Facilitators For Management Team Planning Processes
 

Home Center Chain
A family owned 36-store retail chain implemented a formal planning process in the early Eighties. Several years later, the warehouse concept was introduced within their industry, which forced a new strategic direction to ensure the organization's viability.

The new business plan called for lowering price points and modifying the store format to include the warehouse concept while maintaining high customer service. The plan was implemented in all 36 stores in exactly 120 days.

With the chain repositioned, the company began to realize immediate sales increases. A negatively affected competitor owned by a Fortune 500 company made a very lucrative unsolicited offer for the company which had been an underlying aspiration of the family for several years. Because of his success in converting the chain, the chief executive ultimately replaced the senior officer of the acquiring chain.

Metropolitan Area Bank
A metropolitan area bank with $3 billion in assets had, like so many others, experienced significant real estate loan losses during the 1990-1992 recession. Because of deteriorating capital, the bank was required to sign an agreement with federal regulators calling for the infusion of capital and the implementation of an effective planning and improved management process.

Within six months after a capital infusion, the bank had both a plan and an on-going planning process. The regulators expressed enthusiastic satisfaction with management's rapid progress and terminated the requirement for the agreement.

Prescription Claims Financial Clearing House
This closely held organization used a cash basis accounting system that provided little detailed financial information about its operations. Within a year they had corrected this deficiency and instituted a realistic business planning process. Two years later, the company received two competing unsolicited acquisition offers leading to a sale at a significant premium.

The acquiring company based a major part of its decision on the strength of the business plan that described where the company was going and how it was being managed.

East Coast Regional Bank
For well over a decade we facilitated planning activities for this organization as it grew from $1.5 to over $12 billion in assets. A major reason for their success was the effectiveness of their team planning process and participative style of management. They not only acquired several other banks during that time but also had positioned themselves to be a successful player in a highly competitive marketplace.

Subsequently they merged with another large regional bank and obtained an excellent valuation for their stock.

Automobile Club and Insurance Company
In 1983 the senior executives of all divisions of this well-respected offshore Automobile Association participated for the first time in an organization-wide planning meeting. They initiated and institutionalized an integrated, highly effective planning process.

Over the following six years with our assistance, the company continued to solidify its dominant market position and aggressively began to expand from its statewide base into a national organization. It has consistently provided automobile insurance to nearly half the cars in its marketing area.

Packaging Machine Manufacturer
This company had an opportunity to build a $1.6 million prototype machine for a major beverage customer. The use of such a machine was based on a revolutionary concept that would give the customer a significant competitive advantage in its marketplace. Even though the technology had not been developed, the customer wanted delivery in eight months.

A one-day project planning session was held to expand a preliminary overview plan into one with 124 major tasks. The ensuing plan served as the guide for the new machine's development cycle. While the inevitable technological problems were encountered, the customer clearly understood where the project was at all times and was able to complete the project. Based on the success of the planning and management process, the company's customer also utilized our services.