Growing beyond the core business
Most companies are seeking growth outside their
core business, according to a new survey. But few have made revenue gains as a
result—or have the right capabilities to support it.
A clear majority of executives say their companies are pursuing growth
in categories outside their core business—and report a strong belief that doing
so has created company value. But a McKinsey Global Survey suggests that over
time, companies’ aspirations to grow through these activities have produced
only modest results and that few companies have the right practices in place to
support such growth.
These are the key findings from a survey on
how companies expand into product or service categories beyond their core
business. Nearly nine in ten respondents say that in the past five years, their
companies have either pursued at least one activity in a new category, have
considered it, or plan to do so in the next five years. Companies are most
likely to pursue new activities through investments in organic growth and with
long-term interests in mind. Executives at emerging-economy companies report
greater paybacks than their peers at developed-economy firms—but few
respondents overall say that over time, the activities have added much to
company revenues. This could be because, according to the results, there’s much
room for improvement in the ways that many companies identify and evaluate new
opportunities.
Significant value at stake—and modest results
At most companies, pursuing growth in new
product or service categories outside the core is already on the agenda.
Three-quarters of respondents say that over the past five years, their
companies have pursued at least one business activity in a new category.
Another 14 percent say their companies have either considered pursuing this
growth or plan to do so in the next five years.
For many of these companies, growth beyond
their core business is a long-term play. Among C-suite executives (who
respondents most often say are responsible for evaluating these opportunities),
only one in ten say their companies consider new activities for short-term
returns. C-level respondents also say their companies are equally likely to
consider such a move to access new profit pools as to strengthen their core
business.
No matter the reason,
though, few executives report significant top-line results over time from
diversifying activities. Only one-third of all respondents say their companies’
moves beyond the core generate more than 10 percent of their revenues today.
The share of revenues increases with the number of activities that companies
pursue. But even at firms that are active in more than ten product or service
categories, 35 percent of executives say these activities make up more than 10
percent of revenue. What’s more, when asked about the biggest
revenue-generating activity of the past five years, respondents most often say
this move has created just some financial value for their companies.
The emerging-economy advantage
At the same time, executives also report
notable differences in the value that developed-economy and emerging-economy
companies see from these growth activities beyond the core. At companies based
in emerging economies, respondents are about 1.4 times more likely than their
developed-economy peers to say their biggest move in a new category has created
significant value for their companies—likely due to structural advantages in
their home markets.
When asked what gives their companies a
distinctive advantage over those based in developed economies, emerging-economy
respondents most often cite greater opportunities to reinvest retained earnings
in new businesses—easier to do than in developed economies, where relative
growth is much slower—and a greater ability to leverage their local knowledge
and relationships.
Best practices for expanding beyond the core
business
Across regions,
respondents at emerging-economy and developed-economy firms agree on the
approaches their companies use to grow in new areas: investments in organic
growth are cited most often by both groups, followed by mergers and
acquisitions. Both groups are likeliest to identify their executive teams
and boards as the ones responsible for evaluating opportunities in new
categories. There is also consensus among both groups that new activities
shouldn’t stray too far from the core business. When assessing a move’s value
potential, nearly two-thirds of all respondents say unique links between the
activity and the existing business are the most important criteria their
companies consider.
When asked about
different steps in the process of pursuing growth in new categories, few
executives say their companies follow the best practices that make this growth
successful. According to executives, firms most often struggle to scan for new
opportunities, evaluate those opportunities, and integrate new activities into
the core business. But respondents at companies that get the practices right
are much likelier than others—about twice as likely for each of these three steps—to
report that their biggest move in the past five years has created significant
company value.
More specifically, the responses in these
three areas (scanning, evaluation, and integration) suggest which individual
practices link most closely to value creation. When executives say their
companies have a clear strategy for expanding into new activities, for example,
they are four times more likely than those whose companies have no such
strategy to report significant value creation. With respect to managing new
activities, respondents are also four times more likely to report value
creation when their companies actively and regularly review the performance of
these activities.
Looking ahead
·
Understand
the market context. The results
indicate that a company’s opportunity to grow successfully beyond its core
business differs across regions, with respondents reporting that growth in new
categories pays off more in emerging economies than in developed economies. We
have also seen that diversifying activities can benefit companies in some
industries more than others. For companies looking to expand into new
activities, it’s important to understand first the extent to which growth
beyond the core in their region and industry is either an opportunity or a risk.
·
Find
growth close to home. When asked about
the criteria their companies use to assess a new activity’s potential value,
the largest share of executives say unique links between the activity and the
core business are most important. Companies would do well to follow suit and
start identifying growth opportunities that are close to home—in other words,
ideas or opportunities where they can leverage existing capabilities and skills
in their core business.
·
Build
the right capabilities. Most
respondents report that their companies lack the capabilities (or even a clear
strategy) to grow beyond the core, so it’s no wonder that most companies see
only modest contributions to revenue as a result of such activities. However,
companies with the capabilities to scan, evaluate, and integrate opportunities
have a much higher chance to create value with these moves. When planning to
pursue new opportunities outside of their core business, leaders should assess
their companies’ capabilities to make sure the right processes and practices
are in place to maximize the value that new activities can add.
FOR EXHIBITS AND FULL ARTICLE- See more at: http://www.mckinsey.com/Insights/Corporate_Finance/Growing_beyond_the_core_business?cid=other-eml-alt-mip-mck-oth-1507#sthash.SxJ9Mlli.dpuf
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