Customer Type: PE-Backed Companies

5 Steps to an Effective Voice of Customer (VoC) Strategy

August 22, 2023 Kyle Johnson

In today’s competitive market landscape, understanding your customers’ perceptions and needs is paramount. This is where an effective voice of customer (VoC) strategy comes into play, allowing businesses to capture and analyze customer feedback for informed decision-making.

But without a strategic approach based on proven voice of customer best practices, deciphering customer pain points and optimizing your business operations can be challenging.

This guide will take you through five essential steps to building and implementing a successful VoC strategy.

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Building a Customer-Centric Company Culture

An effective VoC strategy begins by cultivating a customer-centric culture within your organization. This involves adopting a mindset where customer needs and feedback are the driving force behind every decision. From the C-suite to the front-line employees, every team member should understand the value of the customer’s voice and its impact on business success.

The integration of a VoC strategy extends across all departments, with each having a unique role and benefiting differently. For instance, the marketing department might prioritize understanding customer preferences for promotional channels, while the product development team might focus on feedback about product usability.

Building a Robust VoC Data Collection Framework

Your VoC strategy is only as good as the data you collect. Diverse methods of data collection provide a multifaceted view of customer preferences, expectations and pain points. As you adopt different VoC methodologies, you’ll gain a more comprehensive understanding of the customer journey.

Select feedback channels that align with your customer’s preferences and your business sneeds. Whether it’s through direct interviews, surveys, social media or customer support interactions, diversifying your feedback channels is crucial. Continually assess the strengths and weaknesses of your current channels to fine-tune your data collection strategy.

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Transforming VoC Data into Actionable Insights

Collecting VoC data is just the beginning. The power of your VoC strategy lies in transforming this raw data into actionable insights. Analytical tools are indispensable for interpreting the data and identifying patterns that signify customer sentiment, preferences and pain points.

READ MORE: The Power of AI and Data Analytics

For instance, you may notice a recurring theme of customers struggling with a particular feature of your product. Grouping similar feedback points helps you identify and prioritize areas for improvement. By mapping these themes against customer personas and journey stages, you can gain a deeper understanding of specific customer experiences and expectations.

Prioritizing and Implementing VoC-Driven Initiatives

Having extracted insights from your VoC data, the next step involves implementing VoC-driven initiatives. Prioritization of these initiatives depends on several factors, including the feasibility of implementation, expected impact and alignment with business objectives.

CASE STUDY: In-Depth VoC Study To Drive Future Growth in Healthcare Company

A VoC roadmap can help you systematically execute prioritized initiatives over time. Transparent communication is key during this phase, ensuring everyone understands the changes and is on board with the new initiatives. Key performance indicators (KPIs) should be set to measure the effectiveness of these initiatives, providing tangible proof of your VoC strategy’s success.

Enhancing Customer Engagement and VoC Program Evolution

A successful VoC strategy doesn’t stop at implementation—it’s an ongoing process that evolves with your customers’ needs and expectations. Keep your customers informed about the changes you’re making based on their feedback. This not only shows your commitment to their satisfaction but also encourages their continued participation in your VoC program.

Regular reviews and updates to your VoC program are essential to stay in sync with changing customer needs. Your VoC strategy should be flexible, allowing for continuous improvement and adaptation.

Access Growth and Go-to-Market Strategy Resources

Building and implementing an effective VoC strategy may seem like a daunting task, but the rewards of increased customer satisfaction and business growth are worth the effort.

Working with a trusted third-party expert can help ease this process, and BluWave is here to connect you with the perfect resource.

CASE STUDY: Enhancing Customer Insight for Healthcare Investment Success

“There are providers with networks of contacts across different industries,” says Keenan Kolinsky, BluWave co-head of research and operations. “Not only is it interesting to survey existing customers, but also potential customers to gain their insights and perspectives, and that’s really where these third parties can add value, is helping businesses get insights from potential customers – not just the ones they already have.”

