(CLP) Programs

Appleton Greene corporate training programs are all process-driven. They are used as vehicles to implement tangible business processes within clients’ organizations, together with training, support and facilitation during the use of these processes. Corporate training programs are therefore implemented over a sustainable period of time, that is to say, between 1 year (incorporating 12 monthly workshops), and 4 years (incorporating 48 monthly workshops). Your program information guide will specify how long each program takes to complete. Each monthly workshop takes 6 hours to implement and can be undertaken either on the client’s premises, an Appleton Greene serviced office, or online via the internet. This enables clients to implement each part of their business process, before moving onto the next stage of the program and enables employees to plan their study time around their current work commitments. The result is far greater program benefit, over a more sustainable period of time and a significantly improved return on investment.

Appleton Greene uses standard and bespoke corporate training programs as vessels to transfer business process improvement knowledge into the heart of our clients’ organizations. Each individual program focuses upon the implementation of a specific business process, which enables clients to easily quantify their return on investment. There are hundreds of established Appleton Greene corporate training products now available to clients within customer services, e-business, finance, globalization, human resources, information technology, legal, management, marketing and production. It does not matter whether a client’s employees are located within one office, or an unlimited number of international offices, we can still bring them together to learn and implement specific business processes collectively. Our approach to global localization enables us to provide clients with a truly international service with that all important personal touch. Appleton Greene corporate training programs can be provided virtually or locally and they are all unique in that they individually focus upon a specific business function. All (CLP) programs are implemented over a sustainable period of time, usually between 1-4 years, incorporating 12-48 monthly workshops and professional support is consistently provided during this time by qualified learning providers and where appropriate, by Accredited Consultants.

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Executive summary

Adaptive Business Strategy

Strategic Thinking Skills for a BANI World –sustaining and improving your organisational outcomes

Organisations invest significant time, care, and effort in producing the organisational strategy. The people that worked on “the strategy” believe that once it is done and cascaded, people throughout the organisation would absorb the content and march on to achieve the expected organisational outcomes, whatever those may be.

Our world has changed, and hence the context in which for-profit or non-profit organisations need to conduct their “business” has changed dramatically. We have left behind the V(volatile), U (uncertain,) C (complex) A (ambiguous) worlds and find ourselves in B (brittleness), A (anxious), N (non-linear world), I (in comprehensive), where things change rapidly and where cause and effect seem disproportionate, something tiny like a tweet, can bring revolutions and fortunes down.

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Since Henry Mintzberg introduced emergent strategy in the late 70s, organisations have wrestled to understand how to use both strategies to their advantage. Emergent and planned or intended strategies are terms used to describe the implied combination of decentralised initiatives at different levels of scale (individual, team, business unit, etc.) in the organisation and central and top-down planning and coordination. This challenge has further increased with the depth and growth of global interconnectedness (supply chain, distributed workforce) and new ways of working (remote work), and external local events that become global overnight, such as Covid-19 and other natural disasters due to climate change, to name a few.

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The autonomous actions and decisions that managers and employees at different levels engage in to meet internal and external demands of doing business are also strategic choices. Their conscious or unconscious decision to stick to the deliberate strategy, seize or create new ways to respond to business demands are core elements of complex strategy-making. These two modes of strategy co-exist. Examples of organisations that capitalise on emergent strategies are Netflix, Flickr, Nintendo, and PayPal, to name a few. Throughout this journey, participants are encouraged to become aware and find opportunities to see how their choices are adaptive responses that can be integrated with the current business activities through flexible initiatives and an intended strategy mode. Conditions are created for participants to have a renewed appreciation of how small decisions can potentially create significant change and the implications & consequences on short- and long-term strategy patterns.

The work done through these workshops is deeply rooted in the activities participants engage in daily to meet the desired organisational outcomes—avoiding the separation and tension of working on (future opportunities) and in (today’s demands) the business. The program creates conditions for experiencing working at different levels of scale that make an imprint on how to do this moving forward. The tension between what I need to do today and thinking about tomorrow softens. It is no longer perceived as a binary decision.

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At a time when contextual change feels at warp speed, participants may need to take quick action. These actions are based on assumptions on how they understand the challenge or opportunity. Due to timing constraints, the uncommunicated learning and rationale sharing behind the decisions increase the risk of process loss (impactful information not readily or appropriately shared among group members), which can make a difference in the micro-moments of strategy making.

