Improving organizational planning

Challenge

Samsung Design Center (SDC) in China was getting ready to celebrate the fifth anniversary of its founding. Internationally and in China, Samsung had become renowned for its design and technological prowess. Flushed with this success, SDC was reevaluating their organization for their next five year plan. They asked CBi to help them extend and improve their planning process.

Process

We needed to systematically assess where the organization stood. Using the concepts of Wu Xing, the traditional Chinese philosophy that describes the interactions and relationships between things in the natural world, we focused on the critical interactions and relationships between the different elements of strategy, leadership, creativity, culture and communication.

SDC managers and designers evaluated their organization via the five elements. There were significant differences in perception of the strengths and weaknesses of the organization between different departments.

Using the results of the survey as a jumping-off point, CBi organized a series of workshops with senior and middle managers, which were designed to align understanding across the SDC.

Outcomes

Using the input generated in the meetings, SDC revised their SWOT analysis for the next five year plan, empowering SDC decision makers to take the planning process to the next level.