Whether you need help refining your data collection methods, analyzing VoC data or implementing VoC-driven initiatives, our research and operations team is ready to assist. Contact us today and let us guide you to success in your VoC journey.

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Voice of Customer Process: Methodologies for Better Service

August 22, 2023 Kyle Johnson

Customers shape the success of your business. Their feedback, preferences and expectations guide your strategies, refine your services and bolster your bottom line.

Enter the world of the Voice of Customer (VoC). This indispensable tool – often part of a specialized commercial due diligence project – empowers you to tap into what your customers desire and harness their insights for growth.

VoC is a research method that captures customers’ expectations, preferences and aversions. By leveraging this approach, you can cultivate a customer-centric culture that not only boosts satisfaction but also propels your business to new heights.

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READ MORE: Voice of Customer: Definition, Importance

VoC (Voice of Customer) Methodologies

VoC methodologies are a collection of techniques to gather valuable customer insights. They pinpoint customer needs, expose pain points and reveal opportunities to improve.

BluWave co-head of research and operations Keenan Kolinsky says using an industry-specific third-party can make this process more efficient.

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“The study can be much more targeted if there’s a specific customer segment they’re interested in. Additionally, when a VoC is part of a due diligence activity, the acquisition target could introduce the fund to a targeted and select group of customers to get their insight specifically,” he says. “They’re much more targeted insights from the key accounts that can make or break the business.”

READ MORE: 5 Steps to an Effective Voice of Customer (VoC) Strategy

Customer Interviews and Surveys

Nothing beats a conversation when it comes to understanding customers. Interviews unveil the “why” behind behaviors, offering rich qualitative data. On the other hand, surveys, whether online, email or SMS, yield quantitative data, transforming feedback into measurable insights.

By pairing these methodologies, you gain a holistic understanding of preferences and experiences. But managing and interpreting both qualitative and quantitative data can be complex. Collaborating with expert third-party services can alleviate this burden, allowing you to focus on leveraging the insights.

READ MORE: Buy-Side Commercial Due Diligence: What is it?

Social Media

Customers often voice their opinions on social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, Instagram, TikTok and more. Monitoring these platforms uncovers real-time feedback and sentiments. Social listening tools identify trends, track brand mentions and facilitate customer engagement. This goldmine of unfiltered opinions can equip you to refine your products and services.

CASE STUDY: Enhancing Customer Insight for Healthcare Investment Success

Doing this on a regular basis, though, can become unwieldy. Experienced third parties who do this on a regular basis can save you time and help you get capture core customer sentiments.

Focus Groups

A small group of customers, a structured discussion and a skilled moderator – that’s a focus group in a nutshell. It’s enables customers to freely express their thoughts.

This format often reveals hidden perceptions and enables you to understand how group dynamics influence feedback. Nevertheless, coordinating and moderating focus groups can be time-consuming and requires expertise for accurate interpretation. Here, experienced third-party firms can step in, streamlining the process and ensuring valuable takeaways.

Access Commercial Due Diligence Resources

Customer Support Data

When customers reach out for support, they reveal their needs and frustrations. Scrutinizing inquiries, complaints and feedback from support channels can reveal recurring issues and areas for improvement.

Website Behavior Analysis

How do customers interact with your website? Analytics tools – like Google Analytics 4 – offer the answer. By tracking page views, clicks and navigation paths, you gain behavioral insights.

Heatmaps, user recordings and conversion funnels also unveil usability issues and help streamline the customer journey. But analyzing such granular data and deriving meaningful insights isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. It demands deep technical expertise and significant time investment. A third-party solution with a knack for analytics can be the key to unlocking these valuable insights, sparing you from getting lost in the complexity of data.

READ MORE: Understanding Voice of Customer: Metrics, KPIs, Analytics

Online Reviews

Customer feedback thrives on online review platforms. By monitoring them, you can understand customer sentiments and address concerns. Engaging with customers on review platforms also shows your commitment to their satisfaction.

Feedback Forms

Feedback forms on your website or app offer a structured way to gather feedback. Well-designed, user-friendly forms capture specific information, enabling customers to express their thoughts in detail.