As participants journey through the program, they understand that the quality of their questions depends on the lens they are using when contextual sensemaking and the strategic patterns they want to create. Over time, the feeling of being stuck between a rock and a hard place disappears as they learn to navigate their challenges more easily.

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Through this applied-learning journey, participants learn to recognise, make sense of, and navigate the tensions created by:

• Emergent Strategy < ------- > Deliberate/Planned Strategy
• Strategic Planning <------- > Strategic Intent
• Top-Down Strategic Choices < ----- > Strategic Choices at all levels
• Working on the Business (Future) < -----> Working in the Business (Now)
• Linearity < -------- > non-Linearity
• Reactive (Anxiousness) < ---------------- > Responsive
• Complete clarity < ------- > Incomprehensive World
• Yes or No Decisions < -------- > Management of Tensions
• Problems to solve <------------ > Patterns to manage.

Adaptive Business Strategy is an opportunity to co-create your future from the bottom up.

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By bottom-up, we mean:

• Participants at different levels of the organisation can be invited to participate; or
• Functional peers working in discrete silos –understand how their day-to-day activities and projects continually shape their function and organisation.

The program has been designed as a series of developmental workshops that deliver an adaptive and agile strategy. In this context, adaptive means creating the capacity of the participants to sense and be responsive to the current context and be agile as the ability to make well-timed, helpful, and continued intentional changes resulting in moving the organisation forward.

The program integrates thinking strategically with learning action. In between sessions, action learning brings the strategy to life and informs what is helpful or not in your current context.

Based on your current context, the sessions aim to find skilful ways to move forward and achieve the desired outcomes. Depending on the existing organisational material, we can start with what you already have or create something new. If you don’t have an updated corporate strategy, we can start from scratch, helping you think through it and develop one.

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Important Potential Side Effects

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• Safeguard that the organisational strategy is a living and evolving document.

• Setting conditions for adaptive strategy implementation, making the organisation more responsive as it detects real-time emerging external and internal trends that can potentially become challenges and opportunities.

• Increase awareness of the impact and consequences of micro-decisions at all levels (tiny actions) on the desired strategic patterns. In a non-linear world, the sense of proportion between action and result (significant action = big results) no longer holds (small action = considerable impact). An example of this disproportionality is a tweet by a user about her experience with a brand. The tweet acts as a magnet attracting other users to share similar stories. As a result, the share price plummeted substantially in a few days.

• Increase the organisational capacity to listen, see and understand internal and external weak signals.

• Find practical ways to weave patterns of behaviour (how we do things) and strategy.

• Employees who can actively engage with strategy-making and implementation at their respective functional levels.

• Employees learn to draw upon their resources (self-organising) to meet emerging challenges.

• The quality of participants’ generative & critical thinking improves.

• Employees can see more clearly how their day-to-day decisions impact the strategic direction and intent of the organisation in direct and indirect ways.

What processes are impacted?

• Strategy Implementation
• Reduce process gaps between working on and in business.
• Learning to gauge the consequences and impact of organic decision making

Previous participants have reported gaining.

• The quality of participants’ generative & critical thinking improves.
• Participants have a more nuanced understanding of actively making strategic decisions and actions.
• Better quality of discussion about issues that matter to participants.
• Enhanced participant self-efficacy and accountability.
• Actionable understanding of strategy and its meaning in the participant’s context.
• Stronger team cohesion.
• Expanded adaptive capacity.

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What have participants said?

“Asking more questions – remembering to ask and be curious when engaging in a new conversation/situation. It will take a constant effort to ask rather than speak.”

“I’m catching myself using more inquiry, responding to questions vs answering right away. Tapping more into curiosity. I’m also aware of when other people do it from the team.”

“Being more open to others – and willing to just start on a task without having the end answer in mind.”

“Thinking about what I do and checking myself on our purpose for co-creation.”

“Thinking about what part of my job is and isn’t contributing to our purpose.”

