Business Improvement Plan, Port of Sunderland, England

Business Improvement Plan, Port of Sunderland, England

Following our previous commission, Sunderland City Council retained us to prepare scenarios for how the Port could be organised, managed, and traded into a position of financial self-sufficiency. This included a clear analysis of the cost structure of the activities of the port, and a thorough assessment of the markets and cargoes that the Port might win. The objective was to identify how it could transition to a fully sustainable port business. (2009)

The key aspects of the plan were:

• Clear analysis of the cost / revenue / profitability structure of the port business to establish exactly where it is now.
• Market review of the Port of Sunderland’s competitive position, and identification of cargo in the regional market and key opportunities for growth.
• Identifying any outstanding essential requirements for maintenance, and potential ideas for physical development.
• Preparation of a new governance and organisation structure.

Identification of measures to achieve financial improvement and financial analysis to illustrate how the Port may achieve its goal of financial self-sustainability.