IBD teams have completed strategic consulting projects around the world for client organizations in a variety of industries – from manufacturing and energy, to ecotourism and healthcare…and more.
A Global Perspective
IBD teams conduct research and perform in-depth analysis at Berkeley Haas as well as in the project country. Depending on your organization’s challenge, you can leverage your IBD team to analyze business opportunities in the US, in your home country, or at another location altogether.
We Like a Challenge
If your organization has been struggling with a critical management or strategic decision, we can help with innovative and thoughtful consulting solutions that are ready for implementation.
Working Together on Your Project
We know that managing a consulting project can be both time sensitive and complex. IBD Faculty Mentors and students are attuned to making sure the project stays on track and successful through close collaboration with you.
The problem: A major global auto manufacturer asked IBD to analyze the factors influencing its suppliers’ decisions to locate in a supplier park facility near the company’s proposed manufacturing site in Mexico. The auto company wanted to test its assumption that it had a manufacturing cost advantage in material, overhead and labor that would be realized by having one or more supplier parks located near the company’s proposed site.
The process: IBD team members extensively interviewed members of the company an its suppliers, and researched existing supplier parks that served the company as well as its competitors. The team analyzed data based on the issues of volume/capacity information, contract duration, labor and wage rates, facility issues, services required, sub-supplier issues, freight costs, and other business opportunities.
The solution: IBD presented a series of useful recommendations that defined an optimal balance between control, flexibility and cost savings in the development of the auto manufacturer’s proposed facility.
The problem: A private pharmaceutical manufacturing company in the Republic of Georgia asked IBD to provide a business model for future growth and development, taking advantage of the strong demand for high quality pharmaceutical products in Georgia as well as abroad.
The process: IBD team members provided a thorough regional market overview and clarified the company’s competitive advantage, key customers, regulatory environment, sales and distribution strategy, operations and technology, and essential financial projections.
The solution: IBD delivered a final presentation to the company that detailed concrete steps to establish itself as a market leader in the rapidly growing regional pharmaceutical market.
The problem: A successful restaurant entrepreneur asked IBD to design a marketing strategy for a mobile and online startup in China attempting to enter the restaurant market through consumers’ early stage use of mobile phone text messaging. The startup aimed to offer consumers restaurant information, ratings, reviews, and discounts online.
The process: IBD team members conducted a thorough analysis of the local restaurant market, consumer behavior, and the company’s online and text offering. They addressed the startup’s user interface, its point system as a motivating tool, and its search, ranking and review capability. IBD also evaluated the startup’s core marketing message, its management of vendors, and its horizontal integration approach.
The solution: IBD provided the startup with a complete product strategy roadmap, including a model for market, merchant and customer segmentation, as well as pricing and promotional offerings.
The problem: An airport management services company in Costa Rica asked IBD to recommend ways to increase profits from air cargo operations at one of its airports.
The process: IBD team members analyzed macroeconomic and import/export trends in Costa Rica, researched air cargo facilities in Latin America and elsewhere, and interviewed stakeholders in local air cargo operations. They explored critical variables such as customer demand and the technical and political feasibility of introducing operational change to improve profitability.
The solution: IBD recommended in the short term that the company establish a hubbing facility for separating and storing in-transit cargo. Longer term recommendations included building an export cargo terminal over three years, and building an on-site import terminal over seven years.
The problem: A global apparel company developed a worldwide program to provide its female garment workers with skills and tools for advancement. The company asked IBD to help initiate its program in China by performing a preliminary needs assessment and a market research study.
The process: IBD team members conducted research on China’s socioeconomic trends, benchmarked the company against others with similar social responsibility requirements, evaluated the local NGO landscape, and determined the key social issues facing migrant factory workers through interaction with workers, management, researchers, and local organizations.
The solution: IBD delivered a final presentation that included recommendations for partnering with specific local NGO’s, as well as developing more intensively a local program for workers that offered assistance in financial planning, middle management training, and women’s health.
The problem: A major investment services company asked IBD for help in deciding whether or not to enter the Italian market.
The process: IBD team members analyzed the local economic, political, regulatory, and foreign exchange environments. They evaluated the competitive landscape, including interviews with large and small banks, investment companies, government institutions, local investors, and consulting firms.
The solution: IBD concluded that conditions were favorable for the company’s entry into the Italian market, especially given growing mutual fund opportunities. The team’s final presentation included a recommendation on how to enter the market.
The problem: A global software company asked IBD to assess market drivers and barriers to adoption of high frequency trading strategies in the financial markets of Tokyo, Singapore and Sydney.
The process: IBD team members interviewed key decision makers at Asian buy side firms, hedge funds, exchanges, and alternative trading operations. They analyzed the impact of future changes on the overall market, including fragmentation, cost structure, investor culture, intraday trading risk, and regulations.
The solution: IBD recommended that the company target international trading firms in Tokyo and Sydney with an education campaign focused on intraday risk and the benefits of real time risk analytics, establishing a value proposition for its software trading platform.
The problem: A family-owned Egyptian company that exports fresh fruits and vegetables asked IBD to provide an overall market assessment and new business plan.
The process: The IBD team assessed market opportunities in key fresh produce categories, identified operational, financial and marketing challenges, and explored ways the company could manage risks and enter new markets. They employed local and international market research while conducting multiple stakeholder interviews and site visits.
The solution: IBD presented a final deliverable that integrated a plan of expansion with establishment of stricter internal policies and tools. These included ways to manage cash flow and working capital, create general managers across fresh produce segments, increase profitability through price differentiation, and enhance product differentiation through IT investment.
