July 1, 2011
In our recent study we publish the Hungary related findings of the new Roland Berger international restructuring survey.
Even though macroeconomic figures show a positive view and Hungarian companies are overall optimistic about the future, none of them consider the crisis as completely over and expect full recovery only by the end of this year.
In line with international trends, 70% of Hungarian companies carried out restructuring during the crisis in order to improve their competitiveness. Besides management commitment, swift implementation was considered a key success factor.
Cost reduction and efficiency improvement was mentioned as the most relevant area of restructuring, particularly purchasing price reduction was considered crucial. Passing on the raw materials' risk to consumers is the most important and practical risk management action for Hungarian firms. While hedging is also preferred, it is more difficult to implement. (PDF, 1265 KB)
June 9, 2011
By real strategic issues, we mean those that will kick in fifteen years from now – in automotive terms, in two to three lifecycles' time. What will the automotive landscape look like in 2025? How will the face of the automotive industry have changed? What megatrends will shape mobility in the years to come? And what will drive the success of future winners? To find answers to these questions, we at Roland Berger Strategy Consultants and Amrop surveyed more than 60 leading automotive companies, organizations and experts from around the world. Although remaining a capital-intensive business model and thus limited in terms of margin growth, over the next 15 years the automotive sector will remain one of the most exciting places to be. The industry's centre of gravity will shift, core technologies will change, new forms of organizational setup will emerge, employees will have to meet new requirements and new business models will develop. We have also presented and discussed the key message at our recent Business Breakfast with the representatives of the Hungarian automotive sector. (PDF, 1573 KB)
May 6, 2011
Our study focuses on the coordination of international development, production and marketing activities – core functions in which automotive managers have repeatedly identified room for improvement. Many automotive companies have expanded beyond the borders of their home markets. Some, however, have paid too little attention to coordinating the resultant decentralized activities; and that is the reason why today's automotive managers acknowledge a significant need for action in this regard. The present study, which comprises 95 automotive companies, investigates how firms successfully coordinate their activities across borders. In view of the findings of our study, we especially advocate the greater use of socialization and networks to successfully coordinate cross-border activities in the automotive industry. Suppliers and manufacturers should focus on establishing a corporate culture that connects the various units of a company, and on promoting networks to foster nonhierarchic information sharing between them. (PDF, 1023 KB)
April 25, 2011
The strength of a company's customer orientation will be a key factor over the next ten years in determining which telecom providers will survive in this highly competitive industry – and which will not. This central conclusion emerges from a study by Roland Berger Strategy Consultants entitled "What customers really want". Based on interviews with European telecommunications managers, the study shows that telecom providers need a better understanding of their customers' wishes and gear their market strategies to those wishes. And as a necessary condition for achieving this realignment, companies must have in place an adequate data and IT infrastructure. (PDF, 1494 KB)
April 6, 2011
The financial crisis had significant impact to banks' business results in CEE as well. The ratio of non-performing loan levels soar. Being a rather unnoticed area during boom times debt collection suddenly was put into spotlight and turned out to be a key lever to maintain bank's profitability. Considering the increased importance of collection in CEE, the European Financial Management & Marketing Association (EFMA) and Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, kindly supported by Volksbank International, conducted a study on debt collection in the CEE region. (PDF, 771 KB)
