Identify Key Markets
This phase identifies countries and distribution channels that have the potential to generate sustainable free cash flow and/or EBITDA growth, in alignment with corporate and product strategy. The deliverables created in this phase facilitate board and senior management discussion around key markets for consideration, and a set of strategic hypotheses for agile refinement during future phases of the project.
Objective
Identify the key markets where the company can materially grow free cash flow.
Phase 1
Identify Key Markets.
Deliverable
Presentation of Target Countries with relevant qualitative/quantitative data supporting rationale for each country.
CEO & Board
Establish governance framework for international expansion.
Corporate Strategy EVPs & SVPs
Align international expansion strategy with corporate strategy.
Product, Sales & Marketing VPs
Establish criteria for target country identification in alignment with Corporate, Product & Customer Acquisition Strategy.
Directors & Managers
Analyze qualitative/quantitative research and build presentation supporting entry-rational for each country.
Research & Analysis Team
Gather and present qualitative/quantitative research with a set of preliminary product/market fit insights for each country.
Time Frame
2-3 Months
Work Products
1. Program Plan 2. Governance & Strategic Alignment Framework
3. Qualitative/Quantitative Research Findings 4. Product/Market Fit Insights
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Research Competitive Position
This phase explores a set of hypotheses around the competitiveness of your products/services in the key international markets identified for growth. The deliverables created in this phase facilitate board and senior management discussion around the capacity and capability of your team to support sustained growth by establishing a superior and well-differentiated position in each market.
Objective
Identify the key competitive advantages that can deliver sustained growth in each market.
Phase 2
Research Competitive Position.
Deliverable
Presentation of competitive dynamics in target countries based on Porter’s Five Forces Model of Competition.
CEO & Board
Establish governance framework around capacity and capability to compete in each target country.
Corporate Strategy EVPs & SVPs
Align competitive strategy for target countries with strategic priorities and competitive strategy in core markets.
Product, Sales & Marketing VPs
Identify gaps in capacity and capability to win in each target country.
Directors & Managers
Analyze qualitative/quantitative research and build presentation supporting competitive strategy for each target country.
Research & Analysis Team
Gather and present qualitative/quantitative research with a set of preliminary competitive advantage insights for each country.
Time Frame
2-3 Months
Work Products
1. Governance & Strategic Alignment Framework 2. Qualitative/Quantitative Research Findings 3. Competitive Insights for each Target Country
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Refine Market-entry Strategy
This phase facilitates discussions to evaluate the pros and cons associated with multiple different entry approaches for each market based on organizational capability and capacity e.g. M&A, direct entry, strategic partnerships, venture investments, traditional distributor model, franchise model etc.
Objective
Refine market-entry strategy based on organizational capability and capacity.
Phase 2
Refine Market-entry Strategy.
Deliverable
Presentation of strategic options for Market-entry into each country.
CEO & Board
Establish New Markets Committee comprised of 2 – 3 Directors and draft a Charter that includes the committee’s purpose and responsibilities.
Corporate Strategy EVPs & SVPs
Refine market-entry strategy for each country balancing strategic priorities with prior organizational experience with international expansion, current capabilities and capital/resource capacity.
Product, Sales & Marketing VPs
Identify barriers to entry in each target country and develop short/long-term hypotheses for gaining market share by overcoming the competitive gaps identified in Phase 2.
Directors & Managers
Analyze qualitative/quantitative research and present pros and cons of different options for market-entry into each country.
Research & Analysis Team
Gather and present qualitative/quantitative research with a set of preliminary market-entry insights for each country.
Time Frame
2-3 Months
Work Products
1. New Markets Committee Charter 2. Qualitative/Quantitative Research Findings
3. Market-entry Insights for each Target Country
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Develop Innovative Partnerships
​This phase explores innovative strategic partnerships that help accelerate the market-entry strategy for each country while minimizing risk, and increasing capital efficiency.
Objective
Identify strategic local partners that can leverage your products/services to gain a disruptive competitive advantage.
Phase 2
Develop Innovative Partnerships.
Deliverable
Presentation summarizing innovative strategic partnerships that increase capital efficiency and lower risk.
CEO & Board
Evaluate strategic partnership options and make recommendations to management based on comparable lessons-learned from other companies where Board members have experience with innovative/disruptive partnerships.
Corporate Strategy EVPs & SVPs
Short-list options for innovative partnerships based on strategic corporate priorities.
Product, Sales & Marketing VPs
Leverage intelligence from customer/partner conversations to identify innovative partnerships that are a symbiotic fit for integrating into product development roadmap, or provide a disruptive sales and marketing advantage, in alignment with corporate strategy.
Directors & Managers
Analyze qualitative/quantitative research and present business cases for innovative partnerships that accelerate execution of the competitive strategy for each country, in alignment with corporate strategy.
Research & Analysis Team
Gather and present qualitative/quantitative research with a set of innovative partnership insights for each country.
