Accelerate Performance

How can you move from local player to industry leader in just seven years?

We helped a European telecom company embrace disruption and become the continent’s first independent wireless telecom infrastructure operator in less than a decade.

The Challenge

Telcos have struggled with a saturated market for a long time – there are now more mobile phones in the UK than there are people. Many brands offer similar levels of connectivity and boast a strong global presence. To win, organizations need to find ways to fund and build their future by strengthening their core businesses or growing in other areas. 

Our client designed its IPO strategy in 2014, at a time when mobile telecom operators across the globe were struggling to generate enough profits to remain competitive. However, its subsequent returns didn't allow it to make the large-scale investments needed to upgrade its networks to embrace the future of new wireless technologies. To become a successful challenger and improve its service, it became clear that we needed to explore new options and adapt to a rapidly changing and fiercely competitive landscape.

APPROACH

To upgrade the network, improve the quality of service and increase profits, we identified the need to expand into radio access network equipment. The Arthur D. Little team devised a strategy that allowed the business to become a more integral partner with mobile network operators and tap into new revenue. This meant purchasing cell towers.

However, to guarantee maximum profit, we also needed to rethink our client’s business model. We worked closely with industry experts and key stakeholders to help diversify the business’ portfolio beyond large towers and antennae to introduce new product combinations designed to address under-served segments in the market.

results

Seven years later, our client is not only competitive but has become the largest independent wireless infrastructure company in Europe. Managing more than 130,000 sites and working in 12 European countries, it plans to extend its business to other network-related assets that offer high growth prospects and add further value for its shareholders.

Innovate through digital

How can you master disruption to adapt and thrive in a global crisis?

We applied cutting-edge digital technology to help a leading pharmaceutical company turn crisis into opportunity during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

THE CHALLENGE 

Every industry experienced disruption in 2020, but nothing like this. As a leading pharmaceutical company, our client was put under immediate, intense pressure to adapt to the crisis while continuing to look after the patients and families who relied on it. However, the pandemic quickly revealed it didn't have the forecasting tools needed to make confident decisions about the future. We needed to help our client embrace change and act quickly. 
 

APPROACH

Working side-by-side with our client we combined epidemiological modelling with AI optimization to rapidly develop a working prototype that could improve decision making within the business.

We built a rigorous, standardized study assessment framework and ran exhaustive simulations of different scenarios to help identify areas to focus on. The integrated and dynamic dashboard we developed helped predict the pandemic's mechanics and monitored vaccine rollout worldwide. 
 

RESULTS

Our team created a fully operational prototype that was scaled out across all teams within weeks. Our scenario simulation allowed the business to predict the disease progression several weeks in advance across 34 countries, including 50 US states and 36 Indian states. The tool also helped our client monitor the vaccine rollout across all critical regions. As a result, it could make more informed decisions and optimize its operations accordingly to protect both its patients and its business.
 

Innovate through convergence 

How can you capitalize on industry convergence to connect drivers to a more sustainable future?

We helped a leading automotive company prepare for the future of energy and develop a smart charging system for electric vehicles.

THE CHALLENGE

By 2030, two out of every three new cars sold will be electrified. Automotive manufacturers must transform their businesses even faster. Governments across the globe are increasing their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and electric vehicles (EVs) have emerged as a crucial way to lower carbon emissions. EV charging has evolved from a niche sector into a multibillion-pound market. It represents an explosive opportunity that we wanted to help our client capitalize on.
 

APPROACH

The technological transformation of cars into computers – powered by electric batteries – created a new set of challenges for our client. To seize the potential of this rapidly changing market, we helped our client transform its manufacturing practices and supply chain, while diversifying its workforce by introducing new skills – from software engineering to infrastructure management.

Once we made the necessary developments, our team created solutions for every aspect of the customer experience – covering software and hardware products as well as home charging and on-the-road services. We worked together with people across our clients’ business and leading experts from our network. We helped our client make the most of this window of opportunity to launch a seamless EV charging proposition that is accessible and reliable – and sets the benchmark for the industry.
 

RESULTS

Today, our client provides energy and charging solutions across 30 European markets with plans to expand further. And although the charging environment is still in its infancy, the number of individual public charge points throughout Europe is estimated to increase tenfold by 2030, putting it on a path to becoming one of the leading charging and energy service providers. 
 

How can hyperconnectivity revolutionize the concept of a conventional city?

We’re transforming how people interact with nature, technology and the built environment to create a new digital mobility blueprint for tomorrow’s smart megacity.

THE CHALLENGE

Countries, corporations, and communities around the world are reimagining the future of mobility. Our client, a new Middle Eastern megacity developer, will unlock opportunities for sustainable living and technological innovation by revolutionizing transport and overcoming our dependence on cars. Arthur D. Little was engaged to design a new mobility model that can transform international, regional, and urban connections into a sustainable, shared, seamless experience. 
 

APPROACH

We worked side-by-side with government officials, city planners, and industry leaders from across the globe to understand their visions of how the cities of tomorrow should work. Arthur D. Little’s unique blend of creativity and rigor allowed our team to take a fresh perspective on the challenges ahead. 

Once built, this megacity will need to act as a catalyst for economic growth, fuelling sustainable innovation and driving the future of mobility. To help achieve this ambitious goal we tapped into our network of experts and unearthed new ways to aim for zero carbon emissions and 100% renewable energy. Together, we developed a new Integrated Mobility Platform that will make it effortless for everyone who needs to move around the city. 

A key part of the project was to understand the different obstacles people might experience at every stage of their journeys within the city. We explored the needs and goals of the future user and mapped the pain and gain points across all journeys. This laid the foundations for building a successful, enjoyable, and indispensable mobility network for the megacity.
 

RESULTS

All in all, Arthur D. Little’s work ensured different modes of transport will work together under the new Integrated Mobility Platform to simplify route-planning and eliminate the need for traditional roads. The result is a mobility network that’s flexible enough to give future partners the freedom to innovate but structured and reliable enough to power the development of a futuristic megacity.