Net Promoter Score® (NPS®)

How likely are your customers to recommend your business? The Net Promoter Score® (NPS®) offers a clear answer. NPS® surveys categorize customers into promoters, passives and detractors. Analyzing this data uncovers the reasons behind customer ratings and helps craft strategies to boost loyalty.

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VoC (Voice of Customer) Processes

Data Collection and Analysis

Gathering data is only the first step. VoC methodologies call for structuring and organizing data to facilitate effective analysis. Tools and techniques for data analysis spotlight key insights and patterns, making sense of what you collect.

Insight Generation

Converting data into actionable insights is the heart of VoC. Analysis uncovers customer preferences, pain points and emerging trends. Triangulating from different methodologies offers a comprehensive understanding of your customers.

READ MORE: AI Data Analytics: Business Intelligence Tools

Action Planning and Implementation

Insights are the foundation for action. Prioritize improvements based on both customer input and business goals. For instance, if feedback consistently points to slow website load times, prioritize website optimization. Effective implementation requires cross-functional collaboration to effect change.

Monitoring and Continuous Improvement

The Voice of Customer process is not static, but rather a dynamic, ongoing endeavor. It evolves in sync with market trends and customer needs. Establishing continuous feedback loops, gauging progress and refining strategies based on the evolving customer landscape is essential.

“You could also incorporate price sensitivity into a VoC to help a company determine if there’s room to increase prices,” Kolinsky says. “Basically what the customer thinks about how the product or service is priced.”

READ MORE: How To Analyze Sales Data: Tools, Examples, KPIs

This is where BluWave steps in, bridging the gap between understanding your customers and implementing that understanding into actionable strategies. Our research and operations team works diligently to connect you with industry-specific, vetted service providers who specialize in Voice of Customer methodologies. They assist you in maintaining the momentum of your VoC efforts, from the initial data collection to the final stages of strategy adaptation.

CASE STUDY: In-Depth VoC Study To Drive Future Growth in Healthcare Company

Through our extensive network, we’ve got you covered whether you are a private equity firm, a portfolio company, or a private or public company. Our exact-fit resources are at your disposal to ensure you remain customer-centric, adaptable and progressive in the ever-changing market landscape. We understand that your goal isn’t just to listen to your customers but to hear them, comprehend them and ultimately grow with them.

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Revamping Market Positioning, Expanding with M&A

Service Area: Commercial Due Diligence

Client Type: Portfolio Company

Service Provider Type: Merger & Acquisition Strategy Firm

Industry: Generalist

The Need
Reinvigorating Market Strategy and Exploring M&A Opportunities

A portfolio company sought help improving its market positioning and evaluating strategic M&A prospects within the HR SaaS sector. With a strong tech-focused approach, the firm aimed to identify adjacent markets and solidify its foothold through targeted acquisitions.

The Challenge
Navigating Complex Market Dynamics

The challenge lay in revitalizing the company’s market strategy. The client required a comprehensive analysis of their current positioning and an exploration of potential adjacent markets. Additionally, the portco sought guidance on devising a strategic M&A roadmap that aligned with their growth objectives and unlocked synergies.

How BluWave Helped
Strategic Insight and M&A Roadmap

BluWave connected the client with an M&A strategy firm well-versed in the HR SaaS industry. This partnership offered the portfolio company strategic expertise to analyze their current positioning and identify gaps. The specialized firm crafted a tailored plan for expansion into adjacent segments, including evaluating potential M&A targets. Weekly interactions with the investment team ensured alignment and effective execution of the strategy.

The Result
Empowering Informed Decision-Making

Through this collaboration, the client gained in-depth insights into their current market standing and potential growth opportunities. The M&A strategy firm’s expertise assisted the client in devising a strategic roadmap for M&A, considering tuck-in acquisitions and larger-scale ventures. This collaborative approach enabled the firm to make informed decisions, enhance its market presence and strategically leverage its investment for maximum impact.

