Energy & Renewables

Spire has extensive experience in the energy industry. Our work in this space includes market feasibility studies, market opportunity analysis, channel studies and macro-environmental reports detailing entry barriers.

The product categories we have studied include retail petrol, gasoline and diesel, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) products, bio-fuels (including bio-mass), solar power as well as wind power solutions.

Issues & Opportunities

Fuel Fleet Cards – Market Entry Study – Asia Pacific

The client was a leading independent provider of fuel fleet cards globally that had strong presence in US and Europe. It sold fuel card programs directly to commercial and government fleet operators as well as through partners, including major oil companies and card resellers. The client was seeking to expand its market by investing more focus in Asia.

The objective of the study was to understand the market potential of fuel cards in various markets in Asia Pacific namely, Japan, China, India, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. The company also wanted to identify suitable go-to-market strategies, general climate, entry barriers as well as the broad market opportunities.

The objectives of the study were to

The research findings was disseminated within the client’s organization and will be taken into consideration when the client decides on its next steps towards entering the Asia market.

Project deliverables included a report addressing:

Overview of the fleet cards sector in each country
Profiles of prominent fleet cards providers and their card programs
Analysis of major highways used by commercial fleets, presence of fuel stations along the highways and general fuel card penetration among commercial fleets
Spire’s evaluation on key countries to enter and potential providers which the client can partner/acquire

Oil & Gas Market – Downstream Oil and Gas Industry Research in China

One of the global leading research firms in the energy industry wanted to review the downstream oil and gas business in 13 provinces (23 cities) in China, and map the market entry strategy for an international oil company.

The objectives of the study were to:

Understand the distribution and operation of the oil and gas retail business in China
Understand the national and provincial level regulations
Evaluate market sizing in terms of volume and value
Estimate the market share of different players (international oil companies vs. national oil companies vs. private oil companies)
Identify target growth segments (non-fuel versus fuel)
Analyze the price points of the retail oil and gas business in different geographic regions and link these to changes in national fuel policies and the macro economy

The objectives of the study were to

Spire commenced the study with on-site observations at petrol stations across 13 provinces in China over two years (covering different location types such as urban, sub-urban, rural and highway).

Extensive desk research (including online resources and published trade data or magazines in hardcopies) were also carried out to gather more insights. Expert interviews with trade associations and industry journalists, as well as in-depth interviews with government officials and industry players were conducted as well.

Jatropha Curcas Production – Strategic Research in Asia

A Japan-based Fortune Global 500 firm was interested to develop a business plan for entering the renewable energy market in Asia, beginning with Jatropha production.

The objective of the study was to evaluate the investment potential of entering the Jatropha production industry in Asia, with a special focus on Indonesia and East Malaysia.

The objectives of the study were to

The research findings was disseminated within the client’s organization and will be taken into consideration when the client decides on its next steps towards entering the Asia market.

Project deliverables included a report addressing:

Overview of the fleet cards sector in each country
Profiles of prominent fleet cards providers and their card programs
Analysis of major highways used by commercial fleets, presence of fuel stations along the highways and general fuel card penetration among commercial fleets
Spire’s evaluation on key countries to enter and potential providers which the client can partner/acquire

Fuel & Logistics market – Product Design Study on Road Port Users in China

One of the global leading companies in the energy industry wanted to review the potential of the fuel market and needs for cargo information service in two of China’s most prominent logistics hubs (road ports) in East China.

Spire was tasked to map the market entry strategy for an international energy company in the following fields:

High quality fuel
Fuel card
Mobile cargo information
Fuel management program to truck fleet, assisted by a mobile IT platform

The objectives of the study were to:

Have a overview of customer segments and market trends
Assess customer behaviors in refuelling
Assess customer needs for fuel cards, mobile cargo information, fuel management and alternative fuels (e.g. electric automobiles)

The objectives of the study were to

The client used Spire’s data findings and recommended strategies to tailor its products and services to suit specific customer groups and make systematic short-term and long-term development plans.

Project deliverables included a report addressing:

Customer behavior in refuelling and demand for petrol stations at road ports
Customer needs for value-added services, such as fuel cards, fuel management service and freight information on mobile phones
Recommended services and marketing programs targeting different customer groups to enter the desired market

District Energy Systems – Study on Market Entry to District Energy Systems – Asia

A Japanese Fortune 500 company was interested in understanding the market landscape for district energy supply and cooling systems projects in Asia.

The objectives of the study were to:

Understand the state of district energy supply/district cooling systems in each country
Understand the applicable government rules and regulations
Identify go-to-market strategies into the district energy supply industry
Generate an overview of the local EPC market and companies
Identify local potential acquisition/partnership targets who have had experience in turnkey EPC work in combined heat and power (CHP) plants/or power plants and chilled water plants

The objectives of the study were to

The client was able to identify partners with whom they could work and the countries that were most attractive for market entry.

Project deliverables included a report that discussed:

An overview of the District Energy Supply market in each country
Highlights of key entry strategies deployed by other vendors
Key trends, opportunities and challenges in the market
An overview of government regulatory regimes relevant to the subject matter
Profiles of local turnkey EPC providers

Outboard motor – Market entry study in Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam

A Japan-based Global Fortune 500 manufacturer sought to launch a new outboard motor engine product to replace crude multi-purpose engines adapted for use in unorganized fishing and passenger transport boats.

The objectives of the study was to develop market sizing, forecast, end-user purchasing evaluation, channel structure and competitor analysis (including products and pricing) for outboard motors.

The objectives of the study were to

Our client used Spire’s report to develop a business plan and allocate investment for a new product launch.

