Strategic Capability Overview

The ability to shape and embed a customer focused guiding vision, supported by a clear operating model and a profit formula, balancing opportunistic short-term actions with proactive long-term behaviour.

• High Value Manufacturing

  Competitive basis that's not reliant on low cost, high volume strategies. Moving from resource intensive SMEs to knowledge intensive SMEs through leading services and product design. Includes servitisation and Product-Service Systems

• Visual Strategy

  Process of formulation, implementation and review of business strategy. Includes development of guiding vision, understanding value proposition and core competencies, and defining business goals & objectives to achieve the vision. Review incorporates internal and external information impacting on the business.

• Operating Model

  The way in which a business delivers its vision ⁄ value proposition to stakeholders. Includes make ⁄ buy decisions, outsourcing, profit formula, organisational structure, supply chain, manufacturing strategy, collaboration.

• Finance

  All about how the business manages its finances. May also include information about profit formula. Concepts like cash flow, profit and loss, sources of finance, preparing a business plan are included.

• Business Sustainability

  Operating a business with consideration to social and environmental aspects, not just financial. Includes compliance with environmental legislation through eco-design, measuring the environmental as well as cost performance of products/processes, implementing an environmental policy, shift to 'green' business models.

The ability to mobilise the Managerial, Operational and Strategic capabilities by rapidly changing the organisation to adapt to and shape the emerging environment.

• Organisational Learning

  Use of past experience to inform future work to prevent making same mistakes or covering old ground again. Includes sharing knowledge and experience among employees, reviewing projects and initiatives for learning points, learning from bad practice as well as best practice, capturing new working procedures or new ideas at all levels.

• Resilience

  The ability of the business to anticipate opportunities and threats and implement changes rapidly, or to reconfigure resources quickly when required. Also includes resilient organisations concept - the ability of the business to absorb negative impacts without going out of business.

• Change Management

  Creation of a culture of change in the business to manage change effectively. The process of planning, execution and review of changes.

• Innovation

  New and creative ideas for product or processes ⁄ ways of doing things in the business that bring benefit. Process of idea generation, evaluation and implementation.

• Horizon Scanning

  Process of identifying relevant areas of the business environment and gathering information from these in a deliberate and timely manner, then evaluating its significance and feeding this into the strategy ⁄ decision making process

The ability to create a culture that is conducive to both employee development and business growth i.e. Individual and Collective Transformation. This is the core element of the futureSME Transformation Programme.

• Leadership

  The way in which business leaders set example, demonstrate integrity and influence employees to deliver business goals and objectives. Includes leadership qualities, personal transformation and building trust.

• People Development

  The way in which managers create and manage a strong workplace. Includes motivation, managing performance, recognising and rewarding excellence, creating heroes in every role, building trust, and nurturing innovation, cooperation and commitment.

• Succession Planning

  The way in which the long-term leadership for the business is planned. Links strongly to People Development, Collaborative Decision Making and Governance.

• Decision Making

  The way in which decisions are made in the business which are aligned with the vision and strategy. Includes teamwork, thinking together, collaborative decision making and framework for transformation.

• Governance ⁄ Structures

  The way in which the business is structured and governed. It includes dynamic structure, leadership qualities, collaborative decision making, framework for growth, and a strong workplace.

The ability to align critical processes, resources and technologies to the overall guiding vision, and deliver these processes effectively and efficiently. To stay competitive, organisations must be persistent in increasing efficiency through continuous improvement of their processes. The most successful companies are those that improve their processes faster.

• Process Management

  Design and management of effective and efficient processes to deliver company vision ⁄ value proposition. The core element of process management is the continuous improvement of processes in order to both increase performance and adapt quickly to business changes. Includes leading management concepts such as Lean Management and Six Sigma.

• Digital Manufacturing

  The use of automated systems, processes, and tools during design, development and aftersales services to deliver a product or service to market.

• Collaboration

  Working in partnership with external parties and networks towards a common objective. May include information about assessing if collaboration is the best choice for a company, potential benefits, choosing partners etc.

• Performance Measurement

  Design, implementation and management of a performance system. Identification of appropriate number of KPIs and how to measure them and improve performance. Includes performance of all aspects of the business, not just operational and financial. It is a foundation for efficient process management and particularly for continuous improvement.

• Marketing

  Ensuring customers know about your business and what it offers through using different media sources and channels to increase visibility in the market. Includes information on existing market growth, entering new markets.