From Strategy to Execution

Opportunity

The global blueberry industry is slated to aggressively expand in the next 10 years as consumer tastes and expectations of year-round availability increase. To meet these demands our client, the global leading nursery and developer of blueberry genetics, must make aggressive yet strategic investments. Investments that will allow it to realize the long term vision for both itself and the blueberry industry as a whole. Pepper Foster was engaged to help translate that vision into reality through a strategic planning process.

Solution

Pepper Foster worked closely with the global executive team to apply strategic frameworks like Porter's Five Forces and Value Chain Analysis to assess the power dynamics in each region, and identify strategic strengths and weaknesses. Assumptions were identified, confirmed, and adjusted and the strategic planning process initiated:

Due to the global nature of the business, the leadership teams of each region and function were provided with easy to understand templates to facilitate the collection of data, ideas, and challenges. Pepper Foster then met with each leadership team member one-on-one multiple times to understand their team’s unique challenges, market demands, goals, and needed investments. 

Once all investments were identified and compiled, a straw-man prioritization was created and the global leadership team brought together for a two-day workshop that discussed, justified and achieved consensus for the investments and strategic priorities and projects. 

Through the initial conversations, Pepper Foster also recognized the need for more formal project management and recommended the formation of an EPMO (Executive Project Management Office). During a second round of workshops, the core functions of the EPMO were established and each project force-ranked in line with the EPMO practices.

Outcome

The global vision and strategy was confirmed and embraced, a prioritized portfolio of executable projects and initiatives was created, and an EPMO to guide the execution of those projects and the realization of the vision and strategy established.. 

When COVID-19 hit, the leadership team and Pepper Foster were able to leverage the portfolio and EPMO best practices, as well as Pepper Foster’s RAMP methodology, to rapidly and efficiently adjust priorities and investments. 

Today, as the markets continue to recover, the client has a clear vision and strategy, an operational EPMO staffed with its own people, and an established yearly cadence of strategic planning.