The service provider was knowledgeable about the sector. They provided concrete action items and feedback. They also responded to feedback on the initial draft report to provide a final project in-line with expectations.

-VP at Private Equity Firm

Strategic Recruitment for Key Manufacturing Sales Roles

Service Area: Non-Executive Recruiter

Client Type: Lower-Middle Market Private Equity Firm

Service Provider Type: Specialized Recruiter

Industry: Manufacturing

The Need
Filling Critical Sales Positions to Drive Expansion

A prominent private equity firm in the lower-middle market sought to rapidly fill two pivotal sales roles for a portfolio company in the manufacturing industry. The roles — a regional sales manager in the Midwest and a territory sales manager for the Pacific Northwest — required adept individuals capable of navigating intricate industrial buying processes. The firm needed aggressive sales professionals who could not only engage clients but also drive growth through strategic selling.

The Challenge
Matching Expertise with Manufacturing Sector

While industry-specific technical expertise wasn’t essential, the client was searching for candidates who possessed strong sales acumen. The candidate pool needed to exhibit a mastery of client engagement and the ability to proficiently close deals, a combination that could catalyze the company’s growth.

How BluWave Helped
Specialized Recruitment for Aggressive Sellers

Leveraging its close relationship with third-party non-executive recruiters, BluWave connected the PE firm with a specialized resource from the Business Builders’ Network. The recruiters then targeted individuals who could craft compelling sales narratives and nurture client relationships to drive expansion.

The Result
Accelerated Growth Through Strategic Hiring

The recruiter landed professionals who not only possessed the desired aggressive sales skills but also displayed a knack for strategic thinking within the manufacturing industry. By filling these key positions, the manufacturing company could now adeptly engage industrial clients, converting prospects into customers and driving growth.

Business Intelligence & Analytics: What is it?

August 21, 2023 Kyle Johnson

Business intelligence and analytics is a key facet of modern-day business building.

“BI gives you the ability to dig deeper in to all the operations of your business to track KPIs and other metrics, which can then help you steer your business,” says Houston Slatton, BluWave’s head of technology.

Leaders at private equity firms, portfolio companies and private and public companies use data to answer questions about their business. This could give them a better understanding of their customer base or product, for example.

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What is Business Intelligence and Analytics?

“It’s using very large amounts of, and sometimes real-time data to paint a whole picture of your customers, your business and your products or services,” the founding partner at one of our expert service providers says. “The difference between business intelligence and analytics and maybe traditional financial analysis is the scale at which it happens.”

In the past, business leaders would get information from an old database and manual analyze it in a spreadsheet program. That very spreadsheet fundamentally limits the analysis, according to the data firm’s founding partner, Mike Datus.

“Once you enter the realm of business intelligence or analytics, or data science is sometimes used synonymously, you’re talking about a bigger, more comprehensive, more real-time picture,” Datus says.

READ MORE: Business Intelligence Infrastructure: What is it?

Different Aspects of BI&A Process

One key way to maximize portfolio company performance is with private equity analytics. The right data helps a firm make better investment decisions while maximizing portfolio company performance.

The right information also helps with risk management, and eventually, increasing a portfolio company’s exit value.

Of course, non-PE firms can reap the same benefits to build their business. Slatton says this process starts with putting your data in a data warehouse and formatting it in a way that’s “analytics ready.”

READ MORE: Data Consolidation: Benefits, Challenges, Process

“The next chunk is building or doing analysis on top of that data,” he adds. “Probably a lot of defining KPIs or metrics. All businesses are generally going to agree on revenue, but most of the operational metrics, there’s probably a little wiggle room around. But you can’t build a visualization with wiggle room.”

Precision, then, is key to actionable analytics. Once you have reliable, accurate data in place, it’s time to put it to work.

“You’re going to build some visualizations on top of that analysis so you can build some metrics over time and build some historical results and predict future results as well,” Slatton says.

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How PE Firms, Businesses Use BI&A

By monitoring key performance indicators and market trends, organizations can identify weaknesses. The right data can help develop strategies to address these issues and strengthen a firm’s portco or a company’s operations.

