Building materials

Building materials are used in construction and public works. The range of materials used in construction is relatively large. It includes mainly steel, aluminum, glass, plastics (including insulation) and materials from the processing of quarry products, which can be more or less complex.

This sector is undergoing profound changes:

• Unprecedented growth of emerging markets, undergoing rapid urbanization
• Increasing awareness of environmental issues and new methods of construction
• Pressure on prices due to commodities costs
• Strong dependence on construction and real estate cycles
• New shareholder expectations, with private equity funds buying up substantial holdings

To consolidate their leadership, companies in the sector must:

• Find/seize the best market opportunities serving as growth drivers, which can be implemented in a number of different ways (organic growth, acquisitions, partnerships, alliances, etc.)
• Refine their market positioning (segmentation, new products, price positioning/steering, enhanced services, etc.), distribution (route to market to the end client, new channels x market – specialists, generalists, etc.) and sales focus (sales plan, KAM, etc.)
• Optimize industrial network performance (network coverage, site specialization, product placement, etc.), key assets (equipment productivity, operational organization, etc.) and logistics (anticipation of peaks in activity, complexity of the product range, etc.)