Case studies & papers

Note: This is far from a complete list of our case studies. With strategy being such an element of our work, many clients do not want their case studies made public.

Recent Fourth Generation Balanced Scorecard Case studies

Third Sector, Fourth Generation Balanced Scorecard. Dimensions is a third sector provider of services for people with Learning Disabilities. Dimensions helps people with learning disabilities to live the lives they want. We have helped them develop a regional balanced scorecard that reflects their strategy, helps Regional Directors to manage their regions better and works through to the services to ultimately improve the lives of the people they support. This is an extensive case study of a fourth generation balanced scorecard that can be applied to commercial, public sector and Social Service organisations. Dimensions fourth generation balanced scorecard case study.

You can also watch a video presentation that explains the underlying thinking, approach and expands on the case study here: Using judgement and evidence in modern balanced scorecards

Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund Balanced Scorecard. For a detailed charity balanced scorecard case study, read the "Introducing a modern balanced scorecard in the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund".  This balanced scorecard charity case study describes using a modern Balanced Scorecard approach to improve the strategy, and performance of a Council.

Southend Credit Union Balanced Scorecard: Helping the newly formed Southend Credit Union to plan its launch and first few year's development. We used our future thinking and planning approach, with strategy mapping, to help the management team of a Credit Union develop and refine its plans for a successful launch.

Help making the case

pdf  What really makes a balanced scorecard balanced: It is not simply having measures in perspectives. This short history of early balanced scorecard developments explains what really makes a balanced scorecard balanced and how that makes a difference to performance and strategy implementation.

pdf  Making the case: Many balanced scorecards seem obsessed with measures. Others improve the culture and performance of the organisation. What makes the difference? Research that helps you make the case for balanced Scorecard, done properly, so it changes the culture and performance of an organisation.

General Case studies

pdf  Developing the strategy: Identifying and unlocking synergy between sister companies

pdf  Management team dynamics: Tackling performance and team dynamics.

pdf   Aligning purpose, risk and reward. The balanced scorecard in a partnership/consortium

pdf  IT strategy and the balanced scorecard:  Positioning IT for the future

pdf  Get the Chief Exec on board: Strategy only sticks with support from the top. Example from retail organisation but applies everywhere.

How the balanced scorecard can cure Strategic diseases: Examples of the sorts of diseases organisations can get and how to cure them. A side-ways look at some balanced scorecard case studies with serious underlying messages. Includes:

"The unbalanced organisation": Balanced Scorecard in Retail: How examining the strategy map exposed a potential loss of revenue and income for the future.
"The un-coordinated organisation": Cross organisational synergy:  How our approach exposed opportunities for improved synergy across a group of companies and resulted in the organisation moving up in its national rankings.
"Learning dis-ability": Strategic learning in Management teams: Using strategy maps and strategic learning to improve the effectiveness of management team meetings.
"The lethargic organisation": Changing customer focus and profitability:  Using a "Strategy focused Balanced Scorecard" approach in Financial services to re-orientate the organisation towards more profitable customers.
"Measure mania": Simplifying executive reporting: Example of how we dramatically simplified, and at the same time made clearer, management reporting in a large retailer
"Project bloat": Uncovering £40m worth of savings:  An example of strategic alignment using the Strategy map to assess strategic initiatives and investments.  Resulted in identifying £40m worth of savings from a £100m portfolio of projects.
"The schizoid organisation": Shareholder return and the strategy:  An example of where poorly chosen "Strategic goal" lead to unhelpful management behaviour and, long term, was unachievable.  However the topic had become un-discussable until we revealed it.
"They don't get the strategy":  They do now.  An example where the strategy was not being successfully communicated, until we used our techniques to get the message across in the richest way to all the people.
"Systemic communication failure": Getting the strategy into peoples' heads.  Despite there being a lot of communication, "As is" was continuing.  Two short examples where the strategy was communicated so people understood it.

Public Sector Case studies

pdf  "The Strategy Focused Council"  This describes using a modern Balanced Scorecard approach to improve the strategy, and performance of a Council.

pdf Strategy mapping in the NHS:  Improving strategy, focus and performance in an NHS Workforce Development Confederation

pdf  Joined up working: The balanced scorecard for strategy in a City Council

Some discussion papers: For more, see our balanced scorecard articles.

pdf   Strategic learning: Management meetings drive the learning process

pdf  How to measure performance more effectively: Creating motivation & strategic learning

pdf  Leadership and horses:  How working with horses can help you understand your leadership style.

pdf  Communicating strategy: How to communicate strategy more effectively

Or better still, give us a call