Abacus Global

STRATEGIC BUSINESS CONSULTING

Business Diagnostics

Conduct a high level diagnostic exercise of the entire organization - from the overall review of the business to the functional infrastructure - to assess the health and condition of the primary links in the value chain
Deliverables include the identification of key weaknesses (and strengths) in the value chain and detection of any gaps, deficiencies and areas requiring improvement

Third Party Assessment

An independent detailed and focused evaluation of a plan, program or policy to assess its strengths and weaknesses and implementation process
Deliverables includes an unbiased and in-depth report on the implementation, efficacy and impact of the target plan/policy/program

Strategic Cost Reduction

A strategy driven, top down framework for reducing costs, optimizing assets and increasing efficiency across the value chain.
Support during implementation is also available ranging from a dedicated SCR Team to a limited program management assistance.
Deliverables include recommendations on how to reduce costs in the areas reviewed and estimated savings that could be achieved when the recommendations are fully implemented.

Strategic Price Setting

A customized pricing framework for a product or set of products, driven by its strategic market objectives, and capturing the effect of demand, consumer perception and utility, product value, costs, competition and market dynamics.
Deliverable includes recommendations on the optimum pricing structure of the products reviewed; and a training workshop for the relevant staff on using the framework

Strategic Sourcing

This is a formal, collaborative approach whereby an organization can leverage its purchasing power to find best value for money by selecting suppliers that are most suited to create value in the customer-supplier interface.
Deliverables include procurement category profiling, spend analysis, need analysis, recommendations on sourcing strategy, potential supplier portfolio and policy framework and guidelines to select and manage suppliers.

Strategic Visioning

Assessment and alignment of the founder’s/ leader’s vision and the managerial practices at the organization, with a view to inculcate owner’s mentality throughout the organization - driven by a vision that is owned and agreed by all.
Deliverables include a Vision document covering the company’s realigned vision, mission, strategic objectives and shared values.

Organizational Design & Structuring

Integration or realignment of key organizational levers i.e. people, structure, processes, policies with strategy as the driver - through an organizational design which clearly defines reporting relationships between management hierarchies and departmental groupings, and thereby facilitates decision making, information flows and work processes.
Deliverables include recommendations on the company’s realigned, rationalized organizational structure with manpower strength and corporate governance model.

Enterprise Risk Management

Risks are inherent to any business organization, and ERM enables identification, measurement, monitoring, reporting and responding to risks across an organization in line with its strategic objectives and risk appetite.
Deliverables include identification and assessment of key enterprise risks, their significance for the organization and recommendations on risk mitigation strategies and response measures.

Corporate Strategy

A value-creating, enterprise-wide business and market strategy that addresses where to compete (i.e. markets, channels and customers) and how to compete (sources of advantage and competencies), as well as the economic, regulatory, environmental and technological drivers.
Deliverables include strategic diagnostics focused on relevant corporate areas, recommendations on strategic issues and development of a long-term corporate strategy.

Operation Strategy

Operating models to enable implementation of the corporate strategy by deploying the operating levers i.e. production capability, capacity, human resources, financial capital, technology, infrastructure, IT, systems and processes. Operating strategy focuses on integrated multi-process, multi-function operating issues and value creation.
Deliverables include strategic diagnostics focused on relevant operating areas, recommendations on identified issues and development of operating strategy.

Growth Strategy

Direction setting for growth to help unleash untapped potential of an entity through market penetration, market development, product development and/ or diversification. It helps organizations operating in a competitive market environment to grow in line with the overall strategic objectives – in terms of the top line, bottom line, market share or expansion.
Deliverables include strategic diagnostics focused on relevant corporate areas, recommendations on strategic issues and development of growth strategy.

Marketing & Communication Strategy

A guide for an organization to ensure optimal public outreach and effective communication with various audiences it interfaces with, in line with overall strategic objectives. It covers the entity’s marketing goals, target audiences, brand identity, message, marketing methods, costs, timings, channels and media.
Deliverables include strategic diagnostics focused on relevant marketing areas, recommendations on identified issues and development of marketing and communication strategy.

