Benchmarking of railway companies - freight transport

of European rail transport markets. The established incumbents were increasingly challenged by municipal, private, and jointly financed transport companies. In the struggle for market share in intramodal competition, the performance of the various players is of paramount importance. In the search for a company's "optimal positioning," HTC provides benchmarking data for its own company, as well as for the competition as a whole and for individual market players, based on financial data from company balance sheets and profit and loss statements for the years from 2005 onwards. This is done in a standardized format based on eleven key performance indicators..

Example of Deriving a Financial and Competitive Market Position Task:

Following a change in ownership, the question arose as to how the company's economic performance should be assessed in comparison to its industry peers.

Objective:

To develop a SWOT profile for the target company, enabling a fair purchase price determination and providing indicators of the medium-term challenges for management.

Result:

Based on eleven indicators, the relative market and competitive position was quantitatively described and graphically illustrated. Taking into account further factors and qualitative additions, an initial approach for a strategic realignment is developed. This typically serves as a starting point for further management work aimed at positioning the company for the long term and making it more resilient. This process should be revolving or continuous, with the respective environmental and industry dynamics playing a significant role in shaping its structure. More dynamic industries require a faster-paced process from benchmark companies than other sectors.