Custom Studies

• Strategy PathFinder™ Services
• Business Start-up Evaluation
• Expert Witness Testimony
• Joint Venture Development
• Joint Venture Due Diligence Study
• Market Audit and Attitude Survey
• Market Entry Strategy
• Technology Due Diligence Investigation
• Technology License Support Services

These examples have been selected as representative of a variety of different types of services that have been provided by Strategies Unlimited for companies that are beginning new business activities. These are all real contracts that have been completed by Strategies Unlimited.

The names of clients have been omitted, as all of these studies have been done under confidentiality agreements. The clients have been described, however, in terms of the type and size of the companies involved.

In no way is this list intended as a comprehensive list of past assignments by Strategies Unlimited.

Please e-mail us to discuss how we can help your organization meet its strategic objectives.

Strategy PathFinder™ Services

Developing a successful business strategy in a fast-changing sector such as optoelectronics, optical networking, RF/wireless, or photovoltaics poses special challenges.

As in all industries, a company must have comprehensive complete knowledge of its strengths and weaknesses, its competition, and its opportunities. However, strategies in these sectors also requires sophisticated analysis of rapidly-changing technologies and industry structures.

In looking for assistance, however, it is rare to find expertise in developing strategy and tactical development and in the complexities of the optoelectronics, optical networks, RF/wireless, and photovoltaics industries.

Strategies Unlimited provides that rare blend of strategic thinking with in-depth industry knowledge. The Strategy PathFinder Service from Strategies Unlimited combines our understanding of technologies, markets, and competition in the optoelectronics, optical networking, RF/wireless, and photovoltaics sectors with first-class skills at developing business strategies.

The Strategy PathFinder Service consists of a five-phased custom engagement to address a company's specific business issues:

Phase 1: Internal Assessment

• Interview key personnel and visit key facilities
• Perform telephone interviews of key customers
• Prepare analysis of strengths and weaknesses
• Develop conclusions on your company's core competencies

• Describe key technologies and trends
• Analyze and forecast the market by segment and opportunity
• Identify competitors' strengths, weaknesses, and market positions

• Identify 3-5 strategic options
• Quantify and assess options
• Examine resource needs, trade-offs, and prioritize options

• Select best option
• Identify key initial actions
• Create contingency plans
• Project outcome
• Define performance measures and milestones

• Identify steps to obtain necessary resources (people and finances)
• Develop step-by-step roadmap to carry out the strategy

Business Start-up Evaluation

A major European industrial research laboratory (among the largest engineering and construction companies in Europe) developed a new process which it believed provided unique performance capabilities. The research laboratory approached our client to fund a start-up joint venture to develop and manufacture the technology.

Strategies Unlimited was retained by the engineering and construction company to review the technical, manufacturing, and marketing plan for the proposed start-up.

Strategies Unlimited recommended against the formation of the joint venture and against the viability of the technology.

The client accepted the recommendation of Strategies Unlimited and declined the offer of the joint venture. As of today, no other company has chosen to invest in developing this particular technology.

Expert Witness Testimony

Strategies Unlimited has provided expert witness testimony in depositions concerning commercial and market matters in courts of law in both the United States and in the United Kingdom.

We were retained, for example, by a major European corporation to provide assistance to the legal staff and outside counsel on a matter of commercial litigation concerning a technology license.

Strategies Unlimited did the following:

• Provided an assessment of the historical market for the technology
• Prepared documents to describe the technology, its market applicability, and the products it supported for the Court
• Reviewed the commercial developments in the market over the past ten years
• Prepared "commercial damage estimates" based upon alternative scenarios

Joint Venture Development

The photovoltaic division of a major U.S. chemical company (among the ten largest corporations in the U.S.) wished to enter the Mexican market with its photovoltaic products. The parent chemical company already had a subsidiary in Mexico that had revenues approaching $100 million in the specialty chemicals business.

The Mexican subsidiary, however, had no knowledge or interest in the photovoltaic business and therefore desired to not become involved in any new joint venture by the photovoltaic division. Further, the existing Mexican operation wanted to make sure that this new business activity did nothing that would harm the image of the existing business operation.

The Mexican government had in the past nationalized a business unit of this corporation, so the company was very concerned about its relationship with the Mexican government and its image with the general consumer population.

This corporation is so large and so well known that it was afraid that if it became known publicly that it was seeking a business partner in Mexico, it would be flooded with so many unqualified Mexican political interests that it would never be able to identify the best business partner.

The corporation contracted with Strategies Unlimited to assist it in locating a joint venture partner in Mexico in a totally discreet manner. The study was undertaken on the basis that the name of the client could not be revealed until late in the negotiation process. A suitable joint venture partner would initially import and sell product manufactured in the U.S., then begin manufacturing assembly operations, followed eventually by complete foundry and production operations in Mexico.

