We work with clients across a broad range of industries, with the ability to call on a global network of independent professionals with diverse experience. We match the right people and the right approach to your specific needs. Below are some examples of our recent client work.
LOGISTICS
Chief Transformation Officer
The scope
A multi-billion-dollar logistics organisation had embarked on a significant transformation rooted in customer centricity. In addition to reorienting its broader operations and products around customers, there were two further requirements:
Rebuilding a lean, cost-effective operating model across the 9000+ strong workforce
Building a strong performance culture and empowering decision-making closer to the front-line
Corpus partnered with the Chief Transformation Officer and the Chief People Officer and worked closely with the CEO and CFO.
The approach
There were three foundational activities to ensure that the remainder of the turnaround would be a success.
A clear view on the primary activities across the internal value-chain, their logical grouping and mutually exclusive executive accountabilities for these activities
An accurate assessment of staff numbers and salary costs, involving the development of an activity-based staff baseline across multiple business units. All staff were mapped to their primary activities to understand both potential duplicated activities and the logical home for each activity in the business
For depot staff, a data-driven, real-time dashboard of volume and delivery data allowed to manage staffing, route allocation and team performance
Corpus worked closely with each executive on rebuilding their teams and the alignment of cross-functional working. We identified further efficiency opportunities and set up a process for the business to consider additional growth impacts, team efficiencies and improvements to cross-functional ways of working.
Our team deployed into the main depots to work alongside the operational teams to refine the dashboards and help embed them.
The results
Within the first six weeks, the new operating model for the top three layers of management was signed-off by the Board, allowing each business function to structure their lower levels.
We were then able to establish a governance approach for the top fifty decisions that would drive incremental revenue and operational efficiencies, with critical decision inputs mapped to the new organisation structure.
On the operational side, the dashboards were integrated within weeks, resulting in EBIT upside, while also providing the teams with long-wanted information to improve their ways of working.
The payback on our Corpus fees was 20x.
CONSUMER
Divisional MD, Global FMCG company
The scope
The Australian operations of a multi-national consumer products company faced significant challenges in their S&OP process. A lack of alignment between supply chain, sales and marketing had led to late decision-making, missed sales opportunities and a negative impact on retailer planning. Corpus was asked to join the executive team for four months.
The approach
We set up a hybrid-style team of Corpus and client team members, working closely in agile sprints with weekly executive updates. After reviewing the S&OP decision-making we highlighted timing issues and identified data insight gaps that made it difficult to react to emerging sales opportunities.
We scheduled S&OP forums and facilitated all meetings for 3 months, providing real-time feedback for the teams. We trained one team member into a S&OP facilitator role, to manage the rhythm and resolve issues.
The results
After 4 months, Corpus was able to confidently step out and let the business run the new S&OP process. The difference was tangible from the first cycle. The new S&OP process helped deliver strong results in a difficult post-COVID market.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Head of Sales and Marketing, TelCo
The scope
A large Australian telecommunications company was looking to improve alignment between its sales, customer strategy and operations teams. The operations team was primarily focused on resolving issues, which was not creating much impact with customers. Corpus was tasked with working closely with stakeholders across the business, focusing on three key objectives:
To devise and articulate the whole-of-business annual plan
To understand the needs of different customer segments and translate this into a fully- costed, operationally aligned product and pricing strategy
To help the operations teams to better integrate customer experience (e.g. Net Promoter System) into their programs and priorities
The approach
The whole-of-business planning process required close collaboration with all teams across the organisation. The process was effectively split into 3 components:
Central creation of the top-down business plan and dissemination of strategic priorities
BU-led bottom-up development of business plans
Alignment and trade-off management
Corpus incorporated a number of decision-led approaches, such as our unique Leadership Spine Analysis. This allowed us to better understand what problems the business needed to solve in its planning process, as well as creating an evidence-backed approach on how the planning process was governed. This ensured that discussions that had to happen in order to drive to a decision actually occurred.
