Case #5: business management support to prevent a potential business crisis

Main theme: business management support to prevent a potential business crisis.  

Company ID card: manufacturing SME in an industry characterised by the presence of large competitors and aggregation processes. The historical company is currently still run by the family that founded the company in the 18th century. 

Requirement: identify possible areas of improvement to protect margins to prevent financial strain despite a growth in turnover and to support the entrepreneur in setting up a new business organisation. 

Goal: assess the effective continuity of the business and intervene urgently to limit the damage and in parallel set up a development and/or exit strategy. 

Activities performed 

  • analysis of the business and organisation to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats 
  • development of an initial contingency plan to intervene urgently  
  • support in identifying emergency and continuity financial needs 
  • coaching the entrepreneur in project management 
  • introduction of an internal planning and control system. 

Project duration  

– 2 years 

Results  

  • the company overcame the emergency phase by revising sales and marketing policy 
  • planning and management control methodologies were introduced by training internal staff in the new methodologies 
  • setting up a new business organisation more functional to the relaunch path 
  • release of both instrumental and management best business practices.