Under this assignment, Strategies Unlimited:

• Analyzed the industrial and technical companies of Mexico.
• Identified 25 top companies and created a preliminary profile of each. The list was reviewed with the Mexican subsidiary of the client corporation for its comments and suggestions.
• Obtained banking references and credit ratings through Mexican banking interests.
• Selected ten companies for direct interview by Strategies Unlimited without identifying the client's name.

The client endorsed the recommendations of Strategies Unlimited and formal negotiations were opened between the client and the #1 candidate venture partner.

However, within four weeks of opening negotiations, there was a "peso collapse" which caused the parent U.S. corporation to suspend any further investment in Mexico. The U.S. corporation backed out of the negotiations and never formed a joint venture in Mexico.

Free trade agreements have subsequently negated the need to form a separate manufacturing operation in Mexico.

Joint Venture Due Diligence

Strategies Unlimited's client, among the 150 largest corporations in the U.S., desired to enter a new business area from its traditional markets. The company had no technical expertise in the new electronic field and was seeking a partner to joint venture a new company in the field. An entrepreneur had approached the client with a proposal to form a new corporation, provide technology, and begin manufacture in a short period of time.

The client retained Strategies Unlimited to review the proposal, assess his technology, and comment on the cost objectives and timing of the proposed program.

Strategies Unlimited did the following:

• Provided an assessment of the proposed technology
• Reviewed the cost targets of the proposed program
• Reviewed the schedule objectives

Subsequently, the client formed a joint venture with a different major manufacturer that already had a factory in the industry. Today, the two companies have established a joint venture that ranks #2 in the industry.

In this assignment, Strategies Unlimited was on the "buy" side of the transaction. It is our opinion that we saved the client a lot of money preventing him from investing in a bad business deal.

Market Audits and Attitude Surveys

Strategies Unlimited has conducted a number of market audits and attitude surveys for Boards of Directors, marketing executives, and advertising executives.

In one instance, we were retained by a Board of Directors to conduct a market audit to obtain an independent evaluation of the competitive position of the corporation with respect to its competition in different market sectors. This audit included the following:

• Attitude survey of customers and non-customers
• Product comparison with major competitors in the eyes of the market
• Identification of major forces/dimensions of competition in the market
• Market share estimate of the company by market application and by product
• Recommendations for new product directions

Market Entry

A large Japanese electronics manufacturer - one of the ten largest Japanese electronic manufacturers and a member of the oldest and among the largest keiretsu - was interested in exploring the possibility of introducing "Product X" into the U.S. market. Although it had manufactured and supplied Product X in Japan, the company was known in the U.S. for a different type of product. Since the market in the U.S. for Product X was larger than the market in Japan, the company wanted to learn if it could sell Product X in the U.S.

Strategies Unlimited was retained to:

• Analyze the U.S. market for Product
• Identify major U.S. customers for Product X
• Recommend alternative sales channels for distribution of Product X in the U.S.

Based on our recommendations, the Japanese company established its own direct sales offices in the U.S. in strategic geographic locations and successfully introduced Product X into the U.S. market.

Technology Due Diligence

Strategies Unlimited has conducted a number of due diligence investigations for financial institutions, including banks, mezzanine funds, and venture capital companies.

A U.S. mezzanine fund was considering a major loan to a rapidly expanding, but cash-poor, corporation to fund facilities expansion and new product developments.

Strategies Unlimited was retained by the fund to:

• Analyze the market for the new product
• Assess the viability of the company's technology
• Review competition in the new product area
• We submitted a detailed report reflecting an assessment of the risk and opportunity associated with the new product development strategy.

Technology Licensing

The research laboratory of a major California petrochemical company (among the 15 largest corporations in the U.S.) had developed a new Photochemical Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (PMOCVD) technology. This technology had application in compound semiconductor device fabrication, which was a business area in which the chemical company had no interest. The chemical company wanted to license the technology.

The chemical company contracted with Strategies Unlimited for assistance in licensing the technology to a company that would be interested in developing the technology.

Strategies Unlimited did the following:

• Conducted a review of the market potential of the technology to assist in developing a value for the technology
• Identified companies that might be interested in the technology license
• Assisted in the preparation of a "sales" brochure describing the technology
• Contacted and qualified a number of prospects in both Japan and the U.S.
• Accompanied the client on a series of initial meetings in Japan

The program was successful, the technology was licensed to a Japanese company, and Strategies Unlimited received a "Success Bonus Payment" for its contribution to the licensing program.