CASE # 6
INTERNATIONAL
SOFTWARE COMPANY
An Australian based,
publicly listed, international software company had the challenge of creating a
winning team from 300 staff and contractors across Australia. The business unit
had been recently formed from four disparate units, two of which were recent
company acquisitions. The unit was struggling, the IT market was contracting
and staff morale was very low. An integrated three-pronged approach, creating a
new vision, a new marketing focus and improving staff morale. The vision, goals
and objectives were defined for the new business unit, commitment of the board,
MD and CFO was gained and the new business unit was rationalized and
restructured, putting a new management team in place. A focused marketing
strategy was created and implemented, established a differentiated market
offering aligned with long term goals, maximizing the use of existing capability
and the large customer base, a brand recognition campaign was implemented to
attract new customers and staff, alliances were created to broaden the range of
services for customers and to provide additional marketing channels, a focus on
revenue generation, including account management, customer briefings and visits
resulted in very positive feedback and sales outcomes, a focus on improving
staff morale and enlisting their participation and buy-in during a period of
major change, staff cuts, pay cuts and a negative IT business output, and implementing
performance and development reviews so staff had clearly defined relevant
measurable targets in key result areas. Key results produced by the new
management team included an agreed sense of purposed, significant cost
reductions, greater cohesion and teamwork, improved staff morale, improved
sales and sales forecasts, and turned around the loss making position of the
business unit to a profitable sales oriented business unit with increased
revenue. These results were achieved in a time of major change, acquisitions,
cut backs and a negative IT business outlook.