The Challenge

From a single grain elevator in 1947, The Andersons, Inc. has grown to become a diversified, publicly traded $3.0 B global enterprise that is home to a family of over 3,200 employees. The company consists of purposefully diversified business groups including; grain & ethanol, rail, plant nutrients, turf & specialty and retail.

As the company expanded, it needed to balance a culture of self-sufficiency exhibited by strong business units & leaders with a "One Andersons" approach that would ensure executives were focused on enhancing customer satisfaction and building shareholder value across the entire enterprise. Leaders were also challenged with the increasing size of the business and with sweeping changes in global agricultural markets which demanded a more strategic approach to managing individual businesses and the portfolio of investment opportunities.

The Solution

In 2008, Andersons selected ParCon as its consulting partner for a concerted effort to define and implement a corporate strategic planning process that could be deployed effectively throughout the diverse organization. The process was tested & tailored through development of a corporate vision and strategic priorities which would crystallize organizational direction and key corporate wide initiatives. Executive engagement was enhanced by the deployment of strategic measures and strategy committee that would track and direct strategic efforts for the enterprise.

To meet these objectives, ParCon recommended the deployment of key elements from its integrated strategic planning process, a strategy map, strategic measures and dashboard coupled with a strategy governance solution. In addition, an enterprise wide growth initiative was launched as a pilot in support of critical cross BU efforts focused growing key businesses to the true potential.

The Results

As a result of the effort, The Andersons tailored and cascaded an effective strategic planning process that adapted to their culture and planning goals. The new capability supports the alignment of corporate initiatives and methods across each of the businesses. The executive team is actively engaged in quarterly strategy review and performance results which has raised the awareness of strategy.

• One-ANDE strategic planning process aligns business and enterprise goals
• Executive ownership of cross-BU initiatives support "One-Andersons"
• Strategic measures and dashboard tracks strategic performance
• Strategy reviews enhance executive focus on enterprise strategy