Case Studies Recorded Outcomes of BCS' Five Client Engagements during 2002-2004
Studies were structured around six topics/subheadings:
Background, CEO, The Challenge, What happened, The Results and Valuing BCS' contributio
To read them, please click on the company names to jump to the study of interest
Case Studies:
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is made up of The Löwenbräu Keller – Sydney’s best known, authentic German restaurant, German Beverage Imports, The Uberbar, Bottle shop, Bavarian Bier Cafés (York Street, O’Connell Street and Manly Wharf) and The Argyle Function Centre.
Managing Director: John Szangolies
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The Challenge
John Szangolies, CEO of the Szangolies Group was at a personal crossroads, involved in a business partnership that he wanted out of. He took up a personal recommendation and contacted BCS, John says, “I decided I needed to make some big decisions so I met with John Vamos in July 2001 and my life changed.”
What happened?
John left the partnership to focus on what he loved best – The Argyle and Löwenbräu. John says, “What was different about BCS is that a lot of companies or coaches may help you with the plan and then leave you with a report on the desk and walk away. The BCS system is really all about implementation – reducing huge goals into bite-size, digestible bits and that’s how you get there”. John was so impressed with the personal 4-step coaching program that he incorporated the BCS approach into his entire business.
The Results?
As far as John Szangolies is concerned, the big change has been the realisation of his vision – Bavarian Bier Cafés. This idea came to life through the strategic planning process (8-Step) and is an exciting expansion of the Löwenbräu business. John goes on to say, “What BCS has meant for me in simple terms is that I don’t have to be in the office everyday. I can play golf or work on new businesses, which is what I love to do. The process has meant that we have the right team running the right systems getting the right results which has made a huge difference to productivity AND allows me to go after new business.” The effort and results were rewarded when Restaurants & Catering NSW awarded Löwenbräu the Best Entertainment Restaurant 2004.
Would you recommend BCS?
John is very clear, “I think a business would be foolish today not to avail themselves of the BCS system and I don’t think even a Harvard degree would give you that level of follow through at the end of the day.”
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is more than just a registered club. It is a multi-dimensional organisation with arms extending into all the codes of football, the entertainment industry, and property development.
Chief Executive Officer: Denis Fitzgerald
GM of Finance and Administration: Tullio Cofrancesco
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The Challenge
Senior Management recognised the need to streamline the business into key business units and develop a long-term strategic direction.
What happened?
Initially BCS was involved in the strategic planning for the Football Club. From this, each division worked through what needed to happen to make that strategic vision a reality and this process resulted in a detailed business plan. Those who would be doing the work or were responsible for the work authored this business plan and so ownership was high. Coupled with monthly follow-up and review sessions by a BCS coach, the objectives were met each and every time. As Tullio Cofrancesco, General Manager of Finance and Administration, says, “BCS brings a third party perspective to the process and coaches the implementation on a monthly basis to ensure everyone is making progress and moving toward our agreed outcomes. You make a commitment and BCS provides the discipline.” This methodology was a great success and was then rolled out into the Leagues Club, which is the main company.
The Results?
According to Denis, involving BCS in the strategic planning has been pivotal to the success and on-going development of the club. He says, “Follow up is a major strength of the BCS approach. It is not just about going to a 2-day or 3-day workshop and coming up with these wonderful plans. That is just part of the process. Having that reviewed so that it filters down to all the relevant levels has been terrific to keep everyone focused on where we are going. It’s easy to get diverted by the little issues and suddenly find yourself years down the track and off course. Working with BCS means that never happens – we are constantly being pulled back to the planning document and having to meet objectives and milestones along the way. It’s a powerful combination that can produce powerful results”.
Would you recommend BCS?
Neither Denis nor Tullio have any hesitation in recommending BCS. Denis goes on to say, “What’s different about BCS is that it’s our own plan rather than being told what to do – so there is ownership of it. Since working with BCS, the business is undoubtedly performing better. We are generally seen in the industry as one of the best-run clubs, both in the licensed club and the football side of things. People do ask us how we have done that and BCS is certainly one of the reasons.”
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is responsible for Brisbane’s South Bank parklands across the river from the city’s CBD
Chief Executive Officer: Bill Grant
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The Challenge
When Bill Grant came to South Bank, they had a new Board with a new vision and they wanted a new CEO who could turn their one page vision statement into a business plan and run a business around that.
What happened?
The Board didn’t want to be involved so initially Bill started the BCS process without them. After two years, he approached the Board to get involved. They did reluctantly and didn’t like it one bit. Bill, however, did get his results, but the following year they wanted to use someone else. Although everyone had a nice day it was a complete waste of time and so South Bank have been using John and BCS ever since. That’s what separates a really good coach from a mediocre one – being liked isn’t a priority – getting results that matter is!
Out of the Strategic Planning Process came the business plans for each business unit and the implementation of these is followed up on a monthly basis.
The Result?
