Strategy consulting
We help our clients to make strategic choices by facilitating decision-making processes and conducting relevant analyses. Such choices might entail the selection of an overarching corporate strategy, the development of strategies focussed on specific areas of a business or intended to cut across multiple areas, deciding how best to implement an existing strategy or determining how best to undertake strategic monitoring, e.g. of markets and/or competitors.
We have a unique combination of specialist skills within energy and transportation, as well as expertise in strategy and business development, market design (including regulation and policy frameworks), market analysis (including price forecasts and modelling) and technology development. By combining our in-depth knowledge of these sectors with commercial experience and expertise related to owner management, we are well placed to advise on the development of owner strategies and to assess companies’ ability to realise the ambitions and expectations of their owners.
We use a structured approach, developed by THEMA, to support our strategy and business development work. The framework used has been thoroughly tested in numerous assignments and is sufficiently flexible to be tailored to the specifics of both the company and the situation. We take particular care that our strategy work is founded in evidence-based analysis and use our market models actively as part of the strategy process.
We help the owners of Norwegian companies to shape their corporate governance strategies and guidelines. Our consultants have extensive experience working on issues of corporate governance in both public and private companies and have been involved in the development of principles for good corporate governance for Norwegian power utilities for the relevant industry association, Energy Norway. When we work with the development of corporate governance strategies, we typically emphasise the following issues:
- What is the expected long-term return on invested capital?
- What risk profile and exposure are acceptable/desirable?
- Do the owners have expectations distinct from the return on capital?
- What are the ambitions for growth and development, and the implications of these for both capital requirements and dividend policy?
- Which principles and guidelines should form the foundation of the corporate governance framework?
Business development and innovation
We understand the challenges facing the energy and transport sectors as a result of rapid technological development, changing market conditions and the emergence of new business models. These changes threaten established value chains, business models and partnerships. At the same time, they provide both an opportunity to reimagine the supply of existing services as well as to develop new services entirely. We have seen the pace of change increase substantially in recent years driven, in particular, by new enabling technologies and the transition to a more sustainable society.
We help companies with business development, innovation and understanding the markets’ need for new solutions, as well as the possibilities offered by new technology. We provide the knowledge needed to describe and develop good business models and support the development of initiatives in both new and existing areas.
We have experienced consultants who have helped companies take ideas and business opportunities from the development stage to commercialisation. Our understanding of the markets, technology and end-users provides a solid foundation from which to support the creation and commercialisation of attractive business models.
Operational improvement and benchmarking
We help our clients to gain a better understanding of how their operational and financial performance compares with that of similar companies. We benchmark resource use by business function, for example within power generation and grid companies, and then compare performance against best practice.
We help companies to identify areas for improvement, choose appropriate targets, and implement changes. Our services are proven, based on good practice and tailored to the various needs of management at different points in the change process. Among other things, we help our clients to evaluate their current solutions and organisation, identify areas that can be improved, prioritise possible improvement initiatives, and identify new solutions (such as new organisational models or options to develop the organisation), create concrete action plans, follow up such plans and measure the effect of the actions taken.
We have extensive sector expertise and consulting experience and have established our own databases describing best practice for business functions within power generation, district heating and network operations.
