NEWS

  August 2010 - New ½ day workshop announced:
     Re-evaluating Competitive Strategy in B2B markets

The recent economic turmoil has resulted in many changes - not the least in how your customers have re-evaluated their product and service buying options. So what does that mean for your competitive environment? Old competitors may have disappeared; new competitors emerged; geographic shifts have occurred in many global industries and changes in customer behaviours have created new indirect competition.

This workshop will concentrate on three important aspects of understanding your competitive environment:

  • Defining your markets, developing market maps and competitive frames –
    from the customers’ perspective
  • Evaluate differing information sources
  • Converting competitive intelligence into competitive strategy

Applying the theory and putting it into practice in complex B2B markets isn’t always as easy as it sounds in the text books. This workshop is designed to be practical and applied. Using theory, models and case studies, participants will be able to take time out from their day to day activities and work through the key components to re-evaluate their sources of competitive advantage.

Workshop leader: Lynn Mathieson
Organising body: Open University Business School Alumni Group
Date: November 5th 2010, Registration at 9.00 am
Location: St James's House, 150 London Road, East Grinstead, RH19 1HG

For further information about this workshop click here

  August 2010 - New ‘Personal’ Value Proposition session announced:

MBC have been involved in the development of Value Propositions for B2B products and services for some time, and know that it isn’t always as easy as it looks. So imagine how much more difficult it is to write a Value Proposition for your service when the service is effectively all about you? When you are running a small consultancy or agency, your service Value Proposition is very personal and this session takes a look at how to apply the theory to ‘Personal’ Value Propositions.

Developing a ‘Personal’ Value Proposition

Every product and service needs a Compelling Value Proposition, particularly in the current economic climate – but what does that mean when you, your skills and your experience are the service offering? It can all feel very ‘upfront and personal’. With increasing numbers of experienced people leaving corporate and agency roles and entering the consultancy market, competition has never been higher, so how do you differentiate yourself to stand out from the crowd?

Based on her experience of Value Proposition development for B2B products and services, Lynn will explore how the basic concepts can be adapted to an independent consultancy business. Applying a 6 step process, and asking some challenging questions along the way, Lynn will move through understanding customer segmentation and needs, direct and indirect competition to identify your differentiation, arriving at a clear and compelling Value Proposition which responds to the fundamental customer question of ‘why should we buy this service from you?’

Session presenter: Lynn Mathieson
Organising body: Skillfair – open to members only. Skillfair is an independent company specialising in supporting the growing trade in expertise between small companies and individuals offering knowledge based services and organisations that need their skills and experience.
Date: November 17th 2010, Registration at 9 am
Location: One Great George Street, London, SW1P 3AA

For more information about Skillfair, click here

  October 2009 - Release of co-authored report on the European EMS market

A biennial report titled ‘The European Electronic Manufacturing Services Industry 2008-2013’ - The Complete Guide to the European Electronic Manufacturing Services Industry co-authored by Peter Brent in conjunction with Reed Electronics Research is now available.

The ninth edition of the report highlights the issues impacting the European EMS industry. With revenues forecast to decline by over 13% in 2009 the European EMS industry is facing a period of uncertainty and rapid change, this comprehensive report provides:

  • An analysis and revenue forecasts for both West and East and Central Europe in a single report
  • The key trends impacting the major EMS companies by market group
  • Detailed profiles of the Top 20 European EMS companies, including a ranking for 2008
  • A ranking of the Top 50 EMS providers in Europe
  • Country and regional profiles including key trends, the role of the Global “Tier 1”
    companies and profiles of the major EMS companies
  • A directory of 699 companies engaged in EMS across over 1,000 European
    manufacturing locations

For more information and to order your copy of the report click here