Export Strategy

Setting the stage for organizations to diversify their consumer base and pursue geographical expansion. It includes assessing export potential of products in a product mix, identification and profiling of target export markets, their regulatory requirements, standards and incentives, and finally developing a tailored export marketing strategy for selected products and markets.
Deliverables include strategic diagnostics focused on export potential of products, market profiles of selected overseas markets and an export marketing strategy for selected products to matched target markets.

Strategic Business Plan

This is an extensive and comprehensive exercise that aims to define an organization’s goals, assess market needs, align the organization’s goals and strategies to take advantage of available business opportunities employing its share of resources, formulate a roadmap to achieve those goals, and provide a basis for evaluation of the company’s performance going forward. This incorporates elements of various other strategic products on offer (as defined above).
The deliverable is a detailed document covering market analysis, corporate diagnostics, recommendations on corporate, operations and organizational strategy, SWOT analysis, risk mitigation matrix and detailed financial estimates, projections and analytics.

Feasibilities

Whether investing in a greenfield project, an expansion or balancing, modernization and replacement initiative, it is vital to evaluate the economic feasibility of the project before making the capital investment. The feasibility exercise covers the market, financial and strategy components, and appraises the project’s return on investment against various parameters
Deliverables include a comprehensive report covering the market study, project conceptualization, business plan, a financial model with financial estimates, assessments and projections and investment appraisal under various possible scenarios

Mergers & Acquisitions (Buy-Side & Sell Side)

A well-planned and well-executed merger can enable a company to achieve its corporate goals faster and more efficiently than purely organic expansion. The exercise entails a sequence of targeted workstreams and activities to ensure that the union is synergistic and unlocks greater value for the merged entity:
- Sector studies and market reviews
- Benchmarking studies
- Due diligence exercises
- Advice on M&A strategy and transaction structure
- Financial modeling and valuation
- Developing teasers, pitch books, information memoranda and investor presentations
- Transaction marketing and road shows
- Data room development and management
- Liaison and coordination with stakeholders and investors
- Investor evaluation
- Project management, coordination and transaction support
Deliverables may include, as per agreed terms of reference, subject matter reports on due diligence (market, operational, HR, financial), business valuation of the target/ partner entity based on a detailed financial model, strategic advice, negotiation support and coordination services to facilitate the process.

Divestiture

Divesting as a strategic means towards profitability and corporate longevity is just as critical as investing in a business. A well-thought out and executed divestiture can save millions of dollars and years of futile effort, providing clients a head start towards long term profitability. The crucial questions to be answered are whether, when and what to disinvest and how to do it.
Deliverables may include strategic assessment of potential divestiture, due diligence report covering market, operational, HR and financial components of the entity to be divested, business valuation, divestment strategy, investor marketing and selection, negotiation support and coordination services to facilitate the process.

Privatisation Advisory & Transactions Support

A wide range of privatization advisory services and transaction support is provided to Government agencies and/or international financial institutions on the sell side; and private entities/ investors on the buy side, as part of financial advisory consortia (see Mergers & Acquisitions above for type of services).
Deliverables may include subject matter reports as per agreed terms of reference covering market review, due diligence report, privatization policy, transaction structure, valuation report, transaction marketing material, investor evaluation report, transaction support and coordination services to facilitate the process.

Financial Restructuring

A wide range of privatization advisory services and transaction support is provided to Government agencies and/or international financial institutions on the sell side; and private entities/ investors on the buy side, as part of financial advisory consortia (see Mergers & Acquisitions above for type of services).
Deliverables may include subject matter reports as per agreed terms of reference covering market review, due diligence report, privatization policy, transaction structure, valuation report, transaction marketing material, investor evaluation report, transaction support and coordination services to facilitate the process.

Projections & Forecasting

Projections and forecasting, using various techniques and methodologies, are conducted to evaluate future financial, economic or market outcomes. These usually form an intermediate output and used as a tool to develop a final deliverable.
Deliverables include a subject matter report supported by a model for projections or forecasting.

Business Valuation

Ascertaining the value of a business or shareholding interest may become necessary in case of its sale or acquisition, or for compliance purposes. Valuation may be done through various techniques and methodologies, and the resultant valuations may vary in accuracy so multiple methods are used to validate results.
Deliverables include a valuation report estimating business value under different scenarios and techniques, and a valuation model.

