Financial Services Case Study I
CASE STUDY
Business Problem
Our client faced commoditization in a highly fractured industry. Eroding industry fundamentals put pressure on pricing and profitability. After 30 years, the firm was undergoing a generational change of control.
The Solution
Optimize was engaged to help the company grow. We leveraged strategic planning as a process to drive innovation, and to focus the management team on what matters most.
Optimize Activities
- Professionally facilitated seven strategic planning cycles over seven years
- Conducted a customer advisory board to identify industry trends
- Launched organizational surveys to gather manager input
- Surveyed our client’s customers to improve the firm’s value proposition
- Developed strategic planning documents, vision maps and action plans
- Worked with the Board of Directors for a smooth ownership transition
Outcomes
During the strategic planning process, the company:
- Focused on a market niche, becoming the market leader eight years later
- Developed a passive income stream that dramatically increased profit
- Established vertical integration across three businesses
- Launched a disruptive portal technology to sell the firm’s services
- Positioned their company as the subject matter expert in their field
- Deployed a “virtual office”, eliminating half of its office space
- Increased revenue per employee by more than 40%
