Case Studies: Strategy to Commercial Results

Selected cases

Five challenges, each with a different starting point.

Click any case to read the full methodology and approach.

Envac Group

Automated waste collection

Commercial Focus & Offer Development

Sharpening commercial focus to build service offers customers would pay for

Envac had a strong O&M business and clear ambitions to grow it further. The work was to sharpen commercial focus and build structured service offers around what the most valuable customers would pay for. With a large global O&M operation, Envac wanted to move from broad service coverage toward a more focused, differentiated portfolio — one built around real customer needs and structured for sustainable margin growth. We worked with their global and regional leadership through the full journey: mapping where to compete, identifying the highest-value customer segments, and designing market-ready service offers validated with real customers across multiple markets before commercial deployment.

"They very quickly understood our business, our people, and our customers — and translated that into a clear, customer-value-driven setup that truly fits us. They have left a clearly positive mark on how we shape and grow our operations and maintenance business."

Joakim Karlsson, CEO & President, Envac Group

Full case description

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Objective

To identify where Envac could win on differentiation rather than price — and build structured service offers that the most valuable customers would pay for.

THINK

Mapping where to compete and who to serve

We built a market type model across Envac's global footprint, identifying which market conditions reward differentiation and which drive price competition. In parallel, we developed a customer segmentation based on what buyers genuinely value — not geography or company size. This gave the leadership team a shared commercial framework: clear priorities, a ranked agenda, and a common language for where to invest.

Leadership aligned on a prioritised commercial agenda — with a clear rationale for where Envac could win on value rather than price

DESIGN

Building offers customers would actually pay for

For the priority customer segment, we conducted structured interviews to surface real pain points — then ran a structured concept development process to turn those insights into offer architectures. Concepts were generated, clustered, and refined into value propositions with clear customer promises. The resulting service offer was prototyped and validated with customers across multiple markets before any commitment to full development.

A structured, customer-validated service offer — ready for commercial deployment, not further workshopping

Aritco Lift

Platform lifts & home elevators

Portfolio Development

Innovative development of a future product portfolio

Conducted extensive research involving interviews and feedback sessions with stakeholders, utilizing advanced analytics to understand customer preferences and behaviors. Identified market "sweet spots" and key benefit areas through trend and competitor analysis. Established creative "sandboxes" where cross-functional teams developed concepts aligned with customer needs and market opportunities. The most promising concepts were refined into a future product portfolio, showcased in a digital product catalogue. The innovative methodologies also revitalized current product offerings.

"Unleashed's comprehensive experience and well-defined approach helped us develop our future product portfolio. The innovative methodologies gave us also input to revitalize our current product offerings."

David Schill, Global Marketing Director & Niklas Karlsson, VP Products, Services and Technology, Aritco Lift

Full case description

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Objective

To facilitate and contribute to the development of a future product portfolio that meets emerging customer needs, optimizes market opportunities, and reinforces Aritco Lift's market leadership — while preparing for modularization.

Step 1

Generate Insights and Core Customer Target Needs

Extensive research involving interviews and feedback sessions with partners, customers, and architects. Advanced analytics tools used to gather data on customer preferences, buying behaviors, and user experience at different stages of the customer journey.

Deep insight base across the full customer journey

Step 2

Define Market Spaces to Win

Identified potential "sweet spots" by analyzing trends, competitor strategies, and market dynamics. Market segmentation to focus on areas with high growth potential aligned with Aritco's strengths.

Clear market spaces with high growth potential identified and validated

Step 3

Define Benefit Areas

Identified key benefit areas that customers valued most and Aritco could own. Directed focus towards products that could deliver significant improvements in these areas.

Prioritized benefit areas grounded in customer value

HL Display

Retail merchandising solutions

Customer Understanding

Enhancing customer understanding to improve customer experience

Audited existing data through employee interviews and previous feedback analysis to establish a baseline understanding of customer experiences. Designed initial customer journey maps refined through cross- functional workshops. In-depth customer interviews revealed geographical nuances and specific needs, which were integrated into the customer journeys. This process identified experience gaps and actionable strategies to enhance customer satisfaction.

"Unleashed provided invaluable insights and helped us identify critical areas to improve customer satisfaction. Insights were highly actionable, and workshops helped to drive understanding and built our team's commitment to customer-centric improvement. As a result, we were able to prioritize specific actions and effectively improve the customer experience."

Julia Wenner, Global Marketing Director, HL Display

Full case description

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Objective

To identify actionable insights enabling HL Display to refine their product and service offerings and improve customer satisfaction across key European markets.