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Curriculum

Adaptive Business Strategy – Part 1 – Year 1

1. Part 1 Month 1 Clarifying Purpose
2. Part 1 Month 2 Future Back
3. Part 1 Month 3 Trends that Matter
4. Part 1 Month 4 Portfolio Analysis
5. Part 1 Month 5 Scenario Planning
6. Part 1 Month 6 Organizing
7. Part 1 Month 7 Simple Rules
8. Part 1 Month 8 Adaptive Planning
9. Part 1 Month 9 Navigating Uncertainty
10. Part 1 Month 10 Decision Making
11. Part 1 Month 11 Evaluating
12. Part 1 Month 12 Monitoring Progress

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Program Objectives

The following list represents the Key Program Objectives (KPO) for the Appleton Greene Adaptive Business Strategy corporate training program.

Adaptive Business Strategy – Part 1 – Year 1

1. Part 1 Month 1 Clarifying Purpose – It is not unusual that an organisational strategy is created by a few and implemented by others. Hence, the lack of connection or understanding of the organisational strategy. The further you go down the ladder. In this session, participants are invited to clarify the purpose of their work together. We move away from lofty visions to understand and make connections to how what each participant does on a day-to-day help supports the strategic or business unit goals. Participants examine their work activities, and how they contribute to the organisational strategy and/or general change the organization/department wants to make. Throughout the workshop, participants are encouraged to look at what they do from different perspectives and to hone and amplify what they consider is vital to achieving what they feel. Every participant creates a personal touchstone by generating an individual purpose grounded on what they do and setting a clear boundary of their role to stop or mitigate something unwanted. This module uses self-organising as its foundation, meaning that the process is self-generated and self-guided process. Changes that occur through this process “stick” as each participant uses her own hidden internal resources to make what they see as the required shifts. The output is a co-created purpose that works at different levels (individuals and collective), ensuring an agreed, common, and coherent direction.
2. Part 1 Month 2 Future Back – In this session, we explore organisational patterns. We look at these organisational patterns through three-time horizons: past, current, and future patterns. We become curious about how they may have influenced and or set conditions that may hindered or support the implementation of past strategies. Participants are invited to take a deeper look at the past and take stock how these past patterns continue to inform what is currently happening in the organisation and impacting forward strategic movement. As examine current organisational patterns, we pay careful attention to what has emerged and develop our capabilities to discern how these current conditions may be different or the same to what we have seen before. We dig deeper and try to make sense of the consequences and implications of what we see now and what we want to create in the future. The creation of a future organisational pattern goes beyond metrics. It focuses on describing how multiple facets of the work come together, what gives life to the system and understanding the significant differences participants would like to see in their organisational future, and thinking and enacting action experiments to learn more about the organisational system. Throughout the workshop, we explore the opportunities, challenges and actions that may need to be taken to achieve the preferred organisational pattern. The result will be the first cut of a “future pattern”. In session eleven, we will review and amend the pattern for coherence. Participants’ takeaways are learning how to sense their context from multiple perspectives, understanding that systems do not start afresh, but are conditioned by their past, and learning how to engage in rapid adaptive cycles to test what they see, their own understanding and create their own evidence of what works in their context.
3. Part 1 Month 3 Trends that Matter – Just as the First People of the Americas did nothing when confronted with Christopher Columbus’ ships on the horizon, organisational members tend to look at external trends and disregard, deflect or cannot make sense of how they may be connected to them. This session focuses on building the internal capacity of participants to make sense of the external environment and learn how to make connections and how those events and trends can have unintentional consequences on their organisational strategy and preferred patterns. We start by examining how they pay attention and what they are paying attention to. We will examine how participants create meaning of trends and decide what is included or not in their evaluation process of what is or is not impactful. Participants will review the most recent trends affecting their context and evaluate and decide their fit with the group’s pattern that the organization wants to create for itself. The team may identify potential new elements to add to the overall design. At the end of the workshop, participants will have more transparency and a better sense of when emergent elements in their external environment are worth paying attention to. We also examine past events that had left their mark on the organisation’s operations.
4. Part 1 Month 4 Portfolio Analysis – Participants are invited to work at two levels in this session, individual and group. The overall goal of the workshop is to identify obstacles and opportunities for progress by analysing the complete portfolio of each participant’s projects, related work activities and relationships that influence how the participant is operating. We use an ecological metaphor to review the stage of those activities. At the individual level, participants are encouraged if they so desire to add important to their portfolio analysis important elements of their lives if they see their work and personal life as a total whole. At the group level, participants look at all projects, processes and relationships that are important to the delivery of their strategy. The visual representation of the analysis allows participants to visualise trends and invites them to start asking different types of questions about the work. A social network map may be developed to better manage the relationships required to do set conditions for the work to flow. The output is a consolidated group Ecocycle plan that provides an integrated view so that each participant can prioritize their work and advance the organization’s strategic direction, as well as get a sense that periodic reviews can be helpful in achieving what is most important for the group.
