Indicative Scenario Planning Projects

Project Descriptions

Part One: Private Sector Projects

Retail Strategy to Offset Internet Competition. A major regional drugstore chain that has fostered an excellent reputation for customer service was concerned about the threat arising from Internet-based competition. The company sought a long range plan that would examine, in the broadest possible terms, the future retailing environment for general merchandise, OTC products, and regulated pharmaceuticals. The client chose scenario-based strategic planning as the best approach to this work. Some of the key strategic issues addressed included the current and future demand for internet-based sales of OTC products and pharmaceuticals; the impact of demographic, social and lifestyle trends on retailing and on demand for health-related products and services; competition in the general merchandise retailing sector; and alternative systems for the distribution of pharmaceuticals (e.g., physician dispensing, direct manufacturer-to-customer sales, etc.).

Senior executives were divided up into five teams, one for each of five future worlds. Each team explored new business opportunities as well as new ways of doing business in their assigned future world. Attention was directed also to key business issues, particularly the impact of consumer lifestyle decisions, the changing demographics of their marketplace, and likely strategic initiatives of competitors. Based on the results of the study, the client has made a very major investment to build a presence on the Internet and is pursuing the remaining high-priority strategies that emerged from the strategy work.

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