Collaboration creates opportunity
Systematiq Consulting Services has been working with LSAnalysis since 2016, collaborating on project delivery and business opportunities. Due to this successful partnership, Systematiq expanded its capabilities when it took the opportunity to purchase LSAnalysis outright in 2018. Delivering projects across the Defence, Rail and Infrastructure sectors, it was a natural fit to include learning design and development services to Systematiq’s existing clients and projects, complimenting Systematiq’s existing service delivery lines.
LSAnalysis improves human performance through training analysis, design, development, and training evaluation. Using modern theories and principles of instructional design and employ industry best-practice to the investigation of new and emerging training technologies, LSAnalysis helps to ensure that new capabilities have training plans that will ensure a successful entry into service. Virtual and constructive simulations are an important focus of the services, as well as employing proprietary training system modelling tools.
LSAnalysis came with a long history of innovative and successful program development, and Systematiq saw value in retaining the brand and in fact rebranding to build on that equity. However, over time the logistics of servicing two separate businesses became cumbersome. Integration was seen as the best way forward to streamline business processes, foster a strong, united team, and deliver better outcomes for our clients.
LSAnalysis has been growing steadily over the last couple of years and now has a team of 12 consultants working across the country, delivering programs for a number of Defence projects, along with projects to Major Service Providers and Prime Integrators. More and more work has been generated through existing relationships with Systematic clients, so it became a natural solution to be able to offer one point of contact rather than potentially confusing our clients by having to deal with two separate companies. So we have decided to merge LSAnalysis into Systematiq.
A successful merger proves to have positive outcomes
The best merger will always be one that puts your customer first. Combining two different companies can mean bringing together distinct market offerings.
Company acquisitions and mergers can be tricky to get right – especially in consulting services, that rely heavily on the strength and reputation of your people and often mean changing long standing relationships with your customers.
However, when handled correctly – with strong communication and a clear focus on the benefit to your customers, then a company can indeed build on that existing goodwill and create excellent opportunities to serve your existing customers better and grow your customer base.
We started the process in quarter four of 2020, with all our back end processes and assets mapped and integrated by the end of the year. Most importantly we let our customers know of our merger and assured them that there would be no disruption to the service provided or delivery of their projects.
From our perspective there are only positives to this outcome. Streamlined business processes mean reduced costs and increased capacity. We also have the ability for our consultants to move seamlessly between teams and projects as needed. Our broader team culture is more united as we are all under the one business brand. And we have less digital assets to manage such as website and social media channels.
Darren Carr, the Group Lead for Systematiq’s training and development team, sees the benefits in project delivery:
“The main advantage of the merger is to our customers. They get the benefit of a larger organisation with broader depth of resources and capabilities, as well as the efficiencies around project delivery.”
Sascha Sinclair, our Brand and Marketing Manager who has driven the merger from a brand perspective, sees the benefit gained in having a single voice to the market:
“It can get difficult and time consuming to manage separate marketing channels, and you potentially dilute your unique service offering with existing and potential customers. We can now amplify our value proposition to include all our capabilities under one roof.”
Andrew Harvey, a senior course consultant with LSAnalysis, sees benefits to the team culture:
“It definitely feels like we are all working as one team now – less feeling of ‘us and them’ by all working for the same company. And it is much easier for our new starters to understand where the training and development team sit within the broader Systematiq business.
We also have the opportunity to learn and share information with our colleagues across the organisation, which is a great outcome.”
With our merger this year, Systematiq looks forward to continued growth and success through strengthening relationships with our customers and providing added value to our service delivery.