5. Part 1 Month 5 Scenario Planning – In these sessions, we will develop new strategies for operating in various possible yet unpredictable futures. Participants create a few scenarios based on selected trends they identified in session three, which they feel are more likely to impact their environment. Scenarios are labelled, and vignettes are developed to describe these events. Participants identify the potential impact of this scenario on the strategy and organisation, as well as actions to dampen risks or amplify opportunities. Part of the process is identifying actions that can continue in all scenarios and choosing if they want to bring some of those common elements to the overall Adaptive Strategy Plan. Participants have a chance to create a transformative scenario that is supportive of their preferred pattern. Further dialogue is encouraged around what they, as individual agents in collaboration with others, could do to bring to life that preferred future. This workshop aims to develop the participant’s adaptive capacity to identify patterns, make sense of and respond to various disruptions.
6. Part 1 Month 6 Organizing – In this session, participants investigate various ways to organise themselves to implement the adaptive plan. We start by looking at the current network pattern and how it may help or deter the implementation of the work. Participants explore the softer side of organising as they dive deep on relationship patterns that may create value or dysfunction when they seek to navigate and develop highly functioning and generative teams. Together, they establish their current baseline and choose what settings to change or leave as is. In this module, participants learn skilful ways to work through emerging issues, see, understand, influence the group’s behavioural patterns, and get a sense of the impact of those behavioural patterns on multiple stakeholders and results.
7. Part 1 Month 7 Simple Rules – Research shows that many planned or deliberate strategies are seldom implemented unless the external and internal conditions are stable and nothing new arises. There is recognition that most strategies are emergent strategies, i.e., the overall purpose is clear but the way there may require experimentation and learning. Simple rules are a concept that stems from complexity sciences and tries to explain how a system can achieve coherence by following a set of rules that work at different levels of scale. Simple rules translated and applied to social systems generate a set of agreements that guide behaviour and shape coherent patterns of interaction. We are often unaware of our simple rules because they are deeply embedded in our experiences. When we know our simple rules, we can make choices about them and set the conditions for the patterns we would most like to see in the systems we are part of. The end product is a set of simple rules applied to create a coherent group’s strategy, which over time, creates patterns of behaviour and decision-making that support the group’s strategic intent.
8. Part 1 Month 8 Adaptive Planning – Our present moment is characterised by being uncertain and complex. Adaptive planning requires relevancy and be effective in the resource investment of time, money, and effort. For the adaptive plan to be useful to your organisation, it needs to be responsive to the challenges and opportunities that your organisation faces. In this session, participants select the elements discovered throughout the sessions that they considered most relevant to achieve the strategic intent in their adaptive plan. A key element to discuss is the adaptive plan and organisational capacity of the organisation to carry it forward. Participants can then re-prioritize, add or take out elements that may not fit the current organisational capacity. The product is an adaptive plan reviewed and changed in short implementation cycles.
9. Part 1 Month 9 Navigating Uncertainty – Dealing with the unknown can be paralysing when our collective experience may not be enough to navigate what’s happening. In this session, participants learn how to inquire. The strategy is to let go of definite answers and focus on questions that can open new possibilities or ways of seeing and making sense of what is emerging. This allows the group to get a better understanding of the unknowable. Participants learn to map the tensions in their systems and give voice to the sometimes-contradictory challenges (speed and money) that a group must face to succeed. The end product is developing the capacity of participants to embrace curiosity to create movement despite uncertainty, tap into the collective wisdom to learn fast from action, and iterate when needed.
10. Part 1 Month 10 Decision Making – In this session, we explore different ways of seeing what is before us and set a new way to make decisions under uncertain conditions. The product is that participants learn how to engage in collaborative decision-making to understand and influence the patterns of performance that will assist in creating a forward movement towards achieving the strategic intent.
11. Part 1 Month 11 Evaluating – In this session, participants are introduced to evaluating their work through a complex systems lens, highlighting interconnections. In a complex system, everything is interconnected, and detecting emerging patterns is key to understanding the impact and consequences of the strategy work. With their context in mind, participants explore how to measure and track outcomes as they emerge and ensure that they are feedback into their adaptive plan. They also design ways how to remain attentive to the unexpected and how they can amplify or dampen what has emerged. At the end of this session, participants will understand the fluidity of the evaluation process and how it can be used as a source of opportunity and not just self-correction.
12. Part 1 Month 12 Monitoring Progress – In this session, we review progress. We use inquiry techniques to assess – what is happening, what we need to do, and what we need to change or do differently. It is an opportunity to dive deep into the strategy, learn from our results and notice what is emerging to incorporate/adapt in the next cycle.

