Why support for Large Businesses?
Large businesses employ over 50% of the commercial workforce in the East Midlands Region.
There are, by strict definition, 410 such firms in the Region along with approximately 800 more who are, by global status, non- SME and these firms have a key role at the head of their supply chains.
Many of these firms have a global outlook in terms of markets and internal structures – their investments are mobile.
We therefore need to create an effective East Midlands environment for their businesses.
What will large business support mean
Cross partner working, involving EMDA, Jobcentre Plus, the LSC and regional universities among others.
All involved partners will have their own agenda, specific to their roles, but there will also be areas of convergent interest.
The support will build on existing reactive good practice and thus create a platform for proactive working with key large businesses in the Region and so create opportunities for:
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Heightened intelligence
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Enhanced understanding of aggregate large business needs/issues over time, which can be defined by sector, sub region, key activity among others
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Product development which responds to needs that are identified
The Benefits
Better customer experience - A joined-up approach to large businesses avoids confusion and enhances customer experience.
Uses intelligence to shape more effective product which meets customer need – It facilitates a longer term, strategic approach to customer need which enhances ability to anticipate and deliver value added product.
Creates extra value from the sum of the parts – Delivering on the core goals of the ESP.
A introduction to Large Business Support
The ESP action plan (Priority 2) called for the creation an integrated business support service for large businesses across the region. The plan identified three key partners for delivery, namely the LSC, JC+ and the investor development team within emda.
These organisations have historically delivered or brokered services to large businesses and each has a field force which interacts with large businesses. However, with the exception of reactive circumstances (such as those coordinated by HOTSPOTS), planned approaches to assisting businesses have been rare. ESP priority 2 has given the partners the impetus to review and hone a cross-partner approach to large businesses and develop a service which adds value and benefit to the customer experience and is more strategic in anticipating and responding to their needs
Our approach will seek to leverage value for the large businesses, partners and the region.
Improving the quality of customer experience is the driver behind developing the service. The Key Account Management approach across the partnership will identify and anticipate key areas of customer need across the spectrum, rather than within the remit of an individual partner. The sharing of customer relationships will increase the scope for partners to build relationships and deliver customer solutions. A more strategic approach by the partnership will enhance the customer experience, will facilitate demand-led policy and product development and will enhance the prospect of retaining and developing investment by large firms.
Current Progress and Actions
A number of activities have taken place in support of the development of the Service:
- A series of pilots are underway and are due to report back in September
- A review of major international businesses in the region has taken place
- A review of partner processes has taken place in order to suggest ways in which a virtual team can be created
- Plans for the future development of the service are set to be developed using the existing Hotspots infrastructure and EMSIP research function.
Contact Details of the steering group leads
emda lead: Bill Wells
emda, Apex Court, City Link, NOTTINGHAM NG2 4LA
0115 988 8543
JCP lead: Khudeja Amer-Sharif
East Midlands Regional Office Newtown House Maid Marian Way NOTTINGHAM NG1 6GG
0115 989 5761
Chair: Helen Bell
emda, Apex Court, City Link, NOTTINGHAM NG2 4LA
0115 988 8393
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