The Challenge

As the retail company transitioned under new leadership, the CEO recognized that decision-making clarity and ownership needed significant improvement. The existing model was not providing the structure required for fast and effective decision-making, especially in the area of business case preparation and pre-launch. The CEO sought a solution that could bring simplicity and clarity to these processes while fostering greater accountability.

In the midst of transitioning to new leadership the retail business, faced challenges with the product development success rate dropping to 40%. More than 200 projects got stuck in the new product development pipeline covering more than 8 European retail markets. Root cause was lack of decision-making clarity and ownership. By adopting Benthurst’s DRIVE model, the management team was able to replace the outdated RACI framework, particularly improving the processes in new product development. The initiative led to a significant enhancement in decision-making effectiveness, uplift of ROI calculations and stakeholder alignment, improving the go to market hit rate and impacting the bottom line and growth.

What did we do?

Benthurst introduced the DRIVE approach, known for its rugged simplicity and effectiveness. A comprehensive DRIVE workshop was conducted to redesign critical decision points within retail processes. This workshop, coupled with targeted educational training for the core team, provided concrete clarity on the roles and responsibilities within the DRIVE model, particularly in decision-making scenarios. To ensure immediate and effective implementation, the core team committed to the DRIVE model, and follow-up sessions were held to secure buy-in from all stakeholders.

The Solution

The focused approach on new product development processes results in faster and more effective decision-making, better alignment with organizational needs, and lifted the hit rate away from the 40%. This initiative has positioned the retailer to achieve its strategic goals more efficiently and with empathy in the team.

Quick facts

• 60% of NPD projects were failing
• 25M Marketing and Innovation budget
• 150+ Family owned business

What does this mean for you?

Is the organization ready to enhance decision-making clarity and ownership? The company started a tailored approach and internal trainings with DRIVE to align the NPD processes and the people.