Cedar on BSC Strategy Execution Excellence

In this episode, we explore how geopolitical tensions in West Asia are reshaping the operating environment for banks across the region. Energy shocks, trade disruptions, and rising logistics costs are already affecting liquidity, funding, and credit flows, while sectors such as shipping, aviation, retail, and real estate face immediate pressure - creating ripple effects across bank balance sheets....

At Cedar Management Consulting International, we see change management as fundamentally a leadership responsibility — not a technical task. New systems can be implemented efficiently, but real success depends on whether people truly adopt them. We draw on the ADKAR framework — Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability and Reinforcement — as a practical lens to understand how individuals experience cha...

At Cedar Management Consulting International, we approach Change Management as a coordinated, multi-stakeholder discipline — never the responsibility of a single department. At the centre is the CM team, accountable for planning, sequencing and tracking the entire change journey. But structure alone does not drive adoption. We place strong emphasis on Change Agents embedded within the organisation...

Impact assessment is, in our view, one of the most critical disciplines in effective change management. It is the point where strategy meets operational reality. Before any rollout, we must clearly understand how a new system or process will affect specific users and business units. We evaluate impact across three dimensions: the type of change, the training required, and the level of impact — hig...

Training is what ultimately converts change into capability. Creating awareness is only the first step; people must feel confident operating in the new environment if transformation is to succeed. We distinguish between two critical forms of training. Functional training focuses on how to use the system and is often delivered by the software provider. Process training, led by Learning & Develo...

Effective change requires disciplined stakeholder engagement. Not all stakeholders demand the same intensity of focus — engagement must be deliberate and prioritised. We categorise stakeholders into four groups. Q1 stakeholders are both highly influential and significantly impacted; they require early and sustained engagement. Q2 stakeholders are impacted but less influential, calling for proactiv...

Measuring readiness throughout the change journey is essential. We use what we call ADKAR Temperature Checks — a practical mechanism to assess emotional and behavioural progress at defined milestones, rather than waiting until go-live to uncover issues. At each phase, the focus evolves. In the early stages, we assess Awareness and Desire. During testing, we evaluate Knowledge and Ability. After go...

Communication in change management must be treated as a strategic lever, not a one-time announcement. The goal is to move people from awareness to adoption — and that demands sustained, deliberate messaging. We work across two layers. General communication keeps the entire organisation aligned on objectives, milestones and progress through town halls, leadership updates and formal channels. Target...

Reporting is what converts change from intention into measurable outcomes. Training alone does not ensure adoption — it must be tracked, validated and analysed. We focus on two essential reporting streams. Training Surveys measure understanding, attendance and pain points, helping determine whether learning has genuinely landed. The Solution Adoption Report goes further, tracking behavioural data...

Training strategy and data-driven reporting must operate as an integrated system in effective change management. Training cannot be generic — it needs clear ownership, structure and alignment to impact. We define accountability carefully, with Learning & Development leading process training and software suppliers delivering technical capability. The approach is tailored based on impact assessm...

Two pillars consistently determine the success of change initiatives: Impact Assessment and Communication Strategy. Clarity begins with impact. Through structured workshops with departments and process owners, we define what will change, how responsibilities will evolve, and which personas will be affected. This results in a formal Impact Assessment Report outlining key changes and training priori...

Sanjiv Anand, Chairman, Cedar Management Consulting International Sustained profitability is difficult in the low-margin, highly competitive US restaurant industry, yet opportunities exist for suppliers with strong market insight. Tabletop products cutlery, dinnerware, drinkware and related items are essential to dining experiences but are often commoditized, with suppliers competing mainly on pri...

Technology outsourcing, business process outsourcing (BPO) and shared services are entering a new growth phase driven by factors beyond cost arbitrage. As technology adoption accelerates and skill requirements diversify, organizations increasingly rely on best-in-class vendors rather than building all capabilities in-house. While BPO suits large-scale operations, shared services help organizations...

China and India present highly attractive telecommunications investment opportunities, driven by strong global industry growth and rapid wireless adoption. While voice services still account for over 70% of revenues, wireless is overtaking fixed-line due to expanding coverage and falling prices. Asia is the fastest-growing telecom region, led primarily by China’s scale and India’s growth potential...

Sanjiv Anand, Chairman, Cedar Management Consulting International The article challenges Gordon Chang’s view that China under Xi Jinping seeks to dismantle the Westphalian system of sovereign states and that Trump’s “America First” stance is a principled defense of sovereignty. It argues China does not aim to export ideology or replace the global order, but pragmatically pursues its interests usin...

Petroleum retailing in Asia and the Middle East faces margin pressure from deregulation, low differentiation and rising competition. In India, pricing deregulation and new entrants are expanding station numbers, reducing throughput and fuel margins. In the UAE and Singapore, regulated prices, high crude costs, limited geography and stagnant demand constrain profitability. As fuel becomes a commodi...

China’s recent slowdown has unsettled global markets, especially commodities, but fears of an economic collapse are overstated. The sharp equity sell-off reflects an overdue correction in an inflated market that is largely disconnected from the real economy, with limited household exposure and manageable systemic risk. RMB depreciation is driven by fundamentals and reform goals, particularly advan...

India is witnessing a rapid mall boom, with significant investments but rising warning signs such as falling rentals and tenant exits. High construction costs and long break-even periods mean malls must be planned for long-term sustainability. Success depends on five strategic imperatives. First, strong design and aesthetics are critical; excessive focus on maximizing leasable area often harms ope...

The GCC is experiencing a major property development boom led by the UAE and extending across Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman. Planned investments over the next 10–15 years exceed US$344 billion, with the UAE accounting for nearly half. Commercial properties dominate more than 70% of developments, including major financial centers and business districts. Legal reforms allowing expatr...

Sanjiv Anand, Chairman, Cedar Management Consulting International The US is a major electricity consumer, with coal generating nearly half its power and contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. Renewable energy has become a national priority, driven by policy support, environmental awareness, and stricter emissions regulations. Renewables accounted for 9.4% of US electricity by 2009...

The Indian hotel industry is experiencing strong growth, with occupancy rates reaching 70%, RevPAR growing at a 19% CAGR, and ARR rising at 10% annually. This upswing is driven by economic growth, rising business travel, expanding tourism, IT/ITES expansion, lifestyle spending, and improved air connectivity. Unlike earlier cycles, growth is now spread across all hotel categories, with the mid-mark...

In the digital era, banks must compete on experience, innovation, and engagement not just products or service levels. While digital usage is surging, branches remain relevant when reimagined as interactive, experience-led spaces. Successful banks differentiate through four key factors: engaging customers, demonstrating convenience, personalizing experiences, and managing operational risk effective...

Customer-driven competition is reshaping how suppliers compete, as customers now define performance criteria, evaluate suppliers systematically, and reduce reliance on traditional relationships. Driven by downsizing, technology, and consolidation, this model aims to cut costs and force suppliers to meet customer expectations in markets with fewer buyers and sellers. Global consolidation pushes cus...

Human capital is critical to business success, yet many Middle East organizations historically underinvested in HR due to reliance on transient expatriate labor and a focus on basic personnel administration. This has led to weak people development, low motivation and high attrition. As governments push nationalization and businesses recognize HR’s impact on performance, attention to structured HR...

Omnichannel banking aims to deliver a seamless, consistent customer experience across all channels, moving beyond transaction-focused multichannel models to experience-led engagement. With over 70% of customers using multiple channels, banks must prioritize transparency, relevance and personalization to drive loyalty and retention. Central to this is designing digital customer journeys around “mom...