Semiconductor Manufacturing
Client Challenge:
A semiconductor manufacturer
developed a radio frequency
identification system (RFIS) as an
outgrowth of its core business. It
had the potential to get them into
exciting new markets but came with
high risk, particularly given the
inexperience of the new product
team.
CAP Consulting
Service:
We became the advisor to the venture
leader, coaching his team of
engineers through early stage
development and, at the same time,
facilitating the dialogue with the
corporate advisory board on the
timing and scale of investments in
the venture.
Discovery and Outcome:
The new business was launched within
six months of concept identification
and today is the leader in the field
with almost a billion dollars in
revenue. The venture also became
the model for future new business
exploration within the corporation.
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Transportation & Logistics
Client Challenge:
A leader in transportation and
logistics introduced a new service
that appeared highly successful,
though senior management suspected
its meteoric rise masked critical
uncertainties and that sustained
growth could be at risk.
CAP Consulting
Service:
We facilitated a rigorous
examination of the business case
including market target selection,
proposed next generation products,
delivery strategies and competitive
action. Through quantitative and
qualitative modeling critical
assumptions were documented and
tested, followed by the development
of mitigation and contingency plans.
Discovery and
Outcome:
The exercise proved timely and
valuable. Financial modeling
revealed one critical assumption not
initially expected by the senior
team – price competition. A few
months later a major competitor
entered the market, dropped prices,
but the client was ready.
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Consumer
Electronics
Client Challenge:
A consumer electronics company had a
small, ancillary business in
monitoring video systems. A new
service offering, based on
monitoring software, promised to
greatly expand this business but
appeared to require that the company
invest heavily upfront in additional
people and marketing.
CAP Consulting
Service:
We partnered with the services
group, which was made up largely of
service engineers with no formal
business training. We explored the
assumptions behind alternative
delivery strategies, for example,
that technical support had to be
provided by in-house staff. We then
prepared a recommendation to
management to pursue the
opportunity, but to do it by placing
a sequence of small, low risk bets.
Discovery and outcome:
The new business flourished and
today is a cornerstone for the
corporation’s strategy to get
further into software-based support
services. At the same time, the
team felt empowered by the discovery
process and became the change agents
in the transformation of the
business unit from service engineers
to business managers.
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