“Most companies don’t have great insight into the actual operations of their business at the granular level that you can have now,” Slatton says. “It’s an investment to put in a full data stack and to build the visualization capabilities. But you can really unearth a lot of highly impactful insights about your business once you have access to the granular data sets.”

READ MORE: Data Warehouse Types: How To Choose the Right One

One of the key considerations in BI & analytics is the selection of data sources. As Slatton mentioned earlier, accuracy is imperative, along with up-to-date information that’s aligned with the firm’s overall strategy.

“One of the most important parts of BI is figuring out what the actual KPIs are that are going to be the real levers of the business and making sure to track those,” Slatton says.

Once the firm knows what it wants to monitor, it must decide how to securely collect and store that information.

Integrating new private equity analytics programs and tools must be done with existing systems in mind. These might include portfolio management software, investor reporting platforms, website analytics, payroll management and more.

Lastly, and most practically, the data must be accessible for the relevant parties. That means reports that are easy to analyze and share. That way, everyone from partners to C-suite executives to the most junior employee in the organization understands what’s driving the decisions that affect them.

READ MORE: Business Intelligence Automation: What is it?

Whether you’re the CTO at an independent company, an interim CFO at a portco, or any other business building role, we have expertly vetted analytics and insights resources on standby.

The BluWave-grade network of service providers have helped hundreds of companies like yours choose, implement and distribute data platforms that have a positive impact on their organization’s value.

“You want a group that can define the right, limited set of KPIs,” Slatton says. “The C-suite or leadership team should bring that to the table, but you want a group you’re going to be able to work with to define and refine the KPIs that you use to drive the business.”

Contact us to set up an initial scoping call, and we’ll connect you with two or three best-fit resources for your exact situation within a single business day.

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*Privacy is important to us. While the source and company name have been changed, these are real quotations from a real service provider in the BluWave Business Builders’ Network.

‘A Player’ Needed To Lead Portco’s People Operations

Service Area: Executive Search

Client Type: Portfolio Company

Service Provider Type: Vice President of Human Resources/People Operations

Industry: Technology – Software

The Need
High-Performing Executive To Lead HR Department

A portfolio company engaged BluWave to orchestrate a targeted search for a vice president of people operations to lead a technology software company’s HR endeavors. The company’s vision to maintain high employee engagement, foster a growth-oriented culture and optimize the recruitment process necessitated a skilled HR leader.

The Challenge
Cultivating Culture and High-Performing Teams

The primary challenge was to find a VP of HR who could uphold the existing culture’s vibrancy while growing it. The candidate needed to blend strategic HR expertise with an ability to manage and integrate a dynamic culture within a growing technology company.

How BluWave Helped
Tailored Search for People-First Leadership

BluWave collaborated with the portfolio company to craft a tailored executive search strategy that aligned with the software company’s values-driven culture. This approach identified a rising star – the “A player” the company sought – capable of not only driving HR strategies but also contributing to organizational health, diversity and inclusion, and talent acquisition.

The Result
Empowering Organizational Transformation

The transformative HR leader resonated with the company’s values and growth mindset. He brought a blend of high-tech experience and a strategic yet hands-on approach. With the new leader in place, the company is poised to enhance its employee engagement, build a robust hiring system and propel its organizational excellence journey.

BluWave’s tailored approach to executive search ensured a seamless integration of an HR leader who shares the company’s vision, values and goals.

C-Suite Executive To Streamline Dental Operations

Service Area: Executive Recruiter

Client Type: Portfolio Company – Dental Clinic

Service Provider Type: Operations Executive

Industry: Healthcare Services

The Need
Optimizing Dental Business’s Leadership

A multi-location dental business needed a COO to turn around the organization’s operations. The goal was to enhance efficiency by overseeing regional managers and streamlining various aspects of the dental clinics.

