Turning Strategy into Action: Delivering a $2B SKU & Market Streamlining Program
We turned a $2B strategy into a clear, actionable plan, enabling over 90 team members to execute with focus, drive efficiency, and deliver meaningful impact.
The Business Opportunity
Our client, a major Medical Device manufacturer, had expanded over the years through numerous acquisitions, resulting in a highly complex portfolio – over 80,000 SKUs sold across more than 100 countries – all while operating on razor-thin margins. A top strategy firm was engaged to conduct a financial analysis, which led to the recommendation of a SKU and market streamlining program targeting $2B in cost savings.
While the strategy was ambitious and gained buy-in from senior leadership and Wall Street, it was built on unvalidated assumptions and lacked a concrete, actionable rollout plan. This left program leadership with the challenge of turning high-level recommendations into real, measurable results – without a clear roadmap for execution.
Inspired Consulting
Our team joined the program and quickly established a structured PMO approach, clearly defining roles and responsibilities within the first two weeks of the transformation. We also developed a business case presentation that our client could confidently present to organizational leadership to build alignment and secure support.
Partnering closely with the client, the Stone team co-created an actionable, phased project plan designed to be manageable and digestible for the globally dispersed team -many of whom were already operating at capacity. At the same time, we supported the expansion of the global PMO by helping onboard additional resources to sustain and manage the program effectively.
Meaningful Results
We’re currently mid-way through the two-year delivery program, and our PMO leadership was able to hit the ground running – adding value with minimal onboarding time. We quickly developed an Agile interim project plan alongside a comprehensive two-year roadmap, ensuring clear alignment on roles, responsibilities, and expectations.
By fostering strong engagement across a global team of 90+ PMO members, we helped create a highly collaborative and energized program environment. As a result, the team is not only executing effectively but also enjoying the work – delivering a complex, high-impact program that is being received with strong positive sentiment across the organization.
Why We Loved This Project
Too often, we see clients handed programs that were ideated in isolation, built on unvalidated assumptions, with bold promises but little grounding in operational reality. This program was at serious risk of becoming a failed transformation, with only a two-year window to drive massive organizational change and maintain senior leadership’s confidence.
Our partnership with this client is a strong example of how Stone consultants roll up their sleeves to deliver what’s tactically needed while keeping a firm focus on the bigger picture. We worked side by side with the client to translate strategy into action – balancing execution with strategic foresight to navigate the complexities of a large, global enterprise and make meaningful progress on a program of this scale.
