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Strategic audit

Strategic audit Agency Consulting firm Experts Specialists Consultancy

Make the right decisions in terms of development and investment

For more than 30 years, our specialized team has been supporting companies in their strategic audits to analyze and diagnose the overall internal and external situation of a company, and to inform decision-making on future changes, investments or developments.

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    The key success factors of a strategic audit

    In order to achieve long-term sustainable development, companies must formulate correct strategies with clear roadmaps. At the heart of a strategic audit, is the ability to adjust to the complexity of internal and external environments to identify core challenges and opportunities. This requires careful consideration with several key success factors:

    Effective auditing is a multifaceted process that requires a deep understanding of both internal and external dynamic environments impacting an organization. Utilizing various tools and frameworks (such as PESTEL) can enhance diagnostic capabilities, enabling the crafting of visionary and well-informed strategies adaptable to modern business complexities.

    Tailoring the approach and prioritizing areas with a direct impact on the organization’s success is also crucial.

    What are the essential factors that would contribute to the success of the project?  What is the most suitable framework to use to assess the landscape while considering the business needs?

    The buy-in and support of all related stakeholders is a key element in the success of a strategic audit. This means establishing a clear understanding of the organization’s strategy, objectives, and key performance indicators with all persons involved.

    Engage in meaningful and positive dialogue with internal teams through audits can actively involve them to prioritise pain points and address genuine concerns

    Collaborating with stakeholders fosters a deep understanding of business objectives, enables swift, well-informed decision-making and fosters open communication, enhancing relevance and overall effectiveness.

    Who are the crucial stakeholders in the project? What roles do they play and what are their stakes? How to shape conversations in a positive and productive manner? How to create value for all stakeholders in the process?

    To fully understand the company’s strengths and pain points, it is necessary to be able to compare its assets and way of working to the market’s best-in-class and the expectations of its customers. Consequently, a detailed analysis of market drivers and barriers makes it possible to identify the ideal situation, and to conduct a gap analysis, the basis for development and investment decisions.

    Who are the best-in-class players in the targeted markets? How will each market evolve?  What should we strengthen as a priority?

      Tell us about your uncharted territory

      You have a project and want to discuss it with our explorers, write us!

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      How we support you in assessing a strategic audit

      A strategic audit focuses on understanding and evaluating products and services, development areas, customers and markets, competitors, internal teams and skills, organization, processes, methods and technologies. The company’s activities are often segmented into Strategic Business Areas (SBAs), which are positioned on a strengths-attractions matrix: what are the company’s strengths compared to its competitors on this SBA? What is the attractiveness, or appeal, of the market for this SBA? Another widely used tool during a strategic audit is the famous SWOT (Strenghts Weaknesses Opportunities Threats) matrix, which allows the company to base its strategy on tangible contextual elements.

      We believe that the quality of a strategic audit is based on two main elements:

      • the ability to investigate the company’s markets in detail
      • the quality of the exchanges with internal teams, which is a guarantee of transparency and collaboration.

      Two elements that are mastered by Alcimed’s explorers, who know their clients’ business, speak the same language, and are specialized by industry.

      Thanks to its industry expertise, Alcimed also works in the field of venture capital and carries out Strategic Due Diligence and Vendor Due Diligence.

      Examples of recent strategic audits carried out for our clients

      • Strategic audit of the activities of a healthcare SME to define its new 5-year roadmap

        Our team supported the management committee of an innovative SME in the field of diagnostics in rethinking its 5-year strategy and in building a roadmap to raise funds to support its new development ambition.

        To do so, we conducted a strategic audit of our client’s activities worldwide, coupled with a market study in several key geographies.

        Our mission led to the co-construction of a 5-year strategic roadmap with our client, which enabled to validate several strategic decisions (discontinuation of some activities, development of others), to embark the internal team towards a new vision built in echo with the market, and to convince potential investors to support the projected growth.

      • Vendor Due Diligence of a company specialized in medical devices for dependent elderly people

        Our team assisted a company specializing in medical devices for the elderly in the preparation of a Vendor Due Diligence report with a view to a potential sale of its activities.

        In order to present this investment opportunity to potential investors, Alcimed carried out a complete strategic audit: analysis of the potential market and of the market potential, customer segmentation, identification of market drivers and barriers, competitor analysis, regulatory analysis, critical opinion on the company’s 5-year business plan.

        Our report summarized the opportunities and risks related to this investment, with neutrality, to inform the decision making of potential buyers.

      • Refine the development strategy of a cosmetics company through a strategic diagnosis of all its activities

        One of our clients, a company specializing in cosmetics, active in many countries around the world, and having experienced a fairly rapid development through successive acquisitions, called upon our team in order to conduct a strategic audit of its activities.