Costing

A comprehensive cost assessment comprises studying the total cost for a firm, product or process covering various elements such as direct, indirect, fixed, variable, marginal or opportunity costs etc. An accurate assessment and understanding of the cost is crucial for a firm’s marketing and business planning.
Deliverables include a cost assessment report supported by costing models as appropriate.

Transaction Advisory & Support

A broad range of transaction advisory and support services are provided towards the execution of establishing, divesting or acquiring a business entity. Services may include structuring or restructuring a project, conducting due diligence, transaction structuring, valuation, marketing, negotiations and executing the deal, working as a team in an advisory consortium.
Deliverables include subject matter reports on workstreams undertaken and tasks performed as per agreed terms of reference.

Due Diligence

A due diligence exercise is an investigation conducted on a business entity to confirm that the information provided by the entity’s managers/ sponsors is correct. It is usually undertaken by a party interested in an acquisition or a contractual business agreement with another party. Due diligence may be carried out along various dimensions of the target entity - such as its organization, operations, accounts, HR, market, distribution, IT etc.
Deliverable includes a detailed due diligence report on the investigation conducted, flagging key areas of risk identified during the process.

Investor Marketing

Investor marketing comprises the whole process from identification of investors for a project, investor shortlisting, development of marketing material, marketing, circulation, communication and coordination with potential investors.
Deliverables may include long and shortlists of potential investors, evaluation criteria, teasers, pitch books, information memorandums and other investor marketing material.

RESEARCH CELL

Abacus offers our clients the research and analytics capability which may be tailored to your needs and conducted at the extent and level of sophistication that a particular issue requires. We recognize that good research starts with a good design and ends in the answers to your questions. It provides not just ‘information’ but ‘insight’. Projects are planned to present organized data that can be easily analyzed, correctly interpreted and synthesized into realistic conclusions and useful solutions for the client. To ensure maximum utility from research projects, we employ secondary, primary qualitative and quantitative research methodologies.

Sector Studies

Sector Studies are comprehensive market study reports covering a specific industry or sub-sector. These may be based on secondary market research, primary market research or a hybrid of both. Sector Studies can be of the following types:
- Client sponsored sector studies that are tailored according to the specific requirements of a client
- Relatively standardized sector studies published under the brand of Abacus Publications and available for sale off the shelf
- Syndicated sector surveys that are tailored according to the requirement of a few customers
Deliverable includes a sector study report based on agreed parameters, supported by a bibliography of resource literature for secondary research; and cleaned, collated raw data in case of primary research.

Benchmarking Studies

A benchmarking exercise refers to identifying best demonstrated practices related to an entity’s processes, products and services, and then comparing the performance of peers to assess their strengths and weaknesses and improve their performance by adopting best practices. Comparison may be carried out externally with best-in-class competitors, or internally with other SBUs or departments conducting similar activities.
Deliverables include a benchmarking study report based on agreed parameters, supported by a bibliography of resource literature for secondary research; and cleaned, collated raw data in case of primary research.

FINANCIAL MODELING AND ANALYSIS

Financial Modeling

Financial models of various types and extent of complexity developed on MS Excel, tailored to the need of any industry, product, service, operation or any other project – related to financial feasibility of new projects, acquisitions, sales, mergers, costing and pricing exercises, change and restructuring projects etc.

Financial Analysis

Various financial analyses using different types of analytical and investment appraisal tools and techniques such as discounted cash flow analyses, ratios, horizontal and vertical evaluation, scenario analysis, ‘what-if’ sensitivity analysis, risk appraisal and trend analysis. Analyses are provided in both tabular as well as graphical forms to provide meaningful and logical presentation for the client.

Projections & Forecasting

Projections and forecasting of economic outcomes and market matrices such as trends, demand, supply, deficit/ surplus, demographics, market size, tariffs, costs, profitability and various other aspects and dimensions of a business or a business environment, using statistical and financial tools and based assumptions

Report Writing

Reports and papers covering market research, analysis, findings, conclusions and recommendations - structured and presented in line with global best practices - based on work undertaken either by Abacus for you, or any other work you need support on.

