STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT

Success Story

STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT

This case study involves a strategic support journey that took place across several years and several phases within a single client company. Decision Strategies, a corporate strategy consulting firm, was approached by a pair of seasoned Exploration and Development professionals as they started up their company. At the time of first contact, the company had no funding, no assets, and no office. The immediate need was to come up with a strategy that would differentiate the small team from other similar companies in order to obtain funding. After the company received funding and became an established entity, they contracted Decision Strategies to provide play entry and portfolio strategies.

Staying true to the recommended strategy, the company pursued a limited number of high-impact license acquisitions in two main play areas. Both were successful discoveries and have undergone further development in the time since. When the Oil and Gas industry experienced a downturn, an efficiency strategy was enacted. This has resulted in the sale of the lesser play to support the marked expansion of the superior play. As a result of effective execution of the strategy, the company has become a dominant force in the liquids-rich unconventional industry, and it is one of the rare companies that is built to profitably expand even during downturns in the industry. The combination of good technical capability and adherence to a sound strategy provided resiliency in the face of overwhelming obstacles.

What We Did

  • Assessed and provided coaching on differentiation in the pre-funding phase
  • Coached principals in appropriate evaluation and decision support techniques
  • Provided strategic portfolio creation support that concentrated on value creation with downside protection
  • Ensured ongoing strategic support including third-eye evaluation, decision and strategy support, and executive coaching

How We Did It

  • Created alignment between executive action and objectives
  • Facilitated options assessment and coached active strategic decision-making
  • Provided strategic portfolio management and elimination of potential distraction
  • Enacted strategic advisory and executive level decision and strategy support

The Challenge

From inception through the final phases of building a viable and profitable company, strategy and decision support has been critical. The options and solutions varied as the company reached different levels of maturity. From competitive differentiation to receive funding, through the creation of a material position in a material play, the objectives, coaching, and support must change.

The company required different approaches and different types of support throughout its journey, and Decision Strategies was there at every step, providing trusted advisor service.

The Solution

Using a combination of strategic management, tactical decision support, and technical advice, Decision Strategies became the company’s trusted advisor over the years. By always keeping our focus on creating a competitive advantage, we are proud to have helped the company stay true to their strategy, avoid distractions, and develop into the well-run operation it is today.

What began as wishes and dreams became a dominant, resilient, profitable business that owned a commanding and material presence in one of the two top plays in North America. The company’s combination of technical excellence and adherence to its strategic objectives has given it the enviable position of profitable expansion even in the midst of product price collapse.

In individual technical and evaluation assistance, the company has integrated Decision Strategies’ coaching and advisory support at the team, corporate, and board levels.

TESTIMONIAL

The Decision Strategies team is able to integrate a lot of different functions into a cohesive work product. This includes economics, engineering, and an overall understanding of the industry, which is a rare skill set.

Business Development & Strategy Manager Oil and Gas Company
Decision Strategies