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Services

Most service companies are facing a rapid increase in customer demands, both in terms of service quality and prices. They are also faced with the emergence of new, often more agile players with disruptive business models. Service companies are forced to rethink their offer towards greater differentiation and personalisation in order to avoid “commoditisation” and the loss of direct customer contact, or even to radically transform their operational model.

Challenges in the services industry

Digital transformation is becoming a strategic investment, and even a survival strategy in B2C services, not only in terms of technology and services, but also with regards to the evolution of the company’s businesses and human capital.

At the operational level, the issues are known and numerous. In particular there is a need to  adjust offers and capabilities in line with market needs, companies need operational flexibility and to create an ecosystem of partners in line with their make or buy strategy, and payroll needs to be optimised as it often represents between 60% and 80% of operating costs. In addition to these, where possible processes should be optimised and automated, and relationships with strategic suppliers enhanced. Expertise must also be developed, pooled and disseminated.

Digital transformation is a new challenge, both business and operational. Digital pure players are emerging in most services with disruptive business models. Even when the size of these new entrants is not yet a threat, their ability to quickly take a significant share of the value of one or more segments is real. Companies in the industry must therefore understand, on the one hand, the customer and business dimensions of digital, and, on the other, its operational efficiency dimensions.

How we can help the services industry

We support clients in this industry in their transformation from the assessment of challenges to the implementation of all operational performance drivers: 

Strategy

  • Support the reflection on the digital strategy and launch PoCs
  • Review their offer portfolios according to market needs
  • Support the business realignment strategy and outsourcing / partnership with key suppliers

Competencies

  • Quickly acquire new competencies and skills
  • Strengthen the service culture

Optimisation and transformation

  • Optimise pyramid (payroll)
  • Develop centres of expertise
  • Transform delivery processes
  • Use nearshore resources
  • Optimise SG&A and supplier relations
  • Master the digital transition

Our approach

We apply a combination of technical expertise, operational experience and business knowledge to help our clients solve service issues and deliver lasting results. Our personal and pragmatic approach, with challenge where needed, ensures buy-in at all levels of our clients’ businesses and a successful outcome. We have worked with a wide range of organisations in the services industry including St John Ambulance, Europ Assistance, Communisis, Banque de France, GPT Group, Foncia, Elior Group, Suncorp, Crown Commercial Service and American Express. Learn more about us here.

Services case studies

Property and network design

property company

Property and network design

GPT is one of the largest owners, managers and developers of retail assets in Australia, with a portfolio of 13 high quality shopping centres. The company is a diversified property group and a top 50 ASX listed company. GPT owns and manages a AU$20 billion portfolio of offices, logistics, business parks and prime shopping centres across Australia.

GPT were looking to further invest in and divest logistics and supply chain sites within their portfolio across the eastern seaboard.

 

  • Review the eastern seaboard of Australia to determine where best to locate warehouses for storage and distribution
  • Provide a series of recommendations on which sites to keep and which to divest based on supply chain principles
  • Review infrastructure to identify areas that would be subject to impact from significant infrastructure work across the east
  • Map out key infrastructure issues and changes
  • Identified the best areas across Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne to procure warehousing sites
  • Identified sites yet to be developed that offered optimum access to ports, airports and highways
  • Cost of service calculated for each site for the most applicable businesses to the site, this identified potential customers for GPT

 

Supply chain strategy

health services provider

Supply chain strategy

St John is a volunteer-based organisation committed to saving lives. All earnings from paid programs (including First Aid training) go towards life-saving community programs, such as running free First Aid training courses for local school children, and providing St John volunteers and equipment at community events.

The company was looking for guidance to validate its current supply chain strategy. They required a robust evaluation of the existing options and a cost comparison and evaluation of the 3PL estimates currently used by St. John.

  • Evaluate the current supply chain cost base, conduct an assessment of the current supply chain strategy and review the costs used to estimate benefit
  • Provide an accurate facility size requirement for a consolidated Victorian distribution facility
  • Develop a warehouse performance model to validate headcount, working hours and other key activities
  • Identify quick wins to reduce cost and improve customer service

 

  • Consolidated the Victorian network from the existing five sites into a single site
  • Logistics operating costs reduced by 43%
  • Recommended safer DC work practices to be implemented
  • Developed a roadmap for St John to transition to an improved operational model

Robotic Process Automation

automotive assistance industry

Robotic Process Automation

With revenues of €1.9bn, EUROP ASSISTANCE is a global leader in the assistance industry, providing services worldwide in automotive, travel and personal assistance.

With the aim to increase efficiency of its administrative processes, the company explored the lever of Robotic Process Automation (RPA).

  • Bring expertise in process optimisation and automation with a focus on RPA
  • Conduct a workshop with managers to identify functional areas where RPA would deliver value
  • Review administrative processes (e.g. claims management, supplier management, client management)
  • Assess the potential for RPA according to criteria like ease of implementation and benefits
  • Propose an action plan to unleash the benefits of RPA
  • Increase of the awareness of managers regarding the RPA lever (RPA demo, on boarding on RPA methodology, lessons learnt)
  • Validated list of tasks to automate through RPA based on in depth analysis
  • Designed the RPA business case highlighting costs, benefits and ROI of automation
  • Developed the action plan

Logistics network review

direct channel customer communications

Logistics network review

The Campaign Fulfilment Division of Communisis offers delivery via direct channels of customer and brand communications from a network of focused print centres and DCs in the UK. As well as these print services, the company also offers a co-packing service for Bacardi.

The warehouse network has grown via acquisition, with minimal standardisation and integration. With the lease on one of the key sites up for renewal, Communisis asked us to undertake a review of capacity requirements and how overall operating efficiency could be improved.

  • Build a clear picture of costs, flows, storage requirements and activity by facility
  • Identify the capacity required in the network, and feasibility to close one warehouse and absorb the activities in the network
  • Identify quick win opportunities to increase capacity and cut costs through process standardisation
  • Assess the relevance for introducing automation into the DCs
  • Review the business case for bonding co-packing operation
  • Identified quick wins that would achieve c5% operating cost improvement and increase site capacities by c20%
  • Identified key process enablers to allow ongoing performance improvement
  • Demonstrated how capacity existed in the network to absorb the work from a closing a site, and supported analysis with a clear business case
  • Defined clearly the criteria required to gain value from automating operations, so avoiding significant immediate investment

 

New automated cash centres

financial services

New automated cash centres

Banque de France is the French pillar of the Euro system, the federal system that brings together the European Central Bank and the national central banks. They are the leading printer of euro banknotes and also ensures the monitoring of the quality of banknotes and coins and withdraws notes in poor condition with a network of about 60 cash centres.

Banque de France project consisted in building large automated cash centres near Paris and Lille in order to replace several traditional small cash centres.

“The modernisation of its cash operations, including the construction of two automated cash centres is one of the Banque de France’s top priorities”
Thierry Para, Director of the New Fiduciary Centres project

  • Conduct study of flows and processes, and definition of automation scenarios
  • Define target concept and MHE (AS/RS for pallets and boxes, palletising robots, AGVs)
  • Formalise the intralogistics program, in relation to the directions of cash activities and real estate
  • Assist in the commissioning of intralogistics system, staff training and start-up
  • Two new functioning and fully operational automated cash centres have replaced eight traditional cash centres, which are now closed
  • Elimination of logistical tasks, resulting in more efficient ways of working and improvements in working conditions
  • Removal of complex tasks, with significant productivity gains
  • Project awarded “Kings of the Supply Chain” in 2019 (Supply Chain Magazine)