Operations

The interface with your customers and suppliers is crucial - and the operations team who take care of this (often unglamorous) work are the engines at the heart of your business.

We prioritise putting in time ‘at the coalface’ of our own businesses, because we believe it’s essential for customer and supplier input to make its way directly to the ears of those making management decisions.

We'll get our hands dirty for our clients with the same commitment we bring to our own ventures. Whether that means resolving logistical problems or picking up the phone and having the hard conversations with unhappy customers - at Blackthorn we do whatever it takes to smooth out operational inefficiencies.

Services

Customer Engagement

Customers are the lifeblood of any business, and those that ignore them seldom survive long.

We mainline customer feedback - swallowing our pride to heed criticism and feed it back into every part of the business that needs to know.

A tight feedback loop between end customers and decision makers can help keep you ahead of the competition.

Complex Operations

We've mapped global supply chain networks, built our own e-commerce logistics from the ground up and run complex aviation operations on two continents.

We also have a fantastic network of ex-military contacts who support us with particularly challenging logistics tasks (war has been described as the ultimate battle of logistics).

At Blackthorn we can handle complex operations of almost any sort, anywhere.

Clients

Confidential client

Evaluation of new venture viability with German logistics company’s innovation lab.

    • Strategic advisory - evaluated viability of new venture concepts within logistics industry, including li-ion battery recycling and computer vision for distribution centre operations

    • Digital - development and delivery of pitch materials for new ventures, including video briefing for board and prospective partners

    • Partnerships - engaged port owners for viability assessment of battery recycling business

    • B2B sales - scoped market sizing in Europe vs China, forecast battery recycling volumes

    • Market entry and expansion - worked with in-house analysts on predicting battery volumes in global markets and prioritised rollout accordingly

    • Complex operations - detailed competitor research fed into blueprint for battery recycling plant operations at port-side, incl. associated technologies (eg. thermal runaway monitoring through computer vision, novel fire suppression systems, battery type indexing, state of charge detection)

    • Horizon scanning - worked to identify future evolution of belt-driven logistics industry within mining / aggregates and logistics / distribution segments

    • New product development - built first plan for new battery recycling logistics service

The Knepp Estate

Communications services for family-owned rural estate and pioneering rewilding project.

    • Digital - full-service digital marketing includes. social media management, website development, SEO and regular reporting to the family

    • Public relations - press releases and media liaison

    • Print - coverage in daily national newspapers incl. The Guardian & Evening Standard

    • TV and radio - supporting radio appearances on BBC Radio (4 & 6), variety of TV interviews

    • Crisis communications - provided advice and guidance on issues with potential reputational impact

    • B2C sales - supported estate's eco-tourism, accommodation, restaurant and retail shop businesses with variety of initiatives to drive increased sales

    • Customer engagement - initiated a range of projects to focus the estate's businesses on greater customer engagement

Confidential client

Long-term engagement with London based family office across portfolio of ventures.

    • Strategic advisory - investigation of new ventures within digital and physical experience and aviation / aerospace / UAV markets with family office

    • Digital - launched new experience venture, built and launched brand and e-commerce enabled site, managed all social media

    • Public relations - overall responsibility for new venture and parent company's PR

    • Print - secured editorial in Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph, Financial Times, Mail on Sunday, The Times, Sunday Times

    • TV and radio - interviews on local and national TV and radio including BBC, CNN, , ITV, Sky News

    • Crisis communications - managed comms during multiple life threatening emergencies according to company's Emergency Plan

    • B2C sales - oversight of all B2C sales operations (e-commerce, on-site, telephone)

    • B2B sales - grew corporate sales through collaboration with US partners

    • Partnerships - oversaw several successful collaborations with US partners including. NASCAR teams and high profile social media racing drivers

    • Market entry and expansion - explored establishment of subsidiary ventures in Australia and New Zealand

    • Customer engagement - responsible for customer troubleshooting and feedback into revised service provision

    • Complex operations - oversight of complex, multi-site fixed wing and rotary flight operations (c. 10-20 aircraft)

    • New product development - pioneered use of 360-video product line, increasing company revenues by c. 10%

Talk to us about your business.