A leading European hospital chain had grown by acquisitions to a more than one billion Euro business over several years. The holding now wanted to exploit saving potentials by bundling respectively centralising functions and competencies. A systematic benchmarking of the portfolio of hospitals and nursing homes was to be conducted for this purpose.

The turnover of an internationally active, medium-size German pharmaceutical company with affiliates in Europe, Asia and USA had been receding for several years. The losses of the previous three years had eaten up the equity almost completely without proper countermeasures being taken. Turnover was currently at about 250 million Euro.

A German manufacturer of premium consumer goods was selling his products worldwide via fairly independent affiliates. This way the company had grown very successfully and was globally present. The international growth, however, concealed the stagnation and fierce competition in its traditional markets. The marketing approach to the emerging markets was opportunistic, locally different, and increasingly complex. The company wanted to come to grips with this complexity and was looking for new ways to hold its ground in the traditional markets.

Innovative concepts were called for in the strategic procurement of a global machinery and plant engineering corporation. In the budgeting process the board of management expected high additional savings from a business unit with a multi-billion Euro purchasing volume.

A traditional German producer of famous consumer goods had failed to account for the concentration in retail and the rise in store brands. Revenues and margins had been eroding over years. When revenues were dropping by 10 % in the current business year, suddenly double-digit losses were to be expected. The family owners replaced the managing directors and initiated a programme to focus on and improve the performance of the core business.

A globally active machinery and plant engineering company, at its best with about 70 million Euro turnover, had been producing losses into the millions for years. The owners were unwilling to compensate the losses any longer and demanded the operational restructuring of the company.

An industrial holding of ten engineering and production companies and about 270 million Euro in turnover had to cope with a sudden drop in turnover of 20 million Euro and an operating loss of similar size within one year. Various reasons were behind this development. After several acquisitions the group was highly indebted and liquidity low. The holding required a review of the mid-term business plan and a restructuring concept.

Revenues and profits of a business line of a global medical devices and pharmaceutical company were declining in Germany. About 50 million Euro in revenues were exposed to price pressure and threatened by substitution. This was mainly owing to the current set up with customers, sales partners and the statutory health insurances. A further drop in revenues and profits was looming that would result from the imminent loss of the prescription status of one of the main products. The business unit was looking for a new strategic set up to turn around this negative development.

The Russian affiliate of an international IT corporation had been missing its growth and profit targets for several years. While the IT markets developed strongly, the growth of the company was below average. An aggressive growth strategy was to be set up not to fall further behind in competition, but to participate in the market growth.

A high-technology engineering and manufacturing company intended to increase shareholder value with a global six-sigma initiative. From its five business units in Europe substantial value contributions were expected. All projects were to feed an economic value added scheme. The corporation required support to introduce the six-sigma methodology and bring about the expected value contributions.