Background

It is difficult to create and sustain a large, international organisation that functions effectively.

On one hand, there is a need for common objectives and strategies, common ways of doing things (i.e. common processes) and for co-operation, teamwork and information sharing across geographic and functional boundaries. Without these, the company is no more than a network of local operations, and synergies will not be realised.

On the other, there is a need for responsiveness to local customers, for organisational flexibility and a degree of entrepreneurialism, and for local accountability for results.

These two sets of characteristics are not naturally compatible, so achieving both involves a balancing act
- and there are considerable human forces working against maintaining the equilibrium. The difficulty is greatest in organisations that:

• Operate in many countries
• Have large product ranges
• Sell into several market segments
• Have a large number of local/regional customers
• Are pursuing a differentiated strategy

We assist such companies, whether they are long-established businesses experiencing internal problems or undergoing reorganisation, or young businesses expanding on the international stage.

Services

Multinational Organisation Design

This is the ‘structural’ element of organisational development, although it means more than just creating an ‘organogram’. We can:

• Conduct an objective, expert review of the effectiveness of the current organisational structure, reporting lines, formal and informal information flows, and motivation and reward structures, and identify areas for improvement.
• Define and design the optimum organisational structure and supporting mechanisms, and plan and assist in implementation. (View PDF)

Culture Management

• We help top management to define the cultural issues that must be addressed and the precise changes that will be involved, and
• Develop a ‘master plan’ to effect these changes smoothly and embed then firmly in the organisation. (View PDF)

Development of Commercial Processes

We assist in:

• Developing or improving core commercial processes,
• Installing them (ensuring understanding and acceptance), and
• Installing appropriate metrics and management mechanisms. (PDF coming soon)

Corporate Brand Development

• We help top management to define and establish core values, ensuring alignment of these values with the culture of the company and its market positioning;
• We install brand management mechanisms, policies and procedures, and monitoring and measurement mechanisms (PDF coming soon)

Integration of Acquisitions

In acquisition situations, we assist in the integration of the above elements - i.e. in the integration of culture, international organisational structures, core commercial processes and company brands. (View PDF)

Corporate Conferences

An internal conference can be a good way of introducing the above changes.

We design internal conferences that effectively deliver a precise set of objectives, build employees’ confidence and trust in the senior management team and send delegates home motivated and clear on what will happen and what is expected of them (PDF coming soon)