Time Frame
2-3 Months
Work Products
1. Strategic Partnership Options 2. Qualitative/Quantitative Research Findings
3. Innovative Partnership Insights for each Target Country
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Pursue Anchor Oppurtunities
This phase facilitates the deployment of tactical teams to evaluate and pursue a selective list of opportunities for each target country.
Objective
Conduct business development activities and qualify active opportunities in alignment with market-entry strategy.
Phase 2
Pursue Anchor Oppurtunities.
Deliverable
Presentation summarizing a qualified list of opportunities and strategic rationale for each.
CEO & Board
Strategy, Governance & Oversight.
Corporate Strategy EVPs & SVPs
Evaluate Anchor Opportunities based on alignment with corporate strategy and strategic hypotheses for each target country.
Product, Sales & Marketing VPs
Prioritize opportunities based on accretive and/or strategic M&A, venture investments, product integration partnerships, business/market development alliances etc.
Directors & Managers
​Hypotheses for each opportunity: Strategic & Tactical considerations, Risk profile, Capital and cost implications, Operational considerations, Talent utilization, Technology Integration, Cultural fit and progress monitoring dashboard.
Research & Analysis Team
Gather and present qualitative/quantitative research with a set of opportunity insights for each country.
Time Frame
2-3 Months
Work Products
1. Anchor opportunity summaries 2. Qualitative/Quantitative Research Findings
3. Opportunity Insights for each Target Country
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Invest Incrementally
This phase explores multiple different investment options for each market based on organizational capability and capacity e.g. M&A, organic growth investments, CVC participation, JVs etc.
Objective
Plan and execute a milestone based investment roadmap.
Phase 2
Invest Incrementally.
Deliverable
Presentation summarizing investment options in alignment with international expansion strategy.
CEO & Board
Strategy, Governance & Oversight.
Corporate Strategy EVPs & SVPs
Define investment roadmap and milestones based on alignment with corporate strategy and strategic hypotheses for each target country.
Product, Sales & Marketing VPs
Prioritize investment opportunities and milestones based on risk and timing of contribution to free cash flow.
Directors & Managers
Draft investment case roadmap and recommendations for each opportunity summarizing capital allocation, resource requirements and costs, Revenue/ROI/FCF milestones, strategic benefits, appraisal of options and recommendations, assumptions/dependencies, risk and sensitivity analysis, and Timelines.
Research & Analysis Team
Develop investment models based on research and data gathered in prior phases.
Time Frame
2-3 Months
Work Products
1. Investment case presentations for each opportunity in each country.
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Manage Risk & Scale
This phase facilitates collaboration between P&L leaders and the Corporate Risk Management department to develop a risk management plan for each market, and scale selective opportunities.
Objective
Implement Risk Management Plan & Opportunity Scalability Plan based on Investment Case Milestones.
Phase 2
Manage Risk & Scale.
Deliverable
Risk assessment and sensitivity analysis for all options to scale or exit.
CEO & Board
Risk Management Committee’s evaluation of compliance within the company’s global risk management framework, and impact on International Expansion Program Strategy, Governance and Oversight.
Corporate Strategy EVPs & SVPs
Align international expansion program strategy with company’s global risk management framework and make scalability recommendations based on achievement of investment case milestones.
Product, Sales & Marketing VPs
Refine risk management plan for each opportunity in each target country based on adjustments to risk and sensitivity analysis.
Directors & Managers
Update risk and sensitivity analysis from prior phases based on progress towards achieving investment case milestones.
Research & Analysis Team
Update risk models based on current research and data associated with country risk, product/partner/customer risk, internal capacity/capability risks, and other macro/micro risks.
Time Frame
2-3 Months
Work Products
1. Risk management plan presentations for each opportunity in each country.
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Facilitate Global Collaboration
This phase is focused on executing a sustainable global collaboration plan that helps prioritize qualified opportunities in each market, and allocating product or shared services resources to win/grow these opportunities.
Objective
Implement, Measure & Monitor Global Collaboration Plan.
Phase 2
Facilitate Global Collaboration.
Deliverable
Presentation summarizing global collaboration plan.
CEO & Board
Strategy, Governance and Oversight.
Corporate Strategy EVPs & SVPs
Align International Expansion Plan with Global Collaboration Plan to maximize synergies.
Product, Sales & Marketing VPs
Refine global collaboration plan for each product, account and opportunity.
Directors & Managers
Develop and execute global collaboration plan with focused activities for identifying cross border synergies, improving cultural intelligence and negotiating tactics, building trust amongst internal and external collaborators, overcoming language and physical distance barriers and aligning with a unified global strategy that accelerates localized execution.
Research & Analysis Team
Provide best practices research and insights for a global collaboration plan that is aligned specifically with the organization’s International Expansion Program.
Time Frame
2-3 Months
Work Products
1. Collaboration Plan for each opportunity in each country.
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