The Challenge
Navigating Complex Operations

The business needed the rare COO capable of managing six regional managers, each overseeing a cluster of dental clinics. Additionally, the C-suite executive needed to address specific requirements such as inventory management, customer relationship management, advertising and P&L responsibilities. Identifying an executive proficient in dental healthcare operations while possessing the aptitude for process optimization added to the complexity.

How BluWave Helped
The Perfect Match on Standby

BluWave presented a short-list of accomplished industry-specific recruiting firms. The dental business selected one, and was connected with a candidate who showcased expertise in multi-location healthcare operations, displaying an adept understanding of streamlining processes, inventory management and customer engagement. His background, including lean transformation knowledge, aligned perfectly with the portfolio company’s requirements.

The Result
Drastic Operations Improvement

With his proficiency in regional management, inventory control and customer relations, the new chief operations officer drastically improved the dental clinics’s day-to-day functions. This engagement demonstrated BluWave’s ability to connect specialized recruiting firms with the unique needs of small-market private equity firms and their portcos, fostering operational excellence in specialized industries.

What To Do When Your Service Provider is at Capacity

August 15, 2023 Kyle Johnson

Connecting with a service provider you can trust is like looking for a great dentist. Once you find “the one,” you wouldn’t put your teeth in anyone else’s hands.

The same goes for your business. After a successful engagement with a trusted third party, you save a lot of time by contacting them directly the next time you have a need.

There are reasons you have go-to service providers: they’re fast, reliable and they know your business.

But if you love them so much, you’re probably not their only client. Far from it.

So what happens when you reach out and they tell you they simply don’t have the capacity to take on more work on the timeline you need? Or worse yet, they give you their B-team.

We’re glad you asked.

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A man in a blue suit and white button-up with a tie, who's also wearing glasses, sitting across the desk from a woman

There are a number of reasons service providers could suddenly be in high demand. A bounce-back from a recession. A surge in deal flow. A hot new trend of which everyone’s trying to stay ahead.

When this happens, BluWave is on standby with a deep bench of trusted, PE-grade third parties who can deliver the exceptional work you expect no matter what your industry.

In fact, we experienced this post-COVID recovery when the whole world got back to business at once and it seemed like there wasn’t enough help to go around. At that time, we heard from dozens of private equity firms that couldn’t book their preferred third-party resource.

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We helped those firms by connecting them with industry-specific firms and consultants that understood their business’s most pressing needs.

Every service provider in the Business Builders’ Network has gone through a rigorous vetting process, giving us confidence in every match we make whether it’s a first-time engagement or a repeat relationship.

BluWave founder and CEO Sean Mooney has three tips for organizations when their usual service providers are at full capacity.

1) Use Alternatives

“If you’re go-to is sold out, don’t try to force them into giving you capacity. You’ll get the C team,” Mooney says. “There are plenty of other comparable PE-grade specialists that you should use.”

2) Use Substitutes

“There are other diligence and value creation products that go by a different name but still serve your need,” he adds. “For instance, if you can’t get a commercial due diligence group to meet your deadline, use a voice of the customer group to do a deep dive on your target’s customers.”

3) Use Independent Consultants

“There’s a select world of independents who spun out of name-brand shops and can give you the same product at a fraction of the cost,” Mooney says. “This cohort works well not only for commercial diligence, but also for operational and HR diligence as well as value creation.”

Mooney recognizes that trusting your most important work to new partners can be scary. With the right introduction, though, the risk can have a huge payoff.

“Using new groups can be nerve-racking,” he says, “but the BluWave network of PE-grade resources is on standby to meet your specific needs.”

Get Connected Now

Whether your go-to service providers are at full capacity, or you just don’t know who to turn to, give our research and operations team a call. They’ll connect you with a shortlist of exact-fit third parties within a single business day, and be by your side until the completion of the project.

Seamless Integration for a PortCo’s First Add-On Acquisition

Service Area: Merger Planning & Integration

Client Type: Lower-Middle Market Private Equity Firm

Service Provider Type: Integration Consultant

Industry: Professional Services

The Need
Navigating the First Steps of Expansion

A lower-middle market private equity firm’s portfolio company was poised for its first substantial add-on acquisition. The organization specialized in transaction-based due diligence support for law firms, encompassing vital tasks such as litigation summaries, background checks and certificates of good standing.