Step 1

Creation of the Insight "Runway"

To identify actionable insights enabling HL Display to refine their product and service offerings and improve customer satisfaction across key European markets.

Baseline understanding of current customer experience across markets

Step 2

In-depth Customer Interviews

Conducted detailed interviews with customers across geographies to understand nuances and specific needs, expectations, and experiences with HL Display products and services. Findings were documented and analyzed thoroughly, with key insights incorporated into a report.

Geographic nuances and specific customer needs surfaced and documented

Step 3

Socializing Workshops

Conducted workshops to integrate findings from customer interviews into existing customer journeys. Discussions focused on identifying and addressing "Experience Gaps." The revised customer journey was finalized, highlighting key issues and actionable strategies to address identified gaps — compiled into a comprehensive story of the updated journey.

Prioritized action plan to close experience gaps across key markets

Electrolux

Global home appliances

Strategic Positioning

Reinvigorating sales through strategic repositioning

Through cross-functional teamwork, concluded customer and market insights based on which key target consumers were identified versus the competition. This allowed us to sharpen Electrolux's service value proposition and portfolio structure, driving sales growth and outlining how to upsell services along the customer journey. This strategic repositioning revitalized the service proposition and portfolio, enhancing its market appeal and setting a path for future sales growth.

"The collaboration between us and Unleashed on the Positioning Project successfully revitalized an existing service, demonstrating the power of strategic repositioning using in-depth analysis, innovative market strategies, and focused customer engagement."

Anna Calmerskog, Category Marketing Manager Peace of Mind, Electrolux BA Europe

Full case description

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Objective

Find Electrolux's unique positioning within the competitive environment to sharpen communication and increase sales — delivered in a 12-week project.

Step 1 — Immersion

Understanding current consumer & market data

Reviewed current consumer and market data and conducted a collective view of the customers and market conditions. Cross-functional workshop to gain shared understanding and surface insights.

Baseline understanding of current market position, threats, and opportunities

Step 2 — Where to Play

Customer & market focus

Intensive cross-functional workshops with stakeholders to gather diverse insights and foster collaborative thinking. Focused on answering: "Who is the customer we can uniquely own?"

Identification of distinct customer segments the service could more effectively target

Step 3 — How to Win

Market & competition

Worked out what Electrolux could deliver better than competition given consumer needs and market dynamics in key regions. Reviewed competitor positioning. Clarified unique selling propositions and identified areas needing enhancement or innovation.

Differentiated value proposition with articulated customer benefits, plus a pipeline of innovation areas for future category growth

Leading Insurance Company

North American insurance industry

Strategic Transformation

Strategic transformation of an IT organization

Through cross-functional workshops and weekly check-ins we ensured the strategy stayed on track, facilitating agile decision-making. Defined IT's long-term vision, set actionable game plans, established a performance management framework, and aligned commercial aspirations with IT capabilities. The alignment of vision, operational capabilities, and customer focus enhanced operational efficiency and employee engagement step by step.

"We are on a strategic transformation journey, and the well-orchestrated alignment of vision, operational capabilities, and customer focus enhances operational efficiency and employee engagement step by step. Thanks to Unleashed."

CIO — full case details available in meetings

Full case description

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Objective

To visualize and support the implementation of a transformational strategy to streamline operations, enhance performance management, and foster sustainable growth aligned with corporate and business unit-specific goals.

Methodology 1

Regular Workshops and Stakeholder Engagement

A series of cross-functional workshops with stakeholders from various departments, focusing on different topics — gathering diverse insights and fostering collaborative thinking among leaders.

Methodology 2

Regular Sounding Boards

Weekly check-ins at both strategic and operational levels ensuring implementation remained on track, facilitating agile decision-making and integration of new insights.

Strategic Approach 1

Visualizing the Journey and Setting Game Plans

Defined IT's long-term vision and strategic path. Set specific, actionable game plans for each function, tailored to unique challenges and opportunities, ensuring alignment with the overarching corporate strategy.

Long-term vision with function-level game plans in place

Strategic Approach 2

Managing Performance, Critical Success Factors & KPIs

Established a management framework outlining leadership expectations and critical success factors with related KPIs to track development over time.

Performance management framework with measurable KPIs

Strategic Approach 3

Customer and Market-Driven Focus

The IT organization developed a customer and market-driven approach, including conducting customer and user research to better understand market needs and expectations.

Outside-in mindset embedded into IT operations

Where strategy became commercial results