Project deliverables included:

Market size (historic and forecast) and population for outboard motors in the four said countries
Market breakdown by product category, customer segment and geographic region in each country
Competitor analysis:
Strategy, targeted segment and key selling points for each major competitor
Customer decision dynamics:
Profile, usage of engine, income and demographic characteristics, brand perception, purchase decision factors, price sensitivity
Macro-environmental assessment including import duties, environmental standards, quality and safety certification required, etc.
Recommendations for segment/geographic prioritization, product specs, pricing, marketing activities and distribution/go-to-market model

Automotive parts logistics – Market entry study for ASEAN distribution centre

A leading global motorcycle manufacturer in Japan sought to grow its aftermarket parts business in ASEAN by establishing a distribution centre within the region.

The objectives of the study were to:

Assess the feasibility of developing the ASEAN market for specific aftermarket parts, accessories and lubricant oil
Recommend the most suitable location for their ASEAN region distribution centre

The objectives of the study were to

Spire conducted an analysis on legal, regulatory and macro-environmental conditions as well as market situation and suppliers of non-original parts and lubricant oil. Supported by the findings from secondary data, the location choices were narrowed down to three.

Interviews with trade associations, relevant government bodies, logistics industry experts and establishments in the non-original parts value chain were carried out in Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia. Our consultants also held internal discussions with our client’s local offices and engaged three logistics service providers to secure proposals for the distribution centres. With the findings, Spire was able to arrive at the final recommendation to our client.

Car audio – Customer satisfaction study for standard car audio in Malaysia and Indonesia

A leading Japanese car audio manufacturer operating in Thailand sought to understand the satisfaction level of Malaysian and Indonesian car owners with their standard car audio products as well as consumer plans on car audio purchasing.

The objectives of the study were to understand customer satisfaction levels on standard car audio and obtain inputs from motorists regarding the ideal specifications of car audio.

The objectives of the study were to

Our client used Spire’s report for performance measurement purposes and as inputs in designing and developing new products to better meet customers’ needs and wants.

Project deliverables included:

An analysis of customers’ satisfaction level, needs and wants,
Entertainment Media (CD, DVD, MP3, etc.) usage behavior
Consumers’ awareness of possible car audio add-on features (e.g. Bluetooth, navigation system, etc.)

Automotive price tracking – Passenger car tire price tracking study in Singapore and Korea

A leading global manufacturer and distributor of rubber products saw a decline in sales of its passenger car tires in Singapore and Korea. An internal discussion led to the conclusion that pricing was the root of the problem – competitors were simply more aggressive in their pricing strategies.

To increase its market share, the client sought to benchmark the prices of its competitors’ products that were targeted at various customer segments in Singapore and Korea.

The objectives of the study were to understand how the competitors positioned their products in the relevant markets and devise a counter-strategy.

The objectives of the study were to

Spire was tasked with the screening and recommending of suitable models and local retailers of passenger car tires for price research. Once the final candidates were selected by our client, our consultants executed mystery shopping and retail observations to identify the prices, specifications and promotions of both our client’s and competitors’ products in the local markets. Simultaneously, secondary research was undertaken to identify general market trends.

Spire delivered the key findings and recommendations to our client in a face-to-face presentation.

Our results served as important inputs to support our client’s country offices in their tactical pricing adjustments.

Project deliverables included:

Information on the pricing and specification of the tire stock-keeping units (SKUs)
Reports that address the recent market situation and other information related to the tire models tracked, such as customers’ perception and market share.

Automotive – Mystery shopping study to evaluate service quality of sales force

An American multinational automaker in Vietnam, which owned one of the largest investment capital projects in the country, viewed customer service quality as a key performance metric. The client considered its dealers’ sale force as a key success factor in affecting this metric, and had been training Sale Consultants (SCs) at its dealers for years. As such, the client wanted to study the customer service quality and sales service quality of the dealers.

The objectives of the study were to:

Maintain customer service quality at high standards
Gain an understanding of customers’ assessment of the service quality and offer recommendations for improvement

The objectives of the study were to

Spire recruited shoppers who were actually shopping for cars or had past experience of car purchase, and ensured that shoppers:

Understood the shopping checklist
Possessed and displayed good product knowledge in line with market norms
Taped every conversation

A mystery shopping study was conducted to assess the customer service quality and sales service quality of the dealers. A detailed report was submitted to the client weekly, where the client could identify areas for improvement for its dealers.

The client used Spire’s report to improve the quality of customer service in dealers and to spur growth of sales. Assessment and feedback from shoppers had helped to identify the SCs’ strengths and weaknesses, and pointed to relevant training for them to improve.

Spire’s report addressed shoppers’ assessment of the customer service quality at the dealers after each sales visit. Our report also set out practical, inexpensive and feasible recommendations for improvement.

Automotive parts logistics – Automotive supply chain management improvement consulting in Indonesia

A leading global motorcycle manufacturer in Japan intended to give a face-lift to its Indonesian arm’s supply chain management, so as to lower costs and increase customer satisfaction as well as scalability.

The objectives of the study were to:

Analyze the current supply chain
Benchmark against industry role models
Recommend a plan for improving efficiency

The objectives of the study were to

Our client used Spire’s report to develop a joint plan for SCM improvement. The plan had been successful in meeting demand and containing costs in the explosively growing motorcycle market in Indonesia.

Project deliverables included a report that:

Mapped the supply chain for bikes and parts
Benchmarked global auto industry SCM leaders to identify gaps in our client’s performance
Included Spire’s recommendation of a three-year plan to introduce new practices, technology and processes to improve our client’s SCM