We were engaged by the global leader in the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of spices and speciality foods to manage the merger with another European company and return the group to profitability.
Challenge
- As part of its growth strategy across several continents, the client had acquired a European company specialising in the manufacturing and marketing of seasoning products in a new domestic market
- Distribution losses and decreased market share impacted the company’s effectiveness and the management decided that urgent action was needed to return them to profitability
- Plans included factory closure and the movement of production to the UK and France
Approach
- CMG directed the Europe-wide programme, which was a substantial business change incorporating redesign of processes and organisation, with delivery across seven workstreams
- A strategic marketing plan was created by the team which included the development and relaunch of a new product range
- Control of stock and of the supply chain was vital to ensure the smooth transfer of production processes to the UK and France. Additionally, factory closure issues were minimal and professionally managed
- In order to build lasting value, our team also worked with the client to establish an internal Programme Office capability. This was achieved through the creation of a set of sustainable processes that could be used by the client in future projects
Outcome
- Production was transferred with minimum disruption to the business and there were significant cost reductions following the successful integration of the new company
- The product range was redesigned and successfully re-launched
- Programme office techniques were embedded and standardised for staff to use in future change initiatives
