INDUSTRY: Retail
Client profile
A retail client exploring the possibility of entering the Indian Retail Market.
Background
Brickwork suggested an entry strategy for one of the largest retail chains by studying the retail markets, the existing retail giants in India, and the regulatory issues involved. With 8% consistent growth rate, India presents a huge opportunity in the retail sector. With over 300 million cellphone users, the client was interested in understanding general situation and existing players in the market.
Brickwork Solution
Brickwork conducted secondary research of the existing retail chains in India, regulatory issues, as well as an understanding into the problems faced by existing retail giants. The actual financials, pitfalls, and factors that need to be considered before entering the market were studied and highlighted. Based on this, a summarized presentation capturing the business design of existing firms, the regulatory issues, and the strategies to enter the Indian market were brought out. The Indian retail market presents huge opportunities for foreign players with 98% of the market in the unorganized sector. Understanding the strengths of the unorganized market entities and replicating them as much as possible in terms of convenience, home delivery, and price are critical for any one to enter successfully.
INDUSTRY: Healthcare
Client profile
The client is a market leader in ESWL (Extracorporeal Shock-Wave Lithotripsy) - laser therapy used for the treatment of kidney stones.
Background
The client was interested in entering the growing Indian lithotripsy market to establish a quality brand for non-invasive treatment of renal stones. Brickwork with its knowledge of the Indian healthcare sector, surveyed the area, used both primary and secondary research techniques, examined the investment requirements and revenue possibilities, and prepared a detailed report for the client.
Brickwork Solution
Brickwork revisited its knowledge in the healthcare sector, conducted surveys, and personal interviews with opinion makers to delineate the lithotripsy sector. The Indian lithotripsy market is highly unorganized and offers great opportunity for someone to offer an integrated brand all over the country. The present players are in large hospitals as well small kidney stone clinics. Brickwork found some players still using dated technology that meant number of sittings for laser treatment. Opportunities exist for players with the latest technology. Brickwork solution included a detailed market research, description of exiting players, the investment required, operating expenses as well the profitability scenarios. The report brought out the issues in healthcare sector and challenges in bringing the urologists buy the concept and prescribe lithotripsy rather than surgical procedures.
INDUSTRY: Education
Client profile
The client heads an international school chain in the Middle-East.
Background
The client wanted to conduct a market and financial feasibility study to set up an international school in Bangalore that could offer IB – International Baccalaureate and CIE – Cambridge International Examination with K 12 format. The criteria was that the school should have an infrastructure of international standards and the staff / teachers would be a mix of Indian and foreign nationalities.
Brickwork Solution
Brickwork conducted the study in 3 phases:
- Primary research
- Secondary research and
- Analysis of the data collected
For the study, interviews were conducted with the International school heads, their board of advisors and relationship managers, national educational bodies, regulatory authorities, and parents. During the study various research articles, publications, government statistics, regulatory laws were also sourced through the secondary research.
The final report included recommendations on the school fees, curriculum, teachers, class structure, location, infrastructural facilities and various other important decisions in addition to SWOT analysis on Bangalore being an attractive location to start an International school. A report with the financial model to be presented to financial institutions was brought out successfully.
INDUSTRY: Manufacturing
Client profile
A Middle East and German company who are in the insulation market business for the last 3 decades.
Background
Brickwork studied the feasibility of setting up a building insulation manufacturing plant in Chennai, India with technology from Germany. With 8% growth and booming off-shoring, Indian cities have been registering record growth in residential and commercial real estate. Over 10 million square feet of built up new space gets added in cities of 6 million population. The feasibility study included industry analysis, market surveys, preparation of financial statements to organize loans from financial institutions as well as complete guidance and strategy to obtain all governmental and regulatory approvals.
Brickwork Solution
Brickwork conducted primary research of the insulation companies and traders in India. Brickwork with its access to industry experts and regulatory bodies identified the potential threats and offered innovative solutions to the client. We also provided the client with vital data on the raw material suppliers and logistics management and possible environmental problems.
India has just a handful of facilities that use XPS the Extruded Rigid Polystyrene Foam the building insulation product that can result in large scale electricity savings. With the new building code expected soon from the Government of India this market is poised for big growth. Our analysis helped our client to understand the initial outlay, the size of the manufacturing plant, possible impact on the pricing and market changes, potential in terms of market share, and possible inherent threats arising from the competition. In addition Brickwork provided complete guidance in obtaining all regulatory approvals.
