Insights
April 2026 · Operations
The China-Plus-One Playbook: What Most Companies Get Wrong
Relocating manufacturing out of China sounds straightforward. In practice, companies underestimate supplier qualification timelines, quality control challenges, and the logistics redesign required to make diversification work. The firms that succeed treat it as a full operational transformation, not a sourcing exercise.
November 2025 · Markets
Vietnam's Manufacturing Moment: Beyond the Hype
Vietnam is absorbing a significant share of manufacturing leaving China. But the opportunity comes with infrastructure constraints, talent gaps, and regulatory nuances that require careful navigation. Companies that enter with realistic expectations and local partnerships outperform those chasing low labor costs alone.
June 2025 · Strategy
Market Entry in Japan: What Foreign Companies Consistently Underestimate
Japan remains one of the world's largest economies and most attractive markets. It is also one of the most difficult to enter without local knowledge, relationships, and patience. The companies that succeed invest in understanding the business culture before deploying capital.
January 2025 · Operations
Strategic Sourcing in ASEAN: A Framework for Decision-Making
When diversifying supply chains across Southeast Asia, the sourcing decision involves far more than labor cost comparisons. Infrastructure, logistics, regulatory environment, and supplier maturity all matter. A structured evaluation framework prevents costly missteps and accelerates time to production.
August 2024 · Leadership
How US Firms Can Partner With Japan and Asia for Lasting Competitive Advantage
The US firms that capture the most value from Asia treat the region as an integrated system, combining Japan's sophistication and technology with Southeast Asia's manufacturing capacity and growth trajectory. A regional strategy built on each market's strengths outperforms any single-country approach.
May 2025 · Culture
Doing Business in Japan: Why the Details Matter
Japan's business culture is built on monozukuri, kaizen, and a deep respect for craft and consistency. Understanding these principles is not cultural trivia. It is the key to building partnerships that last decades and producing outcomes that set you apart globally.
March 2024 · Strategy
Why Senior-Led Teams Outperform on Complex Engagements
For high-stakes operational and strategic challenges, the seniority and continuity of the team matters more than the size of the firm. When the people who diagnose the problem are the same ones who solve it, outcomes improve and timelines compress.