Starting from a phase of internal data analysis in terms of distribution and segmentation of turnover per customer and per product family, the following step will be to design the customer knowledge phase (Voice of the Customer) to understand the customer's needs to be met, the problems to be solved and what the answers might be in terms of value proposition (product, service and innovation). From there, market development opportunities will emerge, across the board, in terms of:
- Network plan, i.e. reviewing commercial and distribution policies to build an effective network. A system of economic and social partnership and collaboration used by the company to supply, expand and distribute its offer.
- New services
- Customer projects, i.e. relaunching opportunities concerning continuing customers or identifying new target customers. The customer project stems from the Value Proposition specifically created with the customer and formalised through an action plan. In this phase, the professionals in charge of the customer are involved, as bearers of knowledge and protagonists of its implementation. They provide inputs to identify solutions and the optimisation of invested resources.
- Country Projects. The Country Project represents the country aggregation of the different customer projects and is completed by the inclusion of all other customers who, although not having a specific project, represent the distribution network of that country.
- The Country Project is also the normally three-year evolution of the network in terms of area coverage, strengthening of the relationship status, selection, inclusion and de-selection of customers. The Country Project then contains the network plan for the customers and zones of that country.
- Product range review
- Warehouse and Procurement Policies Review
- Review of processes and procedures in terms of roles, responsibilities and modes of operation.
- Evidence of organisational gaps in terms of process owners or missing skills
Business consulting projects have to be self-financed, so there is the need of clearly identifying the objectives to be achieved and the costs to be borne. The choice as well as the monitoring of the project will be managed through a constant Sources - Uses analysis (starting with the company's financial statements) to see what self-financing possibilities the company has and what the trends of recent years are.