INDUSTRY: Information Technology
Client profile
A Fortune-500 company which was focusing on Lifestyle & Healthcare, was exploring the opportunities arising from the recent trend of outsourcing to India.
Background
Brickwork worked as a consultant, to recommend lucrative business segments and good acquisition targets. The company was looking to build capability in certain software segments to aid the existing and build new products. The acquisition targets were shortlisted keeping size, technology platform, skill sets and management acumen of people, existing revenues as well as possible acquisition price. The client’s predominant concern was the management’s culture and sensitivity in upholding intellectual rights for the software once the acquisition is complete.
Brickwork Solution
The client had built up extensive capabilities in R&D services in India through their Indian subsidiary and sought to focus on their capabilities to grow their Indian operations to the tune of US$1 billion, to make it one of their largest operations globally. Brickwork was hired as the consultant for this strategic assignment because of its extensive knowledge on the Indian business scenario and on the opportunities in outsourcing to India.
Brickwork conducted an extensive study on opportunities presented by the outsourcing trend, identified lucrative business opportunities in the interested areas, analyzed the demand and supply side, market characteristics for these opportunities, identified good acquisition targets, performed the pre – acquisition financial due diligence of the targets and advised an implementation roadmap to the client. Brickwork arranged personal interviews with the targets and shortlisted these who were interested in acquisition. Brickwork did a special IP audit to determine if the management takes intellectual property rights seriously.
Based on our recommendations, the client was able to shortlist a few candidates for further evaluation. The Brickwork report included possible valuation of acquisition targets. Brickwork has developed special methodology to value new economy companies that have more patents and other intellectual property, rather than the traditional fixed assets. Brickwork report helped the client to diversify into engineering services sector.
INDUSTRY: Architecture & Design
Client profile
An architectural firm from UK wanted to outsource UK building, planning permission drawings to architects in India.
Background
With the liberalization of the Indian economy, the business process outsourcing sector has become a major contributor to the GDP of India. Developed countries leverage on lower costs and the high skill sets that India offers. India now provides end to end solutions to an entire plethora of outsourced assignments. This particular client wanted to harness the lower rates of Indian architects to get planning permission drawings for the UK accomplished in India.
Brickwork Solution
Brickwork collected specific skill sets like the ability to work from Google Earth, analytical ability to label distances, familiarity with CAD/CAM engineering software. Based on the required skill sets, Brickwork conducted primary research of architectural firms in India with the help of a questionnaire survey to assess the skill sets of the architecture firms. Brickwork’s response rate was about 25% from the questionnaire survey. Some of them were interviewed to validate the information and help in proper comparison. Based on their skill sets, past clients, operational capability and financial strength, Brickwork prepared a short list of firms that could be considered and meet the client criteria. In collaboration with the client we developed another questionnaire to estimate the rates charged. Based on the results of both the questionnaire surveys we were able to shortlist four architectural firms in India which met client requirement of skill sets and rates charged.
Our services helped the client increase profitability through cost savings. The client leveraged on the lower costs in India to accomplish planning permission drawings for the UK. Planning permission drawings do not require the detail of construction drawings and hence do not require the supervision necessary for the detailed building diagrams. The client was able to capitalize on the advantages that India offers to improve productivity.
INDUSTRY: Architecture
Client profile
The client is a barrister who works to obtain planning permissions in the UK for his client base. The client is the owner of the planning permission firm. He has several years of experience in dealing with all the aspects of planning permissions in the UK and is also experienced in developing property.
Background
This client wanted to harness the lower rates of Indian architects to get planning permission drawings for the UK accomplished in India. Brickwork was to identify 4 architectural firms in India to whom he could outsource planning permission diagrams. The architect required certain specific skill sets like the ability to work from Google Earth and specific rates for the drawings.
Brickwork Solution
We first created a database of architectural firms in India and qualified as per various criteria in collaboration with the client.
An assessment of the qualified architectural firms was conducted with the help of a questionnaire survey to identify the various skill sets.
About 25% of the firms responded. Once our team had a list of architects that met the client requirement in terms of skill set we had to meet the price criteria.
In collaboration with the client another questionnaire was developed to estimate the rates charged by these firms. Based on the results of both the questionnaire surveys, 4 architectural firms in India which met the client requirements of skill sets and rates charged were shortlisted and provided to the client.