Dashboard Creation

Business Intelligence Dashboards for business leaders, managers and operators visually presenting data analytics, research findings and statistics to provide them with relevant important information at one glance for quick decision making and greater efficiency levels.

MARKET RESEARCH & ANALYTICS

Online Research Studies

Reports on any market related subject from market viability, competitor profiling, consumer profiling, comparative studies, demand-supply analyses or any other market related topic you are interested in - based on secondary research using published information from reliable sources globally

Online Surveys

Complete online market surveys covering survey design, questionnaire development, sample selection, global data collection, analytics, estimations, projections and report development – or any part of the process as required by the client

Data Analytics

Reports based on data mining of any given data and running analytics to provide meaningful correlations, patterns, market trends, and other useful findings and conclusions pertaining to the data

Report Writing

Reports and papers covering market research, analysis, findings, conclusions and recommendations - structured and presented in line with global best practices - based on work undertaken either by Abacus for you, or any other work you need support on.

Dashboard Creation

Business Intelligence Dashboards for business leaders, managers and operators visually presenting data analytics, research findings and statistics to provide them with relevant important information at one glance for quick decision making and greater efficiency levels.

EDITING & PRESENTATION SUPPORT

EDITING & PRESENTATION SUPPORT

Well written and professionally formatted and presented documents can provide a powerful medium for conveying the intended message to the target audience, otherwise the message can get lost in translation and distortion. Experienced professionals at Abacus can structure, edit or repackage any document according to your requirements, keeping in mind the target audience and in line with best practices, covering:
- Marketing material such as brochures, teasers, pitch books, investor presentations, information briefs
- Reports, proposals, research papers and presentations
- Text, formatting and editing services

VALUE PROPOSITION

There are many benefits of outsourcing your non-core functions to a competent and reliable external partner like abacus

Access to subject matter experts equipped with all necessary tools: Abacus is proud of its people, a strength of more than 2500 professionals including 400+ subject matter specialist consultants with deep industry expertise and knowledge of processes. We have a strong base of business professionals including economists, finance and investment experts, accountants, sector specialists, software and system experts, regulatory and compliance experts, strategists, researchers, and analysts. In addition to our fulltime regular employees, we also have a resource pool of area specialists and experts who may be requisitioned as and when their particular skills are required. A business’s non-core functions also need to be handled with proficiency as they provide critical support to its core and strategic activities. But with a reliable and competent outsource partner like Abacus, you would not need to recruit and train expensive resources to carry out your non-core activities. The experts of Abacus use cutting edge tools, techniques and technology available and deliver higher quality results.
High quality job done at a fraction of the expense: With Abacus’ back office and offshore resources based in Pakistan, the cost of manning and managing the office is 40% to 60% lower than the developed countries. You would have the advantage of multiple resources with expertise in their respective areas providing specialist input on a variety of projects – without having to engage them all separately for the purpose. So a high quality job gets done by staff of equivalent caliber at a fraction of the cost.
Greater efficiency and quick turnaround time: With Abacus’ professional staff performing work they are expert at, efficiency is the natural outcome. Abacus can help you develop better quality deliverables in significantly shorter timelines. With higher productivity levels and quick turnaround time, you can achieve greater flexibility which can be translated into bigger profits.
Better focus on strategic objectives by outsourcing non-core work: By outsourcing non-core business processes to Abacus, you can leverage your time and energy to focus on the core business objectives and activities. You can apply all your energies and efforts to achieve your strategic objectives rather than being bogged down by unnecessary issues pertaining to non-core functions.
Optimized capital investment as support functions are outsourced: Outsourcing of business processes eliminates the need to invest in related manpower, systems, technology and infrastructure – which can be done by Abacus on your behalf. The need to arrange external funding is reduced and you can optimize your capital resources and redirect investment into projects that can directly generate growth and profitability for your business.
Time zone advantage gained with ability to operate round-the-clock: With a time zone difference between Abacus’ back office in Pakistan and your office, you can achieve productive output even when you are close. So if you are closing down for the day but need the work to be done and delivered the next morning, Abacus can do it for you. This allows you the unique benefit of round-the-clock business operations.

Insights

ABACUS GLOBAL delivers a thought leadership platform through which we continuously add research based content to add to the existing body of knowledge in the industry.