Customer Testimonials

DOW CORNING
We were very pleased with the outcome of our Executive-level War Game. We brought together the top 40 or so managers in the company for 2 days. KappaWest helped us strike the right balance on the level of detail, and amount of pre-work for the participants, and kept us focused on the key strategic issues facing our company. The facilitation provided by KappaWest was very helpful in allowing us to get maximum payback from the scarce amount of time that our top Managers had available to dedicate to this activity, and helped us deliver an outcome that was actionable... in a few short months it has already had significant impact on our strategic direction.

BAXTER
The business war game sessions designed and facilitated by KappaWest were extremely valuable in developing successful business strategies in a number of our most important markets. The specific actions and operational plans created during the war games defined the key management objectives for these regions.

The KappaWest facilitation process also enabled our company to build stronger and more coherent leadership teams – these teams own the strategies that they created during the war games. In one of our largest markets the business impact of the KappaWest war game was immediately evident. As a result of the war game process used to prepare our company's strategy for a very large competitive tender our company won 100% of the business in that market.    

MINISTRY OF COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL SERVICES PROVINCE OF ONTARIO – BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION PROJECT

Background
The $450 million Business Transformation Project (BTP) aimed at changing the welfare service delivery model such that, using a common “rules engine” and a single warehouse containing all active welfare case data, 7500 social workers deployed across the province could manage their case files consistently and with integrity. The upgraded consistency and integrity meant that, regardless of location, each case received the same handling appropriate to the recipient’s profile and that welfare fraud was obviated. Because of the single data warehouse, welfare recipients who relocated within the province could have their electronic file accessible anywhere without duplicating effort. Finally, service levels were much improved through the use of interactive voice response technology and an integrated data network.

Engaging KappaWest:
In 2003, when it came time to roll out the new service delivery model across the nine regions, a phasing strategy was selected for quality assurance purposes. The roll-out was characterized by complex logistics ranging from training events to production dress rehearsals to technology deployments to data conversions to local business process changes. KappaWest was engaged to manage the development of the risk analysis and risk mitigation measures that would prepare the 200 or so implementation managers for the roll-out.

The roll-out went smoothly largely because the KappaWest methodology exposed the potential risks well in advance and caused the implementation managers to assess the appropriate contingencies, plan and prepare accordingly.

– Bernard Masson

I have used the KappaWest business planning and Business Wargaming methodology in three different companies with excellent results. The following are the key achievements for the businesses I was managing:

CALCOMP PLOTTER DIVISION
(1985-1992) $500M

We used the basic concepts to develop a winning strategy in the “raster plotter” business. Calcomp was a clear leader in the “pen plotter” market but had been unable to penetrate the “raster” market dominated by Xerox-Versatec. Within 18 months of implementing the strategy, Calcomp became the shared leader with 30% market share and leader in the fast growing and most profitable segment color raster market.

– Bernard Masson

LEXMARK CONSUMER PRINTER DIVISION
(1995-2000) $1.6B

            This time, we used the full complement of concepts and a complete set of wargaming exercises to create and grow the consumer business for Lexmark. The market entry was difficult against entrenched world renowned competitors like Hewlett-Packard, Epson and Canon. The results were astonishing and well documented: Lexmark became clear second and the division grew very profitably from $100M to $1.6B over a 4 year span. The Lexmark market cap value grew 8 times during that period.

– Bernard Masson

EASTMAN KODAK CONSUMER GROUP
(2003-2006) $9.2B

Again through the rigorous use of the KappaWest methodology and extensive use of wargaming techniques, the group was able to architect an historic shift from film base to digital imaging. The results, also well documented, were just as impressive. Kodak became the world leader in Digital cameras, digital kiosks and photo printers. In Q4 2006 the group returned to profitability despite a film decline rate of over 30% annually.

- Bernard Masson

            In addition to the tangible results, there are significant intangible results associated with the methodology: team building, goal alignment are two significant ones. - Bernard Masson

            In the climate of intense world competition, it is, in my mind, unthinkable to expect winning in any market place without a methodology that includes extensive wargaming.

- Bernard Masson

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