projects
A selection of our recent projects. Clients are named only when we have their permission to do so.
1. New Book on Runway Safety
Insight SRI has written the definitive book on runway debris and strike risks. 'Runway Safety: FOD, Birds, and the Case for Automated Scanning' (released Nov 2010) lays out the industry's best current understanding of the consequences of FOD and bird strikes on the runway, with a special focus on costs and statistics for civilian and military aircraft damage. It includes step-by-step business cases for both airports and airlines; an examination of regualtory policy; etc. Details available on the dedicated website www.runway-safety.com
2. US Defense Industrial Policy
A military the does new things in new ways will over time buy new things in new ways. That requires new comercial and new contractual mechaniisms, and those in turn change where the value lies in and how money flows through industry. The end result is a change to industry structure. Thus, effective policy requires the Department of Defence to think several moves ahead - understanding what DOD must say today, in order for industry to adapt and structure itself so that it can deliver against DOD's needs tomorrow. Sadly, neither the US DOD, UK MOD, nor any other major defence buyer is thinking about Defense Industrial Policy in this way. For the US, a reliance on "market forces" to effect change has lost sight of one simple truth, in a single-buyer monopsony marke, DOD policy is a market force.
The 2009 termination of the Future Combat System, and capping of the F-22 fighter plane programmes are both examples how weak Industrial Policy can drive otherwise effective programmes into dead ends. As part of a long running effort that started in 2003, Insight SRI is trying to help parties both within and outside the government to understand what types of contractual terms DOD might need, and what signals they might send to effect the market/industry structural changes believed to be necessary.
3. Runway Safety
As part of a multi-year project to support a leading technology firm, Insight SRI reviewed the newly released (Summer 2009) FAA database of Bird and Wildlife Strikes at US Airports. We discovered a surprisingly high fraction of strikes (37%-41% depending on airport size) occured on runways, shattering conventional wisdom that bird strikes were only an airborne threat. This work has wide implications for airport operations, regulator oversight, and for airlines' understanding of their own operational costs. See our publications for more detail.
4. Economic cost of FOD
Insight SRI is championing an international effort to raise awareness of the safety implications and operational costs associated with lose airfield debris (called “FOD”, foreign object debris). Working with leading airports, airlines, and technology firms we hope to significantly improve airline safety, while eliminating up to $13Bn pa in airline operating costs. See our publications for more detail.
5. Technology Firm MBO
Insight SRI was involved in the early stages of a technology firm MBO, managing the early stage due diligence, valuations, and deal structuring. Sadly, this effort was aborted in mid-stream when the several external influences and financial pressures from the parent company/owner made the deal unlikely to succeed.
6. Airports Technology Turnaround
Insight SRI was brought in to help structure a turnaround for a technology division of a major UK aerospace firm. Slow market penetration and a general failure to meet analyst expectations threatened a drop of up to 20% in the parent company’s share price. A new management team was installed and Insight SRI was brought in to help structure parts of the turnaround effort.
7. Aerospace OEM restructuring
“Defence Transformation” means changes for the industries that supply the military as much as it does for the military itself. A military which does new things in new ways tends to buy new things in new ways. This means new commercial and new contractual mechanisms, changes to IP rights ownership, funding structures, etc.,. Insight SRI led some of the thinking in how the defence industry might change, and has helped some companies position themselves to take advantage of these developing opportunities. This included speaking at conferences for RUSI and IDGA, as well as work for Boeing, BAE Systems, and the Office of Industrial Policy in the US Department of Defence.
8. MOD-Ventures
ISRI Managing Director Iain McCreary sponsored and led an study/effort to create a venture capital group within the UK Ministry of Defence.
9. PE infrastructure fund
A large private equity considering infrastructure investments contracted Insight SRI to find technologies that could be used to improve strategic positioning or remove costs among target airport acquisitions.
10. Oil & Gas Technology firm
Insight SRI developed the investment case and go-to-market strategy for a UK firm with a novel pipeline corrosion sensor, developed in partnership with an Oil & Gas Major.