In terms of generating the product and pricing strategy, we reviewed a number of customer and operational metrics. Using a Driver Tree Analysis, we were able to segment these customers into 7 distinct groups - each with significantly different usage and psychographic characteristics. We then devised a perspective on the product characteristics that would appeal to each of these segments and scoped what investment would be required to develop those products accordingly. Working closely with the operations and engineering teams, we mapped out the requirements and facilitated a number of trade-off discussions across the CEO, CFO, Chief Customer Officer and Chief Network Officer, and their respective teams.
To facilitate the trade-off discussions and execution of new initiatives, a small Project Management Office was created, managed initially by Corpus until we trained internal team members to run it.
The results
Several components of the product and pricing strategy have been successfully deployed to market. There was a marked improvement in communications between the sales, customer service and operations teams, leading to smoother agreement on trade-offs and prioritisation of issues. Significant CAPEX decisions were made on the basis of an integrated understanding of the costs and benefits, rather than a siloed approach to investment cases, leading to a significant increase in NPS, revenue and EBITDA. The Engineering Roadmap was ultimately adjusted to take into account a greater proportion of “customer-led” investment initiatives.
The internal team was able to continue the problem-solving and guide the executive decision-making proactively, with several participants now progressing to higher leadership roles (e.g. Head of Customer Operations; Senior Portfolio Manager). The training program is now being replicated within the network strategy team too, leveraging the materials and overarching approach that was created during the Corpus engagement.
INSURANCE
Executive GM, Customer Division
The scope
We were selected to work with an ASX-listed insurance company to execute their growth strategy. Our role was to model a go-to-market plan to achieve their growth target within 3 years, and embed new ways of working with their teams.
The approach
We established a Transformation Office comprising our own Corpus Team as well as business leaders from across the company. Using organisational psychology methods we were able to create an effective governance structure. We reviewed current processes, identified gaps in capabilities, and filled those gaps where required.
Collectively, we revised the initial growth target to a more realistic stretch level, and empowered the business units to take ownership of their own targets. While the teams had initially questioned the targets, our approach involved them in the process and got them excited about the new opportunities ahead.
The results
Immediate productivity boost by revising growth targets to a more realistic level
Effective execution by placing cross-functional teams against strongest growth opportunities
Business units took control to set and manage new growth targets
Substantial impact on sales, but also on employee motivation and job satisfaction
Confidence boost for executive team and Board after seeing the business deliver
FINANCIAL SERVICES
Chief, Strategy & Transformation
The scope
The CEO of a large financial services company faced a disconnect between the firm’s customer-led strategy and the actual execution across his business. Our goal was to re-design the company’s ways of working to align activities to the most critical goals, break down functional silos and remove operational blockers.
The approach
We used a root-cause analysis/lean methods to understand the underlying issues that were driving current processes and behaviours. We then set up a new governance model to empower the workforce by allocating decision-making authority at the right level in the organisation. We also improved communication between the C-level and the manager community to create more transparency.
The results
Existing initiatives were evaluated using a root-cause analysis which led to a set of more outcome-focused initiatives
Collaboration issues between specific teams were identified and addressed
The customer team took on more authority in decision-making
The executive team was able to more specifically articulate what success looked like for them
The customer team took on more authority in decision-making
MEDIA
Chief People and Culture Officer
The scope
A large media company faced significant cost pressures due to changes in the market. After five years of attempts at incremental cost reduction programs with limited success, Corpus partnered with the Chief Financial Officer, Chief People Officer, Chief Revenue Officer and other senior executives to review activity-based costs, assess revenue drivers and allocating resources accordingly. We also explored new growth adjacencies.
The approach
We established a Transformation Office comprising our own Corpus Team as well as business leaders from across the company. Using organisational psychology methods we were able to create an effective governance structure. We reviewed current processes, identified gaps in capabilities, and filled those gaps where required.
The results
Data-driven review of market dynamics locally and internationally enabled CEO and CFO to engage the Board
Corpus’ global experts helped the CFO and Transformation Director to discuss the most pressing issues with international peers
In-depth data analysis of revenue drivers suggested 15% immediate revenue growth opportunities with a clear roadmap to delivery
An inclusive activity-based cost review process led to teams taking more ownership on difficult cost decisions
