforts had fallen short of expectations, and its workforce was anxious about the company’s future. Compounding the challenges, large global 3PLs were aggressively moving into the company’s core market.

Approach

• Internal survey: Interviewed key managers to understand business challenges and aspirations
• Customer research: Interviewed top customers and strategic partners
• Market/competitor assessment and benchmarking: Broad and narrow views of SWOT
• Internal capabilities assessment: Identified the company’s relative strengths and weaknesses
• Strategic planning workshops: Engaged senior management in the evaluation of options and best path forward; developed ownership and commitment to the strategy
• Action plan: Defined multiple workstreams: operational improvement, sales & marketing, regional markets, new services and markets, and program management

Results

• Clear strategy and action plan to strengthen the company’s niche advantages
• Time-phased plan to enter adjacent spaces and new markets
• Sales and marketing focus to increase share of wallet with existing customers
• Financial plan to reach competitive levels of top-line growth and EBITDA