CAPEX Excellence
Optimizing Fixed Asset Investments

1. Edition May 2009
232 Pages, Hardcover
Professional Book
Short Description
Focusing on the core value levers companies can apply in the decision and design phase of capital investments, this book is the first to cover this topic in a holistic, practical, and strategic manner, and is based on McKinsey's extensive industry analysis and research. The book comprehensively examines the challenges in making decisions on capital investment. It includes many examples from seven asset-heavy industries: Utilities, Oil & Gas, Telecommunications, Transportation & Logistics, Chemicals, High Tech, and Automotive. Executive-level decision makers will appreciate this innovative toolbox for increasing return on assets.
Focusing on the core value levers companies can apply in the decision and design phase of capital investments, this book is the first to cover this topic in a holistic, practical, and strategic manner, and is based on McKinsey's extensive industry analysis and research. The book comprehensively examines the challenges in making decisions on capital investment. It includes many examples from seven asset-heavy industries: Utilities, Oil & Gas, Telecommunications, Transportation & Logistics, Chemicals, High Tech, and Automotive. Executive-level decision makers will appreciate this innovative toolbox for increasing return on assets.
About the Authors
Part I Why Investments Matter
1 Introduction
1.1 Investments - the forgotten value lever
1.2 A bird's-eye view of the book content
1.3 Why investments matter - the importance and structure of capital investments
Appendix A1 Microeconomics background: the relevance of capital investments
Appendix A2 Wavelet analysis: extracting frequency information from investment timelines
References
Part II Getting Investments Right
2 Right Positioning: Managing an Asset's Exposure to Economic Risk
2.1 Introduction
2.2 The level of asset exposure determines the achievable return
2.3 The level of protection determines the degree of exposure of an investment
2.4 A simple scoring metric to measure asset exposure
2.5 Quantitataive asset exposure analysis shows high correlation with ROIC at all levels
2.6 Strategies for reducing asset exposure
3 Right Technology: How and when to invest in a new technology
3.1 Capital investments in technology innovation
4 Right Timing: How Cyclicality Affects Return on Investments and What Companies Can Do About It
4.1 How cyclicality destroys value
4.2 Industry drivers of cyclicality
4.3 Developing an economic model of cyclicality
4.4 Measure to cope with cyclicality
Appendix 4A A differential equation for economic cyclicality
5 Right Size: Balancing Economies and Diseconomies of Scale
5.1 Introduction: The role of scale in determining profitability
5.2 Assessing economies of scale
5.3 Determining diseconomies of scale
5.4 Risk elements
5.5 An approach for finding the "sweet spot"
5.6 Real-life examples
6 Right Location: Getting the Most from Government Incentives
6.1 Government incentives: an overview
6.2 Creating public-private, win-win situations
6.3 Common types of incentive instruments
6.4 The financial impact of incentives: a modeling approach
6.5 Geographical differences in incentive structures
6.6 Managing government incentives
7 Right Design: How to Make Investments Lean and Flexible
7.1 Lean design as a competitive advantage
7.2 The three dimensions of a lean capital investment system
7.3 Flexibility: just what customers and shareholders need and no more
7.4 How to avoid creatig a front-page disaster: anticipating what can go wrong
8 Right Financing: Shaping the Optimal Finance Portfolio
8.1 Why financing matters
8.2 Three-step financing approach
Part III: Right Allocation: Managing a Company's Investment Portfolio
9 Right Allocation: How to Allocate Money Within the Company
9.1 Key requirements for capital allocation
9.2 Four models of the corporate centre role in shaping the investment portfolio
9.3 Capital allocation approach for operators and strategic controllers
9.4 Capital allocation approach for strategic architects and financial holding structures
Index
Wolfgang Huhn is a Director in McKinsey's Frankfurt office. He primarily serves clients in the high tech industry as well as in energy. Wolfgang is a member of the Business Technology Office where he leads the industrial sector in Europe. He also leads the European Product Development Practice. Prior to joining McKinsey, Wolfgang studied electrical engineering and physics in Aachen and UK and obtained his PhD in Physics from the RWTH Aachen. From 1998 to 2000, Wolfgang was the CEO of a VC-backed company.
Olivier Legrand is a Partner in McKinsey's Paris office. He serves clients in the transportation, steel and aluminum industries as well as in consumer goods and energy. Olivier co-leads McKinsey's global capital productivity group. Prior to joining McKinsey, Olivier spent four years with Air France in marketing research, marketing and sales positions. Olivier holds an MBA from Stanford Business School.
Daniel Steiners is an Associate Principal in McKinsey's Düsseldorf office. He serves clients in electric power and chemicals across Europe and North America and is a co-leader of McKinsey's European capital productivity group. Daniel received a diploma in business administration from Muenster University and a PhD in management accounting from the European Business School in Oestrich-Winkel.
Thomas Vahlenkamp is a Director in McKinsey's Düsseldorf office. He serves clients in the coal, oil, gas, power, and chemicals as well as transportation industries. Thomas is the sector leader of the Energy and Materials Practice in Germany and a member of the leadership group of the European Electric Power and Natural Gas Practice. His educational background is in polymer chemistry. He holds a degree from the Technical University of Aachen (RWTH) and a doctorate from the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research.