        Its product portfolio was extremely diversified, and the top management lacked visibility on its real points of strength on which to base its future development. Alcimed conducted a strategic audit covering the entire portfolio and markets, resulting in a simplification into 9 Strategic Business Areas (SBAs).

        After an in-depth investigation, our diagnosis was shared, the SBAs likely to support the development were selected, and our work has enabled us to engage our client’s teams on concrete action plans in line with a new strategy that is clear for all.

      • Strategic audit in the field of biopharmaceutical production

        We assisted an investment fund in carrying out a strategic audit of a producer of stainless steel tanks in the biopharmaceutical and food-processing markets.

        We assessed the manufacturer’s perception of its customers in both markets, and challenged the coherence between the offer and the market’s needs and expectations.

        The evaluation of the development prospects in both sectors allowed us to confirm the interest of investing in this producer and to have visibility on the development potential in the next 5 years.

      • Strategic diagnosis of the medical implant players for an investment company

        A government-linked investment company looking to build deep tech start-ups wanted to get a better understanding of the medical implant landscape., and investment opportunities in the field.

        To do so, our team first carried out a broad and comprehensive medical implant landscape , examining the technology pipelines across trending technologies and associated companies, market drivers and potential according to the targeted applications.. Interviews were also conducted with those medical device developers to understand their current status and development plans. By gathering and challenging all those data, and considering our client’s prioritization needs, we were able to identify investment opportunities in terms of  technologies and/or players.

        At the end, our client got a good understanding of key market needs, and a shortlist of top priority technologies within the medical implant industry  to explore in their portfolios.

      • Strategic diagnosis of the laboratory automation process of a cosmetics company

        Our team supported an international cosmetics player in developing their laboratory automation as part of their efforts in digital transformation. The first step was to diagnose the needs and wishes of their labs, and to compare them with the state-of-the-art in terms of lab automation.

        To assist our client in designing their approach, our team first identified and prioritized needs in automation within different lab divisions. Through internal workshops and cross-exchange with regional and global teams, we performed gap analysis and ideated first solutions. AFter having mapped the existing solutions on the market, we then refined and aligned on the most relevant ones..

        Through our project, we highlighted key automation needs to focus on, and we mapped out potential partners with available technology solutions, empowering our client to initiate next-step action plans.

      • Refine the development strategy of a player in the cosmetics and luxury goods industry, through a strategic audit of all its activities

        One of our clients, a company specializing in cosmetics, active in many countries around the world, and having experienced a fairly rapid development through successive acquisitions, called upon our team in order to conduct a strategic audit of its activities.

        Its product portfolio was extremely diversified, and the top management lacked visibility on its real points of strength on which to base its future development. Alcimed conducted a strategic audit covering the entire portfolio and markets, resulting in a simplification into 9 Strategic Business Areas (SBAs).

        After an in-depth investigation, our diagnosis was shared, the SBAs likely to support the development were selected, and our work has enabled us to engage our client’s teams on concrete action plans in line with a new strategy that is clear for all.

      • Assessment of business opportunities in the biopharmaceutical and agri-food markets for a stainless steel tank manufacturer

        We assisted an investment fund in carrying out a strategic audit of a producer of stainless steel tanks in the biopharmaceutical and food-processing markets.

        We assessed the manufacturer’s perception of its customers in both markets, and challenged the coherence between the offer and the market’s needs and expectations.

        The evaluation of the development prospects in both sectors allowed us to confirm the interest of investing in this producer and to have visibility on the development potential in the next 5 years.

      You have a project?

        Tell us about your uncharted territory

        You have a project and want to discuss it with our explorers, write us!

        One of our explorers will contact you shortly.


        To go further

        Founded in 1993, Alcimed is an innovation and new business consulting firm, specializing in innovation driven sectors: life sciences (healthcare, biotech, agrifood), energy, environment, mobility, chemicals, materials, cosmetics, aeronautics, space and defence.

        Our purpose? Helping both private and public decision-makers explore and develop their uncharted territories: new technologies, new offers, new geographies, possible futures, and new ways to innovate.

        Located across eight offices around the world (France, Europe, Singapore and the United States), our team is made up of 220 highly-qualified, multicultural and passionate explorers, with a blended science/technology and business culture.

        Our dream? To build a team of 1,000 explorers, to design tomorrow’s world hand in hand with our clients.

        A strategic audit, or strategic diagnosis, focuses on understanding and evaluating products and services, development areas, customers and markets, competitors, internal teams and skills, organization, processes, methods and technologies of a company.

        The main steps of a strategic audit involve :

        • Engaging stakeholders to align business objectives and to define scope and decision-making criteria.
        • Assessing internal and external environments for viability using tools like SWOT analysis
        • Actively engaging internal teams in frequent, through meaningful conversations to gather insights and ensure cooperation.