In a recent performance review, the Board awarded Bill a 10/10 for the business planning process. Considering this is a Board of heavy hitters such as the Director General of the Premier’s Department, Stephan Akery, and the Head of the QLD council of Trade Unions, this is high praise indeed!
Bill says, “I think one of the greatest outcomes of the whole process is that now when I say to a group, “this is what we want to do”, they will automatically start going through the steps to make that happen. They think of the steps as part of the culture and that is having an incredibly positive effect.” Bill goes on to say, “Whilst it’s impossible to quantify the benefits of BCS there is no doubt in my mind that we would not be where we are as an organization if we didn’t have BCS.”
Would you recommend BCS?
“Yes, and I recommend BCS because it works! It’s a disciplined approach that extracts the creativity of the organisation up front, puts it into a process that is understandable to all levels of the organisation and allows that creativity to be accessed consistently for long-term performance excellence. It extracts the skills of the organisation and ensures that knowledge is locked into procedures, not individuals (who may leave), and that allows for the on-going duplication of those skills. The most important thing is that it forces the organisation to establish a direction of where it wants to go beyond a 12-month period and that’s powerful. When your horizon is 10 or, in our case, 20 years out, it profoundly expands the possibilities of the organisation.
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George Patterson Partners is one of Australia’s strongest and largest communications groups offering a range of marketing and communication disciplines.
Chief Executive Officer at the time of BCS involvement: Ian Elliot
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The Challenge
The business was going through a period of rapid growth. They were acquiring or building a range of diversified services companies beyond advertising and needed to embrace one strategic planning discipline across the group so that there could be a common language for the strategy.
What Happened?
Working from the “Big Picture” down through the business, they took each major business division and allocated goals and timelines to those goals. This meant that everyone was aware of the strategic vision, understood the logic behind it and were involved in its creation so felt ownership of it. This knowledge and commitment was then taken back into the individual business units and with the further assistance of BCS, detailed 5 year plans were created that dovetailed perfectly into the shared vision.
The Results?
The benefit of having one planning discipline throughout the company was profound. It meant that as Chief Executive, Ian could look at the key statistics of each division and know instantly what was going on, because everything was reported and displayed in a uniform manner throughout the business. It was therefore easy to compare the key financial indicators for a clear and accurate representation of performance.
Whilst participants can find the actual process a “bit labourious”, they love the results as it gives them greater clarity about where the company is trying to go and therefore what role they play in that journey. No longer feeling compelled to fill their day, “exhibiting signs of industry”, they now know exactly what is expected of them and why, they can see what needs to be done, what they will be measured on and consequently how they will be rewarded should they deliver on those expectations. This greater sense of involvement undoubtedly played a significant role in the company being awarded the Advertising Agency Employer of the Year award in 2001.
Would you recommend BCS?
“Absolutely". And he does; Ian has introduced BCS to all the businesses he is involved in either as a shareholder or a Board member, with very positive results. Ian says, “Each one has experienced absolutely outstanding growth since we have put the Thinking Systems disciplines in place. The Return on Investment is more than a multiple of a dozen times. Whilst I might struggle to look at all of the individual financial reports for each of those because they are different, I can look at it in a glance and I rest easy knowing that once a month when I go through and check what’s happening with the implementation of the BCS Strategic Planning Discipline I look at it and read it in shorthand; it’s my language and it’s a great boost for me.”
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was established in 1947. The club has over 36,000 members and employs 240 staff.
General Manager: Dean Thomas
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The Challenge
It was recognised that the club needed some assistance to create the strategic plan and they were conscious of finding a solution that also assisted with the all-important implementation phase.
What happened?
Initially BCS conducted a Strategic Planning Process which was translated into a detailed operational planning document and performance management processes to ensure the delivery of the strategic vision.
The Results?
As part of the strategic planning process, performance planning was highlighted as an area to focus on. Relationships across the business have improved as people have a clearer understanding of what is expected of them and those they work with. Cultural shifts take time to occur but Dean has already seen the benefits in his immediate team. He says, “My relationships with others I work with has improved. Not that my behaviour has changed that much, it is more practical things like just taking the time to step back and give someone else some room to express themselves”.
The other major outcome, as far as Dean is concerned, is that working with BCS assisted him in formulating a framework to work with the Board of Directors in a way that differentiates the issues facing the club. He says, “Being able to clearly explain the issues involved in managing the business in the short and medium term, whilst also recognising the separate issues associated with managing the assets of the club for the long-term, has been excellent.
Would you recommend BCS?
“Yes I would, I have been thinking about this a lot and I believe that an organisation such as ours will have to be much more efficient in the future and this is one way that we can do that. My resources need to be focused on finding new ways of making the club more sustainable and that means looking two and three years into the future. I couldn’t do that if I just left the business alone, but the BCS systems allow me to do that because I can still keep in touch with what is going on because I can see at the touch of a button where we are in terms of real-time implementation toward the strategic objectives - and it takes minutes, not hours and days, which leaves me free to concentrate on the future. With the on-going support and coaching nothing is ever left for very long so we are constantly evolving and developing.
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