We prefer to form joint client-consultant teams which allow better tailoring our solutions to the client organisation as well as (very importantly) increase organisational ownership of our recommendations. At the same time, integrating senior clients into our team, allows better transfer of knowledge and building of real client capabilities (so we never have to work on the same issue twice).
Every client experience is different. In general, projects are carried out in teams of four to eight consultants, with each member of the team having a specific and equally important role to play. Engagements can last from two to six months or longer, and are structured around multiple phases and worksteps.
Here's a representative example:
Objective
To find the best way for a large multinational pharmaceuticals company to increase the value and attractiveness of its participation in the primary care market (i.e., prescription products sold through general practitioners).
The Project Consisted of Four Phases
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Fact base
We developed a grounded understanding of the market environment, the competitive landscape, and how our current strategy explains our observed financial and strategic performance in detail. We then developed a forward looking view on market economics and competitive dynamics and used it to formulate a strategic agenda of key issues and opportunities that face the business today
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Alternatives Generation
We helped the management team to develop a set of viable strategic alternatives for each key issue on the strategic agenda. Through a series of rigorous workshops with the senior leadership team we refined the viable paths for each issue and came up with a set of alternative end-game scenarios for the business
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Alternatives Evaluation
In this phase we facilitated the decision making process whereby the senior leadership team establishes the preferred alternative based on a detailed assessment of the strategic, operational, organisational and financial implications of each option
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Action Planning and Implementation
In the final stage of the project we worked with the client team to develop the action plan for implementing their decisions, outlining specific commitments by company managers, timelines, criteria for success, monitoring mechanisms, and incentives
Team
A joint team consisting of Marakon and client representatives carried out the project. On the client side, a mix of approximately 10-15 senior executives, marketing representatives and finance people were involved at various stages.