Dr. Eric De Smet, Partner, AGI (responsible for Asia Pacific Region)

Developing a Corporate Strategy

Often, organizations are not achieving their desired bottom line return from engaging external consulting firms. This presentation describes how JRI, a consulting company, used TOC to develop corporate strategy and tactics that allow them to achieve a competitive advantage in the Japanese market by exceeding customer expectations for bottom line return.

Japan Research Institute (JRI) is one of the top five think-tanks in Japan, and a subsidiary of Sumitomo Mitsui Bank the second largest bank in Japan. Its consulting and research division provides services in the field of Business Management consulting, SCM consulting and System Integration.

Business management and SCM consulting is a highly competitive market in Japan, and JRI was facing significant challenges to meet its goals. The SCM consulting division had been exposed to TOC and was looking to offer TOC-based solutions to create a competitive advantage.

After getting buy-in from the President of the Consulting and System Integration division, AGI facilitated the development of the Business Management Strategy as well as the marketing and functional strategies to deliver TOC-based solutions to the market within a short period of time.

Key elements included:

• the development of the TOC knowledge base,
• establishing a strategic partnership between JRI and AGI to create the ability to immediately deliver TOC-based solutions to the market
• establishing strategic partnership with key TOC based software providers

Bottom line results included:

• Typical system analysis which previously took six months is now delivered within one month
• JRI delivered complete SCM solution including system integration components
• JRI delivered successful Internal Supply Chain Solution beating customer expectations
• Already secured three more TOC-based solutions to be delivered within next two quarters.