Outcomes
A strategic growth programme identified £6.2m in additional operating profit potential and a clear path to achieving the client’s 20% Return on Sales target — with recommendations to restructure the operating model, unlock underperforming R&D capacity, and separate the product and R&D businesses for sharper commercial focus.
Background
Under previous ownership, the business had been run as an R&D cost centre, a model ill-suited to the commercial ambitions of its new owners. Revenue and profit had stagnated, and the business was falling behind competitors who had grown significantly in the same period.
The product division lacked the delivery experience and processes needed to bring new products to market efficiently. Investment decisions were driven by technological interest rather than market demand, and there was no coherent go-to-market strategy. Meanwhile, the R&D business was chronically underutilised; billable resource utilisation sat at around 50% — compounded by weak key account management and fragmented sales activity across the organisation.
Curzon Approach
Curzon began with a thorough diagnostic phase, examining resourcing, sales strategy, investment processes, and decision-making authority across the business. This gave us an evidence-based view of where performance was being lost and where growth was being left on the table.
We stress-tested existing assumptions about the business’s opportunities, combining internal findings with extensive market research to identify credible growth vectors aligned to the client’s existing capabilities — across a range of defence and technology market verticals.
On the operational side, we mapped value streams across the business to identify where the operating model could be simplified and made more effective. We developed a full business case quantifying the impact of different growth levers, giving leadership a clear picture of the prize available.
Our recommendations included separating the R&D and product businesses to allow each to operate with the right commercial model, right-sizing support functions, and introducing the account management and sales discipline needed to drive sustainable revenue growth.
