Butagaz had built a renowned French utility business through traditional energy distribution. Their infrastructure and customer relationships represented significant assets.
The core business model was under structural pressure from the shift to a service economy. The organization needed to explore 'energy-as-a-service' models but lacked frameworks for systematically identifying and evaluating new business concepts.
We designed a collaborative exploration with international partners to break mental models and reveal possibilities that wouldn't emerge from internal thinking alone.
The 3-Phase Service Innovation Sprint: (1) Inspiration—study successful 'as-a-service' models from WeWork, Spotify, and others, (2) Ideation—structured brainstorming generating 20+ new business concepts, (3) Concept Definition—Customer Journey mapping and Lean Innovation Canvas to structure and evaluate ideas.
Generated over 20 new business concepts. Four high-potential concepts were selected for further development. Participants gained practical frameworks for de-risking future initiatives.
The selected concepts returned to business units as active projects. Strategic capabilities for service-based innovation have been built, and the methodology is now used for ongoing business model exploration.
"Forward Partners helped us see beyond our traditional business model and identify exciting new opportunities in the service economy."
Strategy Director
Butagaz
This engagement took weeks, not months. If your team is dealing with the same kind of problem, a 30-minute conversation will tell us whether we can help.
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Mobilize Financial Services (MFS), a subsidiary of Groupe Renault, had built a strong position in the financial sector through innovative and tailored solutions. Their ability to serve the automotive ecosystem was well-established.
Client: Nissan Europe
Nissan had established an Innovation Lab to explore the future of mobility. The strategic mandate was clear: Mobility as a Service, electric vehicle transition, online purchasing, and second-hand sales.
