TDG gets help to deliver the goods : Integrated development program improves competitive edge

Purpose – The paper aims to describe how Brathay, a people‐development consultancy, teamed up with TDG, a pan‐European supply‐chain solutions provider, on a management‐development framework that helped to demonstrate to operational directors the importance of focusing not only on operations, but also on overall business strategies. Design/methodology/approach – The paper details the staging of a motivational conference, the formulation of a management framework, and the organization of a three‐day coaching program to lay out a coaching method and give the operational directors the opportunity to put it into practice. Findings – The paper demonstrates that the approach helped people to start operating more effectively. Managers were given more authority to get on with their jobs and became clearer about what was expected of them and what they could expect from their directors. Practical implications – The paper shows that the integrated development program has positioned TDG to improve not only its service and value to customers, but also its competitive edge. Originality/value – The paper reveals the advantages, in terms of ensuring that already‐exacting customer‐service levels are maintained and improved, of having operational directors able to focus at a more strategic level.