Many Asian creative firms are good at working hard for their clients but are weak at evolving their own business models. I shared our insights with Singapore creative firms from Architecture, Interior and Landscape on the 16th Sept at the National Design Centre of Singapore on how they can redesign their business models to sustain global expansion. Finally as a member of DBCS Business Connect, I shared ideas on how we can enhance collaboration among us.

1. www.consulus.com
16 September 2015
Presented during Designers Nite at the National Design Centre
BUILDING A GLOBAL
CREATIVE PRACTICE

2. The Creative/Knowledge
Consulting Sector is like
the Airline Industry

3. It’s about talent

4. It’s about capacity

5. It’s about time

6. It’s about code share

7. It’s about Air Hubs

8. Talent, capacity, time
I will share some
insights on our
work in helping
our clients in the
creative sector
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Then as a member of
DBCS Business
Connect, I will talk
about how to build
on collective
strengths to seek
global opportunities
as Singapore Design
Community.
DBCS: Code Share, Air Hubs

9. Consulus is a global innovation and design
consultancy with business management and
multi-disciplinary design capabilities.

10. OUR WORK
We help companies achieve higher growth and team synergy through
redesigning their organisations, business models and experiences.
Innovation workshop for staff engagement
New Privilege Banking Experience for Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam

11. OUR IMPACT
Since 2004, our methods
and solutions have
shaped organisations in
diverse sectors,
impacting 5.2 Bn in
revenue, in more than 18
cities throughout the
Asia-Pacific

12. OUR TEAM
We come from diverse disciplines: business, organisational development
and design. With presence in the region and a global circle of 60
consultants from a family of nations, we understand your challenges.
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13. Some of our Singaporean clients whom you might be familiar with…

14. Brief Insights
Business and
organisational
challenges in
building a global
creative practice.
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15. Some insights from the creative companies that we have served
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SGD $ 1 - 5 million SGD $ 70 - 100 million
Type of Firms we have reviewed
Urban Planning
Architecture
Interior Design
Marketing
The range of annual turnover of
some of these consulting practices

16. INFLUENTIAL
BRAND
EXPERIENCE
CLOSE
OUR SOLUTION
Consulus Method of Business Design for Revenue Performance and Influence
At Shape the World Conference 2013, a signature event of Consulus
INNOVATIVE
BUSINESS
MODEL
!
CREATE
ORGANISATIONAL
MODEL THAT
HOSTS
INNOVATION
DRIVE

17. A 360 scan
Revenue Performance
Organisational Culture
Partnership Structure
Knowledge Development Process
Key Influencers Branding
Client Engagement Process
!
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Before any recommendation, we review their business and organisation in the following aspects:
!

18. It’s about talent

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A valuable business is like a castle
with a deep moat - Warren Buffett
Will Warren invest
in your practice?

20. Organisations that have systems to develop talents to build a deep moat.
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Inspired
product,
service
Purpose of
organisation
Founder
!
LONGEVITY
Consulus 9-DimensionsTM Method
Know-how
institute
Governance
Leaders
Practice
Improvement
Promise
Reflection
Followers -
Staff and
Customers

21. Organisations that are distracted by projects and fail to develop people
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Inspired
product,
service
Purpose of
organisation
Founder
!
LIMITED TO
FOUNDERS
Consulus 9-DimensionsTM Method
Know-how
institute
Governance
Leaders
Practice
Improvement
Promise
Reflection
Followers -
Staff and
Customers
Lack Succession Planning
!
Lack system to govern
creative / consulting
principles
!
Lack sustained commitment
of 10 - 20% of time to review
insights and evolve products
and services
!
From our review, too many creative
practices lack the following:
!

22. Number 1 cause for unsustained
global expansion: Lack internal
system for development

23. It’s about capacity

24. NURSE
BUSINESS THAT
ADD VALUE
THROUGH
CHANNELS OR
SERVICE
COUNTER
PHARMACIST
BUSINESS THAT
TRADE OR
PROVIDE VALUE
AT LOW BASE
DOCTOR
BUSINESS THAT
DETERMINE
VALUE THROUGH
INFLUENCE,
INNOVATION.
DEFINE VALUE
SUPPLY VALUE
Low Profit
High Profit
Exponential
Profit
KNOWLEDGE CONSULTANCIES DELIVER VALUE AT THREE DIFFERENT LEVELS
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IS YOUR PRACTICE LIKE AN INNOVATIVE AIRLINE?
OR DO YOU RELY ON THIRD PARTY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY?
OR YOU SIMPLY DELIVER VALUE LIKE A BUDGET CARRIER?

25. Consulus 3-StatesTM Framework External Action Plan
Delivery management &
processes at the external stakeholder
realm
Internal
Action Plan
Organisational
development
and
management
Internal
Action Plan
Innovation
development
(stemming
from
research)
External Action Plan
Marketing communication
& public relations
management
External Action Plan
Differentiated experience
design & management
Internal Action Plan
Roles of employees &
human capital policies
The state of the
creative practice and
innovation capacity
Differentiation
Definition of
Business Uniqueness
Influence
Definition of
Business Credibility
Ability
Definition of
Business Advantage
Assessing Business Model
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26. Common symptoms
General State of Asian Creative Firms’ Business Models
Asian creative agencies or consultancies are focused on quality delivery
and are competent.
!
Weak institutional brand identity to manage individual star brands.
Rudimentary corporate culture development limits the ability to attract or
retain talent.
!
Lack sustained innovation processes which results in keeping them at their
current station and not enabling them to move up the value-chain.
!
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27. Number 2 cause for low financial
returns in global expansion: Lack
sustained influence and
innovation development for
differentiation