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Methodology

Adaptive Business Strategy

The programme aims to develop and weave a more responsive organisational strategy that is not detached from day-to-day organisational performance and where organisational performance is a source of intelligence to move away from a deliberate strategy that becomes static to a more supple, living organisational strategy.

Sensing, Understanding & Taking Action: Learning to read internal and external environments, making meaning, and acting.

Inter-connectedness and Impact: Each session establishes how decisions and actions taken at one level (individual, team, and organization) impact and potentially unforeseen consequences on other parts of the organisation. Participants learn how to amplify what is helpful and dampen what is not.

Working across time: Participants experience how historical patterns inform their decisions and how current actions set the course for the future. This awareness increases their intentionality and follow-through.

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Industries

This service is primarily available to the following industry sectors:

Manufacturing

The manufacturing industry is crucial to the global economy, providing employment opportunities and driving economic growth. According to the World Bank, manufacturing accounts for approximately 16% of global GDP and employs over 470 million people worldwide.

The industry is undergoing several changes due to technological advancements and shifts in consumer demand. One of the most significant is the rise of automation, which has increased efficiency and reduced labour costs. This has also led to concerns about job losses and the need for re-skilling and up-skilling to meet the changing demands of the industry.
Another trend is the move towards sustainable manufacturing practices, driven by increasing consumer demand for environmentally friendly products. This has led to new technologies and processes, such as 3D printing and green chemistry, which are more resource-efficient and less polluting.

Regarding the global market, China is the world’s largest manufacturing economy, accounting for approximately 28% of global manufacturing output. Other major manufacturing nations include the United States, Japan, Germany, and South Korea.

Parallel to this, there is a resurgence of Artisanal manufacturing. It is growing and creating local jobs due to changing consumer habits and trends, such as a focus on originality and the increasing cost of doing business overseas. This sector’s growth is also a response to the growing dissatisfaction with “let’s outsource it overseas” once it became apparent for some sectors that the savings were smaller than expected.

The recent Covid-19 pandemic has caused problems in the industry, with disrupted supply chains that led to decreased demand and ability to manufacture goods. Companies in Western societies have also faced increasing competition from emerging economies, particularly in Asia, which can offer lower labour costs and more favourable regulatory environments.

Another test the sector faces is Industry 4.0, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which describes integrating advanced digital technologies into manufacturing and other industrial processes. Industry 4.0 has a significant impact on manufacturing in several ways. However, it also presents significant challenges, including the need for significant investment in technology and the upskilling of the workforce to adapt to new technologies and ways of working.

To remain competitive, manufacturers must be agile and innovative, able to adapt to changing market conditions and embrace new technologies. This requires investment in research and development and collaboration across industries and borders.

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Education

Formal education has existed for thousands of years, with ancient civilizations like Greece, Rome, and China establishing schools and universities. In more recent history, the industrial revolution in the 19th century led to the development of mass education systems, making them more accessible to the general population. The rise of technology in the 21st century has also significantly impacted the industry with the proliferation of online learning and the integration of technology in the classroom.

Currently, education is a massive global enterprise. According to UNESCO, about 1.5 billion students are enrolled worldwide in primary to tertiary education. The industry encompasses many institutions, from public and private schools and universities to vocational training centres and online learning platforms. Education is no longer limited to the young, with a growing emphasis on lifelong learning and adult education. There is also a growing trend towards personalized learning, which tailors educational experiences to individual students’ needs and interests.

Its future is exciting and promising. The global education market is projected to grow significantly in the coming years, driven by increased demand in emerging economies, rising adoption of digital learning, and the need for upskilling and reskilling in response to changing job market requirements. The COVID-19 pandemic has also accelerated the shift towards online and blended learning, likely to continue in the post-pandemic world.

