Strategic business consulting for the railway and logistics industry

SCI Verkehr is an independent and highly specialised management consultancy focusing on strategic issues in the international rail and logistics business. We support our business partners in optimising their processes and evaluating their assets. We help to analyse markets and to develop viable and tailor-made strategies for the future. This includes supporting M&A activities, implementing climate targets, optimising portfolios or existing processes, and opening up new markets and business areas.

Strategic Management Consultancy Examples

Competition among rolling stock manufacturers

Customer: Service provider for institutional investors

SCI Verkehr presents highlights of the dynamics in the railway industry to institutional investors at a conference. Focus is put on competition among rolling stock manufacturers as well as their current and expected expansion efforts.

Portfolio assessment of a rail freight transport company

Customer: Rail freight transport company

On behalf of a private railway undertaking, SCI Verkehr assesses a portfolio for the German rail freight market. Focus is put on volume estimations of the customer’s business fields as well as the development of market and competitive environment. Furthermore, SCI Verkehr provides a detailed analyses of selected corridors and branches.

Periodic Market Monitoring

Customer: Financial service provider

SCI Verkehr supported a financial service provider with a regular high-level monitoring report on the European rolling stock market. In the scope of the project, SCI Verkehr provided a report on a quarterly basis including the most important events with a focus on railway operators, manufacturers and leasing companies.

Market Analyses Examples

Market entry strategy South and North America

Customer: Asian freight wagon supplier

On behalf of a leading Asian freight wagon supplier, SCI Verkehr has developed a market entry strategy in consultation with the client. As a basis for this, SCI Verkehr has analysed markets and their competition dynamics in detail, including freight rail operators, freight wagon producers and leasing companies. Strategic pathways for further business development in the analysed markets were presented, including opportunities and risks of the different business models.

Market assessment freight wagons

Customer: Finance company

On behalf of a potential investor, SCI Verkehr analysed the demand and supply of rail freight wagons of the UIC type U and Z in continental Europe. The analysis focused on the market development in the respective transport segments.

Monitoring of rail vehicle acquisition

Customer: International manufacturer of rail vehicles

On behalf of an Asian manufacturer of rail vehicles, SCI Verkehr created a continuous project monitoring. Within the monitoring, new acquisitions are systematically collected and analysed. In addition to the presentation of planned acquisitions and their clients, SCI Verkehr carries out a standardised appraisal of facts critical for success and decision-making processes of the client and their portfolio.

Asset Valuations Examples

Valuation of overhead line construction machine

Customer: Financial institute

For a financial institution, SCI Verkehr evaluated the market-side performance of a catenary construction machine.

Value appraisal for used rolling stock in passenger transport

Customer: Investment company

A European railway company intended to sell its surplus rolling stock to an investor. The rolling stock consisted of highly differentiated vehicle types for passenger transport of a wide range of ages. SCI Verkehr was commissioned by a potential investor to perform an estimate of the current market value of this fleet and its individual asset groups.

Seminar Evaluation Rail Vehicles

Customer:

SCI Verkehr is conducting a seminar for the valuation of rail vehicles. The focus is on a description of the important market participants and an explanation of the most important valuation methods used for the valuation of rail vehicles.

Public Consulting Examples

Cooperative planning and assessment of downstream motorway-related infrastructure equipment - preliminary study

Customer: Authority for regional planning

The aim of the project is the derivation of a regionally tailored planning and assessment of downstream infrastructure equipment for existing and new motorways. The planned main study should include a comprehensive assessment of the current situation coupled with a stock evaluation or a risk assessment, a regional labour market forecast, a future demand forecast for business and logistics companies locating along the motorways, the naming of specific business segments for which moving to the location mentioned would be suitable, a regional concept for industrial or commercial areas as well as recommendations for municipal urban land-use planning and business development. The preliminary project serves to define the suitable project design: Specification of the basic issues and the project planning, the methodology and the procedure. The result of the preliminary study will be a project application on the basis of which an application for the granting of subsidies from the responsible federal state will be formulated and filed.

Series of workshops for the first environmental comparison of rail transport

Customer: Allianz pro Schiene

On behalf of Allianz pro Schiene e.V., SCI Verkehr is professionally assisting the conception and implementation of a series of workshops on the theme of "Environment and Rail Transport" in addition to the "First Environmental Comparison of Rail Transport". The range of tasks includes helping to select the speakers, support in contacting the speakers, compiling and producing the meeting documents as well as looking after the speakers and participants on site.

Profitability Analyses Examples

Innovative drives for rail vehicles

Customer: Federal Ministry of Transport

On behalf of the Federal Ministry of Transport, SCI Verkehr investigated the applicability of innovative drives for rail vehicles that run on non-electrified lines. In addition to economic efficiency, changes relevant to the environment (e.g. emission reduction) were also evaluated.

Market value analysis freight wagons

Customer: Freight wagon manufacturer

SCI Verkehr advises a manufacturer of innovative freight wagons on the acquisition of financing models with the analysis of potential market value trends.

Process optimisations Examples

Model development bonus for drivers

Customer: Beverage logistics company

[in metres] and concrete-catenary poles [in units] in Germany, France, Poland, the Netherlands and Sweden by 2020 as a foundation for a reliable strategic planning.

Supporting the restructuring of a leading European rail freight company

Customer: European rail freight company

A leading European rail freight company has to reorganize itself completely in terms of profitability, efficiency and reliability. SCI Verkehr was commissioned to support the restructuring process actively and to bring in expertise in railway operation, processes and strategy. Focus is also put on close involvement in terms of co-determination.

Investigation of site closures

Customer: Global player in the food industry

With the objective of realising rationalisation potential in distribution and warehousing, our client planned to consolidate three logistics sites into one central location near to production. In order to achieve this, the existing logistics site had to be restored using construction measures. SCI Verkehr as a neutral expert was involved in the decision-making process with regard to necessary investments and performed a cross checking of assumptions and calculations made. The expert's report focused on the personnel and investments required.