11. Major Aerospace OEM
Insight SRI has worked on a number of small strategy projects for this Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and aerospace prime contractor looking at intellectual property. The objective was to develop a model whereby companies could share otherwise proprietary IPR in an effort to achieve interoperability between systems and platforms.
12. Feature Film Development
Insight SRI worked to build "virtual production firm" to focus on telling historically accurate tales. The premise is that accuracy need not be an impediment to box office success, and that accuracy may even improve long term revenue streams by increasing the "tail" of DVD sales and the number of cross over products. The group will focus on feature films, with second tier projects (based on the same stories) that include television series, video games, and related educational television content. Funding is being sought.
13. Eco-Data Centre
Insight helped to develop the investment case and review the business strategy for one partner of an international consortia of IT firms building the world’s first ecological (‘green’) IT data-centre.
14. Cluster Analysis
Performed the first ever quantitative market segmentation exercise (cluster analysis) for one of the UK’s leading R&D/technology services firms. Analysis considered a combination of 68 objective and subjective measures for 42 industry segments (click to see sample charts).
15. Professional services MBI
ISRI was advisor to the attempted MBI of a large and international IT services firm. The firm had been underperforming, and there was a small window of opportunity to buy and turn it around. At the time of our offer, the firm was losing £M every quarter, haemorrhaging staff, and had dropped from 30 to 3 clients in the last 18 months.
16. Hospitality services concept
Review and strategic assessment of an early-stage hospitality services firm, looking opportunities for travellers in the “executive lounge” space.
17. Mermaid Telecoms
Insight SRI was brought in to a UK telecoms firm Mermaid Telecoms to run a bid to install and integrate the world’s parcel level RFID service at the Polish Post office, in conjunction with Mermaid’s proprietary tracking technology. Insight SRI Iain McCreary took an interim posting as Commercial Director during this project.
18. PSRE IP negotiation
Insight SRI managed license sales for patents and other intellectual property for several UK Public Sector Research Establishments, first locating the prospective buyers, then helping to structure deal specifics.
19. Noisetech & Noisemask.net
Director Iain McCreary conceived, developed, and successfully sold an aggressive “Google Killer” software product. The application was an adaptation of electronic warfare methods (jamming, spoofing, and countermeasures) to field of personal data privacy. This concept moved from idea to completed sale in less than four months.
20. Shotz Health
Shotz is daily vitamin drink that replaces conventional vitamin pills (think of a vitamin/fruit juice version of Actimel. The product is being run by executive teams that launched Slimfast, Potnoodle, and price comparison site U-Switch, among others. Insight SRI was brought in to develop the early strategy, including price point, market segmentation, and choice of distribution and sales channels.
21. Fuel cell and battery technology
Insight SRI was involved in managing the IP licensing rights of a novel fuel cell/power cell control technology, and looked at the IP sale opportunities for a second firm with a prototype power management system.
22. HBL Ltd.
Insight SRI funded and supported UK technology start-up HBL Limited. HBL was knitting together several [pre-existing pieces of electronics technology to form a proprietary wireless tracking technology. The core market was in golf, where HBL would be able to provide real-time 3-D tracking of a golf ball in flight.
23. Motorcycle Consoles
Proposal to develop aftermarket “glass cockpit” style consoles/displays for motorcycles, incorporating GPS navigation and rear view cameras.
24. ‘Leading’ Consultancy
Insight SRI was brought in to serve as Interim Client Partner for a major consulting firm. We were tasked with re-creating the $0.5Bn IT outsource deal MD Iain McCreary won for Accenture, and were later given overall responsible for developing their sales pipeline in the Electronics and high Tech market sectors.
25. Animation studio outsource services
Insight SRI developed the business plan behind an new outsourced services concept in animation and computer gaming design services, coordinating both an existing animation services in firm in SE Asia, with a internet marketplace for freelance designers worldwide.
26. Thames Riverside Development
Insight SRI’s first project. This was work in the real estate sector, looking at unexploited development potential in London riverside properties.