DuPont
THE SITUATION
DuPont has many divisions. We worked with the Mobility & Materials and Water Solutions units. Their customers and industries differed, but the problem was the same. DuPont had led by making best-in-class materials that let clients do amazing things. Now the technologies had matured, competitors performed almost as well, and they charged far less. DuPont needed to understand customer needs to shore up loyalty and retention.
OUR CONTRIBUTION
We conducted research down the value chain, to intermediaries and OEMs. In automotive, customers wanted support and advice as the shift from gas to electric created new challenges. In filtration, we learned how the needs and buying behavior of ingredient manufacturers differ from water providers. Those findings shaped DuPont’s service model strategies.
THE BENEFITS
The insights we uncovered helped DuPont make strategic decisions. They sold the Mobility & Materials business in 2022 for $11 billion. Meanwhile, Water Solutions has become one of the strongest growth engines at DuPont.
Gregory Lombardi Design
THE SITUATION
Like many design firms and creative agencies, Gregory Lombardi Design (GLDI) carried its founder’s name. After 30 years of success, the brand needed to grow beyond the founding principal. New partners and lines of business were taking the company past its original focus on premium New England homes - and when the founder retires, the brand must survive.
OUR CONTRIBUTION
First we had to pin down what set Gregory Lombardi Design apart, so everything we did would reinforce it rather than erode it. We had long conversations with Greg about his origin story and his point of view. We talked with partners and employees about the culture and their growth ambitions. We asked clients and partner companies - architects, builders, interior designers - what it was like to work with GLDI. And we analyzed this rarified segment of the industry to uncover how GLDI did things differently. Together, these perspectives let us map the ecosystem and understand how everyone worked on a project. That revealed the client interactions where GLDI, as the landscape architect on the team, could build stronger connections and develop designs that held deep meaning for the family. It also ranked the success factors for growth beyond New England.
THE BENEFITS
Change is hard for founders when it feels like letting go of something they built. Our recommended name and tagline changes have not been fully adopted. The logotype, though, is now simply “Lombardi” - keeping the heritage, stepping back from the individual, and opening the door to a broader future.
Citi
THE SITUATION
Like many organizations, Citi’s customer service channels had grown organically and still ran in siloes. Move from chat to phone and the thread was lost - customers explained themselves all over again, costing everyone time and effort. That held back automated channels like chatbots, voicebots, and IVR, and made it impossible to suggest a channel switch even when it would help the customer or the company.
OUR CONTRIBUTION
We talked with stakeholders across the siloes to inventory every customer service channel and its performance and cost. Then we surveyed customers about their behavior and preferences. Combining the inside-looking-out and outside-looking-in perspectives, we designed an ecosystem where each channel plays the role that best fits customer goals. We mapped intake, escalation and de-escalation paths, and the emotional moments worth extra time.
THE BENEFITS
Joining the siloed channels into one service ecosystem let Citi improve experiences while controlling costs. Automated channels handle intake, so simple tasks go fast, and customers can escalate to detailed or human help without repeating themselves. The system is flexible, and customers choose the channels that suit them best.