However, the education industry is not without its challenges. One of the most significant is ensuring that education is accessible to all, particularly in developing countries. Quality is also a concern, with educational outcomes disparities between regions and socio-economic groups. Additionally, the rapid pace of technological change can be both a blessing and a curse. It is crucial for educators to remain up to date with the latest tools and methods to ensure that their students receive an exceptional educational experience.

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The Public Sector

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented the public sector with unprecedented short- and long-term challenges and opportunities, depending on the context and region.

Some of the challenges they face are limited budgets that can limit their ability to provide necessary services and infrastructure. There is an opportunity to continuously re-prioritize the selection of programs that work across multiple domains.

The general public’s expectations continue to shift, and they expect public sector organizations to be more agile. The opportunity is to unravel slow-moving processes that make responding effectively to changing needs or circumstances difficult. The public increasingly demands greater transparency and participation in decision-making, creating opportunities for the public sector to engage with and respond to citizens’ needs.

One of the most difficult things for public servants to navigate is the political pressures that arise from multiple stakeholder groups and stakeholders, which can make making choices that serve the needs of the public difficult.

Regardless of where you are in the world, the population’s demographics are changing rapidly, which requires the public sector to adapt to new needs and demands, and how to provide those services in culturally sensitive ways. One size no longer fits all.

Like the rest of the world, the public sector has to keep pace with technological advancements to remain relevant and efficient. The sector can leverage digital technologies to improve the delivery of services, increase efficiency and improve citizen engagement.

Across the public sector, there continues to be the opportunity to enhance inter-agency collaboration as they continue working together and not acting independently. Collaboration and understanding of their functions together are important. The pandemic showed the need for interagency cooperation in crisis. The challenge is maintaining the public service as a cohesive group instead of individual entities. This collaborative stance can assist in addressing complex problems and improving outcomes.

A growing expectation among stakeholders is to continue to engage in social innovation as a path to address social problems and improve the well-being of individuals and communities.

An active response to issues related to climate change and sustainability is also expected. These efforts range from investing in clean energy through policy and infrastructure development.

Internally, public sector organisations typically have a diverse workforce with different backgrounds and skill sets. Working with differences to achieve organizational goals can be a challenge.

There is a rising recognition that managing public organisations through line-of-sight management is not delivering what is expected. There is a need to move towards managing outcomes and clarifying the purpose to achieve the organisational goals. Public sector organizations have a higher percentage of older employees than the private sector, which can pose challenges regarding succession planning and knowledge transfer. Addressing these challenges requires a strategic and proactive approach to people management.

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The Infrastructure Sector

The infrastructure industry is a broad and complex sector that encompasses a range of activities related to the construction, maintenance, and operation of various types of infrastructure, such as transportation systems, water and wastewater systems, energy infrastructure, communication networks, and public buildings. The size of the infrastructure industry can vary depending on the specific definition and scope of the industry and the geographic location.

According to data from Statista, the global infrastructure construction market was valued at approximately $4.2 trillion in 2020. However, this figure only reflects the construction segment of the infrastructure industry. It does not include other related sectors such as operation and maintenance, consulting and engineering, or equipment and materials manufacturing.

The infrastructure industry is expected to grow in the coming years, driven by increasing demand for infrastructure development in emerging economies, aging infrastructure in developed countries, and the need to address climate change and sustainability concerns.

Some of the industry’s challenges are related to aging infrastructure that needs to be upgraded or replaced and can be a complex and expensive process. Infrastructure projects require large amounts of capital that can sometimes be difficult to secure. Securing finance is only one step, as regulatory and environmental constraints can get in the way and can delay or even prevent completion.

Technological advances are changing the nature of infrastructure and disrupting traditional business models, which can create uncertainty and risk for some industry players.

The industry is also experiencing a workforce shortage that becomes more acute as it requires at particular levels more skilled workers to design, build, and maintain infrastructure projects. This shortage can slow down the industry’s growth.

Despite that, the industry has a number of opportunities to capitalize on; among them is urbanization. As more people move to cities, demand for new infrastructure grows, including housing, transportation, and utilities.

Another opportunity is an active response to climate change through sustainable infrastructure that minimizes environmental impact and maximizes resource efficiency. Coupled with advances in digital technology are creating new opportunities for infrastructure, including using sensors, data analytics, and machine learning to improve the performance and efficiency of infrastructure systems. The infrastructure industry is ripe for technological innovation, and investment in new technologies and tools can improve worker safety, productivity, and efficiency.