28. It’s about time

29. Effective executives have learned to
ask systematically and without
coyness: ‘What do I do that wastes
your time without contributing to your
effectiveness?
Peter Drucker

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How to enhance effectiveness and reduce time to acquire clients.
ENGAGEMENT
Interact with
senses to
enhance
participation
CONDITION
Develop a style
to condition
users to
recognise and
acknowledge
!
FRAME
Define the
issues, the
enemy, then
form an
impression
based on
strategy
TAKE-AWAY
Have
memorable
cues so that
they can easily
recall the
experience
!
Consulus 4-FramesTM Framework

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Ineffective framing and conditioning weakens client acquisition.
Common Symptoms
ENGAGEMENT
They are
willing to
commit time to
engage and
interact with
the client.
CONDITION
They lack
consistency in
defining a style
or an approach
to showcase
why their
solution will fit
the client’s
needs
!
FRAME
Many creative
firms are not
good at
framing the
issues and
the value of
their
solutions.
TAKE-AWAY
This limits their
recall with
clients or
referral value
as there is little
to remember.
!

32. Number 3 cause for growing costs
in global expansion: Lack strategic
process to make client
acquisitions effecient.

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This process of business transformation is supported by:
Business Model and Organisational Design for
Internationalisation
Business Expansion and Promotion

34. It’s about code share

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Our firm has benefitted from working with global partners such as CPG

36. At DBCS we want to nurture more of such partnerships

37. The uniqueness of Design Business Chamber Singapore
•Only Multi-disciplinary
Design Chamber in Singapore
•Business-oriented
•Close partner of government
agencies
•Good mix of international and
local firms

38. Urban Design Landscape Design
Governance Design Business Design is next
On the nation’s 50th year, Singapore is recognised by its thinking
and creative approach to solving problems.

39. DBCS Business Connect Committee
A platform to
facilitate members’
expansion and
growth by growing
Design SG Brand

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Our firm met our latest partner in Thailand through an event organised by DBCS

41. It’s about Air Hubs

42. DBCS is proud to announce a new initiative call Business Connect:
•Information Portal
•Overseas Connection
Satellite
•B2B Connection and
Matching

43. DBCS Invitation
Members will be invited
to share resources and
platforms to advance
each other’s businesses.

44. Consulus Contribution
We are happy to invite all of you
to join us in the World Company
Day Initiative, to collaborate for
Shape the World Conferences
and to feature your firm’s creative
solution through The Columnist.

45. World
Company
Day
Launched in Ho Chi Minh in 2013

46. Purpose
Raising consciousness about the role companies play in shaping a better world and
enhancing collaboration to bring about greater good.
!
Vision
To build a global movement of companies committed to shaping a better world and are
committed to enhancing fraternity and creating meaningful and sustainable solutions.
!
Goals
We call on the world’s companies to:
1) Build a more collaborative and meaningful cultures in their companies
2) Treat customers and suppliers as partners in shaping a better world
3) Create products and services that will add meaningful value to society
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47. www.worldcompanyday.org

48. Some signatories

49. SHAPE THE WORLD CONFERENCES
Through Shape the World Conferences which has influenced 4,000 leaders, we
share our ideas on how to shape a better world through designing better
organisations and experiences. www.shapetheworldconference.org
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50. THE COLUMNIST
The Columnist reaches 10,000 leaders in Asia. President of MUJI, Deputy-Secretary General of
Religions for Peace, CEO of Banyan Tree are some of the leaders who have shared their insights
on this channel. www.consulus/thecolumnist
!
www.facebook.com/consulus
Consulus
youtube.com/user/consulusgroup

51. Our Invitation
If you want to go fast, go alone.
If you want to go far,
go together
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African Proverb

52. OUR THOUGHTS
Some relevant articles on business and organisational design for growth. Find the rest here:
http://consulus.com/ideas/ideas-for-strategy/
Designed to Last –
Organisational Longevity
!
The ultimate test of any idea is
the ability to build enduring
institutions to influence future
generations.
10 Rules to Innovate from the
Inside-out
!
Companies innovate better if they
identify a way to harness their
strengths internally and make
decisions based on a relational
point of view.
Think Different
!
In a more complex world, A 360
design-led approach to
generating growth will be more
effective than the typical
business management method.
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53. OUR OPINIONS
Our articles and comments on business transformation through design appear
regularly in regional media such as Business Times(Singapore), Business
Insider, Prestige, Marketing Interactive, Ceylon Today, Saigon Times, VTC of
Vietnam, Brunei Times, Asian Oil, B2B Magazine Myanmar.

54. OUR PRESENCE
Beyond Singapore, you can find a Consulite in these countries.
Please contact us at info@consulus.com
ARGENTINA SINGAPORE BRUNEI
THAILAND PHILIPPINES MYANMAR
SRI LANKA VIETNAM ITALY

55. ABOUT LAWRENCE
!
!
lawrencechongconsulus
!
Lawrence serves as CEO of Consulus, an innovation and design firm. which
specialises in redesigning business and organisations models for higher
and sustainable growth.
!
He is a featured keynote speaker at global events such as the World Marketing Summit,
World Brand Congress, Business of Design Week, a featured Columnist on ideas of
innovation and design for Asian businesses. His insights appear regularly in regional
media such as the TheEdge, Prestige Magazine, Radio938, Marketing, Business Times
Singapore, VTC(Vietnam), Ceylon Today, Brunei Times. At the industry level, he served
as the 8th President of Design Business Chamber Singapore from 2009 - 2013.
CEO at Consulus, Organisational and Design Strategist, Speaker, Writer on Business Design Solutions and Issues
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56. www.consulus.com
MAY YOUR
CREATIVE PRACTICE
SHAPE THE WORLD