Millions in savings from new decision-making process

A global transport company needed to redesign its organization to support the implementation of a new strategy. Bain helped the company develop a decision-based organization design that integrated its business units and focused on the customer. The company expects to save $200 million from the resulting changes in support services.

TransportCo is a global transport company, with 20,000 people operating in over 100 countries. The company's organization was cumbersome and bureaucratic with unclear accountability and excessive checks on decision-making.

Faced with commoditization in the core business, where the company was losing money, TransportCo's senior management forged a new strategy and asked Bain to assist with the organization redesign.

View Approach

Bain helped TransportCo develop a new organizational structure grounded in effective decision-making processes and based on individual accountability for key decisions.

View Recommendations

Bain recommended redesigning the organization to integrate the business units and focus on the customer. This change affected:

Organization structure
Role clarification
Decision accountability
Job descriptions
Internal processes

Bain also recommended that TransportCo implement a new management and governance structure.

View Results

TransportCo implemented the new organization, which required making 20 senior executive changes.

The new structure was a single, integrated business unit, with one executive committee, a simplified center and area structure and clarified role of the center.

This major shift to shared support services is expected to save the company $200 million.