There is also a growing trend of public-private partnerships to address funding challenges and accelerate the delivery of infrastructure projects.

On the people side of things, many infrastructure workers are approaching retirement age, and there are not enough younger workers with the necessary skills and experience to replace them. However, unlike other sectors, the industry provides a number of growth and advancement opportunities which is key to helping attract and retain workers and create a potential culture of continuous learning and development.

The infrastructure industry has historically been male-dominated and has struggled to attract and retain women and other underrepresented groups. This lack of diversity can limit the industry’s ability to innovate and adapt to changing market conditions. Embracing diversity and inclusion can help the infrastructure industry attract and retain top talent from various backgrounds and perspectives.

Safety and well-being are two aspects that need to be managed continuously. Infrastructure projects can be, at times, dangerous, and the industry continues to prioritize worker safety to prevent accidents and injuries on job sites. Prioritizing worker health and wellness can help to improve worker satisfaction and productivity, reduce absenteeism and turnover, and create a safer and more positive work environment. Infrastructure projects often involve long hours and tight deadlines, making it difficult for workers to achieve healthy work-life integration. This latter topic sometimes goes unrecognized, as it may be considered part of the job.

The industry faces both challenges and opportunities. Still, those who can navigate the industry’s complexities and embrace new technologies and business models will likely succeed in the long run.

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The Scale-Up – expansion phase Sector

This sector is for companies that have already advanced in the execution of their business model moving forward, consolidating their growth in revenue and employees and industrialising their offer. It has therefore proven its viability. Simply put, a scale-up is nothing other than a successful startup. Scale-ups face a number of challenges and opportunities.

Managing and maintaining the same quality and consistency across all business areas can become more difficult as the company grows. Managing the pace of growth and ensuring that the company can scale efficiently and sustainably can be a major challenge.

Scaling Operations and Infrastructure may be needed to scale its operations to support demand. This can include everything from hiring more staff to investing in new technology and systems. At the same time, this growth phase has the potential to capture a larger share of its market, which can lead to increased revenue and profitability. Allowing them to expand their operations into new domestic or international markets helps diversify the company’s revenue streams and reduce reliance on any market.

Making investment choices can significantly strain a company’s cash flow, as it may require increased investment in marketing, technology, and infrastructure. Managing cash flow becomes critical to ensure the company can continue operating and investing in growth.

There are also new opportunities to form strategic partnerships with other companies or organizations, to drive growth and provide access to new markets, customers, or technologies.

Something new on the horizon of a scale-up will be to attract and retain top talent to help drive continued success. However, finding the people that fit the brief can become difficult as the company competes with other organisations for the same talent pool.

Most start-ups have a hands-on-deck mindset and parallel ways of working. With growth, it can become more difficult to maintain the same culture and values that helped to drive its initial success. Maintaining a strong culture and values becomes critical to ensure the company can continue attracting and retaining top talent and maintain its competitive edge.

Overall, scaling up into a profitable, quickly expanding business may be a complex process that calls for careful management of a number of various variables.

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Locations

This service is primarily available within the following locations:

Auckland, New Zealand

Auckland is located between two coastlines, where bustling businesses and a major port co-exist with beaches and other natural attractions. Its history starts with early Maori settlers, who eventually signed an accord with the European colonists called the Treaty Waitangi. This document informs many decisions made by government and public organisations across New Zealand.

As New Zealand’s first capital, the city grew faster than other major centres, quickly becoming the country’s main hub. As such, most immigrants choose Auckland as their new home, which led to a highly diverse society – calling it multicultural would be an understatement. Known as the “City of Sails”, more than half a million yachts and sailboats are anchored on its marinas (Aucklife, 2018). However, recreation is not limited to yachting. Aucklanders can enjoy activities ranging from having a day in the park, visiting museums and cultural centres, or enjoying the nightlife and fine dining.

Due to its variety, several industries thrive in the city, and it is well-known internationally as a tourism and tertiary study location. Historically, New Zealand has been considered the fifth best place to do business globally (Forbes, 2018), while Auckland, the centre of its economy, is renowned for its quality of life (Mercer, 2019). As the largest city in the country, Auckland contains over 35% of its businesses and citizens (Statistics New Zealand, 2022), making it an attractive location for new ventures.