With a dedicated team of paralegals and a proprietary tech-enabled workflow tool, the company had carved a niche in the market. The impending integration of the add-on acquisition marked a pivotal step, though, demanding meticulous planning and expert execution.

The Challenge
Orchestrating Harmonious Integration

The challenge lay in orchestrating the integration of the add-on acquisition while ensuring minimal disruption to the existing operations. The portfolio company’s unique business model involved a distributed setup across multiple fulfillment offices nationwide. Siloed workflows and varying systems compounded the integration complexity. With aspirations to synchronize operations and create a standardized platform, the portfolio company sought an integration consultant to guide them through the process.

How BluWave Helped
Crafting a Blueprint for Seamless Integration

Collaborating closely with the portfolio company, the BluWave-selected service provider crafted a comprehensive integration strategy that aligned with the company’s growth objectives. The multifaceted approach encompassed:

Pre-Close Planning: The service provider defines integration objectives, assessed synergies and outlined the integration process.

Tech-Enabled Solutions: Given the nature of the portfolio company’s operations, the service provider recognized the potential for tech-enabled solutions. Robotic process automation (RPA) was explored to alleviate repetitive computer-based tasks and streamline workflows, enhancing efficiency and reducing the burden on human resources.

Operational Harmonization: Finally, the service provider facilitated discussions and collaboration between headquarters and fulfillment offices, fostering a unified approach. The integration plan focused on gradually migrating offices onto a common system while preserving operational continuity.

The Result
Paving the Path to Scalable Growth

By providing a clear roadmap, harmonizing operations and leveraging tech-enabled solutions, the integration process yielded several outcomes:

Smooth Transition: The integration was executed with minimal disruption to ongoing operations, allowing the portfolio company to maintain service quality and customer satisfaction.

Operational Efficiency: The implementation of RPA reduced the burden of repetitive tasks, freeing resources to focus on value-added activities.

Scalability: The integrated platform laid the foundation for future acquisitions by creating a standardized framework and a playbook for successful integration.

Industry-Specific Growth Experts for PE Firm’s Portcos

Service Area: Growth & GTM

Client Type: Lower-Middle Market Private Equity Firm

Service Provider Type: Growth Strategy Consultants

Industry: Various

The Need
Structured Planning for Unleashing Potential

A forward-thinking lower-middle-market private equity firm aimed to empower its newly acquired portfolio companies through a comprehensive onboarding and strategic planning process. The objective was to shape a clear five-year plan encompassing customer segmentation, core value proposition development, investment allocation, sales and marketing strategies and an integrated budget.

The firm sought experienced consultants, ideally partners or associate partners, to lead the analysis, guide strategic planning sessions and establish a cohesive plan with actionable steps, ownership, deadlines and budget distribution.

The Challenge
Aligning Visions and Establishing Accountability

The private equity firm faced the challenge of harmonizing diverse visions and strategies across their portcos. The businesses possessed strong product insights but required support in fostering an accountable team culture. Additionally, the PE firm sought a leader who could implement an OKR framework to enhance alignment and execution across the organization.

How BluWave Helped
Industry-Specific Strategic Implementation

BluWave connected the firm with industry-specific consultants for its portcos. They quickly absorbed diligence materials and external market data, creating a comprehensive approach to guide the five-year planning process.

Starting with a 100-day plan scope, the firm developed of a three- to five-year strategic plan. This included defining core value propositions, strategic initiatives and aligning them with budget considerations and executive scorecards.

They also designed and implemented an OKR program for each organization. This framework facilitated alignment, empowering the CEOs to elevate operational efficiency and accountability.

The Result
Operational Efficiency Across Portcos

The portfolio companies established clear trajectories for growth. The result was a meticulously crafted five-year plan encompassing strategic initiatives, actionable steps and budget allocation, all aligned with the private equity firm’s overarching objectives.