Strat Kaizen at a gas station company

In a context marked by major shifts in the energy sector and increasing competitive pressure, a multinational energy company faced a significant loss of market share across its service stations.

To reverse this trend, a Strat to Action plan was developed to strengthen customer focus and foster a large-scale culture of continuous improvement.

The company and its commitment to sustainable energy solutions

The company operates in the energy sector, with a presence in nine countries across three continents. Its mission is to improve people’s lives by providing energy solutions. It is committed to sustainable growth across the energy value chain, prioritizing efficient and sustainable solutions that support social well-being.

The company advocates energy access and views energy efficiency as a key driver of development. Despite operating in a sector heavily influenced by economic and geopolitical factors, which cause price volatility and supply chain disruptions, it remains committed to creating sustainable value and advancing decarbonization, reflecting a strong ESG commitment.

Its strategy is based on balancing investments in low-carbon solutions while ensuring energy remains accessible and secure.

Loss of market share and profitability

Between 2011 and 2016, the company experienced a sharp decline in market share, largely driven by the rise of the low-cost segment.

This trend had significant consequences at multiple levels:

• 2015: Market share and profitability losses deepened, leading to widespread demotivation across teams.
• 2016: A lack of clear strategic focus and serious deficiencies in executing improvement measures were identified.
• 2017: The Strat to Action plan was launched, alongside the establishment of a Project Management Office (PMO), marking the beginning of the company’s organizational transformation.

Figure 1 – Market share loss trend

Measures to increase profitability

In response to this scenario, the company implemented a strategic plan centered on customer focus, aiming to reverse the negative trend and ensure sustainable growth. The approach was structured around the following key pillars:

Customer focus

A robust customer-centric program was developed, based on:

• Market segmentation.
• Service improvement.
• Elimination of pain points.

Implementation of a breakthrough Hoshin and follow-up

The strategy was deployed through a breakthrough Hoshin, which included:

• 28 projects distributed across 5 strategic initiatives.
• Hoshin follow-up through a countermeasure process.
• Training in PMO methodologies and processes.

Figure 2 – X Matrix for profitability increase

Sustained growth and economic recovery

The strategic transformation driven by the Strat to Action plan generated a significant impact across multiple areas:

• Improvement initiatives contributed to a financial impact of €10M in EBITDA in just 8 months (January–August 2018).
• A continuous improvement culture was successfully implemented in 300 service stations.
• In 2019, EBITDA increased by €9M, driven by improved customer experience and enhanced operational efficiency at service stations.

Figure 3 – Sustained growth and economic recovery

The implementation of the Strat to Action plan proved essential for the sustained recovery of market share and profitability across the service stations. Investing in a continuous improvement culture and reinforcing customer centricity enabled sustained EBITDA growth.

This case study demonstrates that, even in adverse contexts, a well-defined strategy, executed with discipline, can translate into breakthrough results.

We are committed to respecting our clients’ confidentiality. While we have altered or omitted their names, the results are genuine.