BUSINESS CONSULTING

In over 20 years of activity Csil has become an established research centre for the diagnosis and design of sector strategies, the study of company systems and lines of economic policy, and is a valuable partner for both the public and private sectors.

Its strategic consulting service for firms includes: analyses of the financial structure, the production process, market positioning, marketing strategies and partnerships.

Csil's vast experience enables it to analyse the strengths and weaknesses of company systems and to propose a successful economic policy for sector associations, chambers of commerce, trade union organisations, the public administration, consortia and fair organisers.

Csil also carries out econometric studies, forecast scenarios and analyses of the business climate in specific sectors at a national and international level.

Within this context, drawing on more than 20 years of coordinated experience, Csil has built up its reputation and capabilities in two main areas:

• Specific industrial sector consulting
• Development programmes and project analysis for small and medium-sized enterprises

Sector Consulting

OPERATIVE AND STRATEGIC MARKETING

The expertise accumulated in many years of activity in this field is reflected by over 100 market studies regarding the different sectors of woodworking and furniture, as well as other specific projects related to this industry. Csil has also researched other small business sectors such as lighting, household appliances, tourism, clothing and textiles, foodstuffs and building materials.

Csil is able to design a customized strategy for each client, to assist this plan of action through to the end, in a relatively short time, with highly reliable results and with reasonable budgets. This is done by using tried and tested methods, by the capacity to quickly obtain precise information, and by the professional knowledge of several different markets, thanks to the economic information derived from a high level of specialization.

Among the services most frequently offered are:

• business plans, feasibility studies and company check-ups
• human resources and training
• analysis of the position of a product or brand on the market
• check of cohesion of the marketing mix
• study of distribution systems
• selection, re-thinking and evaluation of the distribution channels of single furniture companies
• assistance in the creation and development of distribution chains
• support for direct marketing activities at sales outlets
• research of new products
• commercial agreements in Italy and abroad
• international marketing
• trade fairs and communications

Project Analysis

EVALUATION OF PUBLIC POLICIES FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Csil has contributed to the planning and evaluation of public policies thanks to its fifteen years of studies and interventions in the sphere of small and medium-sized enterprises in Italy and abroad, and its in-depth knowledge of their development processes.

In recent years, a sizeable portion of economic development and support policies in Europe has been aimed at small/medium-sized enterprises, in recognition of their essential contribution to balanced economic growth.

With particular reference to Italy, Csil's expertise in light industry has contributed to the planning, monitoring and evaluation of interventions in various sectors, areas and districts both at the Italian regional and provincial levels; Csil has also taken part in a number of programmes aimed at encouraging European integration, by managing and coordinating several projects for the European Commission. It has worked both as a consultant for several Union initiatives, and as a coordinator for various EU studies and research projects.

Csil's experts also have experience in promoting economic development in developing countries, as Eastern Europe and Asia, Africa, Latin America.

Economic analysis of investment projects

Csil has developed its own original methodology for the economic appraisal/evaluation of investment projects concerning small/medium-sized enterprises, in the manufacturing sector and in commerce/services. Intergrating technological, organisational and economic intelligence, project analysis involves:

• analysis of demand
• analysis of the nature of competition
• assessment of technological opportunities and choice of optimum solution
• configuration of organisational structure and definition of human resources needed
• definition of financial requirements and possible sources of funding
• financial and economic evaluation of the project's net benefit, complemented where necessary with Cost-Benefit Analysis and other evaluation methodologies
• risk analysis of the critical variables.

Csil carries out project analysis with the dual purposes of assessing the project's feasibility from the point of view of the funding body and of ascertaining its compliance with the necessary requisites for obtaining financial support.

Partnership and financial consulting

Csil is available to assist and support in national and international partnership agreements between small and medium-sized enterprises, from the initial phases of research of partners in the areas of engineering, commerce and finance to feasibility studies, in Italy and other EU countries.

In the case of small and medium-sized enterprises, it is possible to obtain facilitated funds not only from the usual sources, but also at national and international levels and from the European Union.

The methodology in its different phases is as follows:

• a review of the conformity of the investment programme with existing regulations regarding financial intervention
• acquisition and analysis of the technical-economic documentation of the programme
• economic evaluation of the enterprise
• preparation, editing and presentation of financing and contribution requests from corporations
• evaluation of medium term financial market operations
• technical, operational, and information assistance during the course of the entire procedure with banks and involved institutions.

Management and operations consulting

Csil's sectoral specialisation permits a direct and operative approach to the organisational and technological demands of small and medium-sized enterprises. Business organisation - regardless of the firm's size - is the key to the achievement of correct production and profitability indices, and, therefore, to a competitive placement in the market.

Since 1980 Csil has been working to solve business re-organisation problems, to plan production expansion and diversification, to improve profitability both for small businesses and for sectoral leaders. Operations include all technical, productive and logistic business activities. Csil offers different solutions for the strategic and operative management of the operations, within three areas:

• Strategy of operations and of supply
• Management instruments: production planning, survey and control systems, distribution supply and benchmarking
• Structures and human resources: organisational setting, education and training, motivations and workshops.

Programmes of development of human resources

Csil advances training formulas for companies, trade unions and corporations from the public and private sectors. Composite markets and advanced technologies require projects that can cope with problems specific to the sector.

The strategic development projects offered by Csil are divided into three areas:

• Management and strategy
  aimed at developing awareness of the sector and strategic capability through the evaluation of the impact of external events on a company, the analysis of significant variables for the development of the firm, and at improving the management of human resources.
• Product and marketing
  aimed at increasing the knowledge of the market and of the marketing mix in order to facilitate better decision-making in business activities and to verify these decisions through economic efficiency.
• Technology and production
  aimed at understanding the life cycle of a product and its technical-productive implications, at the improvement of the productive cycle, and the introduction of the concept of total quality in business.