Covid-19 Recovery

As of February 2022, Stats NZ reports an average increase of 5% in enterprises, business locations, and paid employees across all industries in the country compared to the previous year. The construction industry saw the highest rise, but other noticeable areas include scientific and technical services at 8% and retail trade at 4.9%, suggesting a positive environment for a product launch. On the other hand, agriculture, forestry, fishing, arts and recreation, and accommodation and food services saw an average decrease in enterprises and employees, the latter two industries being unsurprising given the decrease in demand due to the pandemic. Consumer spending in Auckland has remained stable for the most part compared to 2019, with four sharp decreases during the city-wide lockdowns (Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, 2023).

Consumer Confidence & Business Outlook

While the previous figures paint an optimistic post-pandemic picture, as ANZ – Roy Morgan reported this year, the business outlook and consumer confidence are at very poor levels since the pandemic started, despite an increase after the year change. Of note are the expected inflation, 5.3% for consumers and 6% for businesses, and the proportion of consumers who believe it is a good time for a major purchase (a key retail indicator), which is at -28%, despite rising five points from the previous report (ANZ – Roy Morgan, 2023). I recommend reading the reports “A bounce off extreme lows” and “A slightly happier New Year” by the research centre for more detailed information.

All things considered, one can feel optimistic about launching a new product, given the size increase in most industries and the recent rise in confidence; as long as it is not in a poorly performing industry, inflation is accounted for, and the product is not too expensive.

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Sydney, Australia

Sydney is the largest city in Australia and a key economic hub for the country. The city has a diverse economy, with major industries including finance, tourism, and healthcare. The city’s economy is closely tied to the rest of Australia, with many national and international companies headquartered in Sydney.

One of the key strengths of Sydney’s economy is its highly skilled workforce. The city has a strong education system, with many world-renowned universities and research institutions. This has led to a highly educated population with many skilled engineering, finance, and healthcare professionals.

Sydney is also a major tourist destination, attracting millions of yearly visitors. The city has iconic landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, world-class beaches, and national parks. This has led to a thriving hospitality industry, with many restaurants, hotels, and other tourism-related businesses.

Like several other popular locations, Sydney has faced serious issues in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. Travel restrictions and decreased demand hit the tourism industry hard, leading to job losses and reduced revenue for many businesses. The pandemic has also highlighted the need for greater investment in healthcare, with many hospitals and healthcare workers stretched thin during the crisis.

Another challenge is its high cost of living, particularly housing. The city’s booming economy has increased demand for housing, driving up prices and making it difficult for many residents to afford to live there.

The city and its businesses must be innovative and adaptable to address these. This may involve investment in new technologies and processes and greater collaboration between government, industry, and academia. It will also require a focus on sustainability and resilience, ensuring that the city is able to weather future challenges and remain a key economic hub for Australia and the region.

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Wellington, New Zealand

Wellington is the capital of New Zealand and a hub for business, tourism, and culture. The city has a rich history, having been settled by Māori over 900 years ago and later becoming a major port during the 19th century.

With a population of around 215,000, it is the country’s third most populous urban area after Auckland and Christchurch, with around 26% of residents born overseas and a growing Māori and Pacific Islander population. Today, the city boasts a strong economy based on its highly skilled workforce, with many residents holding tertiary qualifications.

Wellington is home to a rising tech sector, with large companies such as Xero, Trade Me, and Weta Digital contributing to its innovation and growth. That said, smaller companies do not get left behind. The city has a thriving startup ecosystem, with support services to help entrepreneurs and innovators get their businesses off the ground. The technology sector has been growing rapidly, which is expected to continue in the coming years. The education and government sectors are also major employers, with many institutions, public services agencies and ministries headquartered in the city. Sustainability is a strong focus for all these industries, with many local organizations committed to reducing their environmental impact.

While the outlook is optimistic, the city does face some tests. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted Wellington’s economy, with reduced tourism affecting the hospitality and retail industries. Furthermore, while the city offers a high quality of life and a range of cultural and recreational activities, it also has one of the highest housing costs in the country. This can make it difficult for businesses to attract and retain talent, particularly those in the lower-paid service sector. In addition, the city’s location on the Ring of Fire makes it vulnerable to earthquakes and other natural disasters, which can significantly impact business and infrastructure.

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