The Value Engineers

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the Research Insights Manager of an other industries company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Our company is an online food delivery marketplace that connects consumer with local restaurants, takeaways, and grocery storre through its app and website.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire The Value Engineers to accomplish?

• Understand and enhance the current customer experience of drone delivery
• Establish a long-term panel of eligible consumers in Blanchardstown for ongoing testing of new features, service developments, and comparative analyses against traditional delivery

SOLUTION

How did you find The Value Engineers?

Word of mouth within the team - some of my colleague worked with TVE in the past

Why did you select The Value Engineers over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit

How many teammates from The Value Engineers were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Strategic guidance on optimisations for the consumer experience through: 1. Understand the end-to-end journey: Identifying pain points and delight factors along the way 2. Identify opportunities: for optimising the experience and increasing satisfaction 3. Establishing a panel: creating a long-term panel of eligible consumers for ongoing, iterative testing and learning 4. Longitudinal understanding: to understanding customer perceptions over time and the impact on our company

Summary of deliverables: 4 written slide reports across the duration of the project. 
1st report - Understand end to end journey of the Drone delivery and identify opportunities for improvement
2nd report: Understand current order flow messaging perceptions and test usability of two design prototypes
3rd report: Compare customer experience of rider and drone delivery and optimise pricing strategy of the drone delivery service
4th report: Explore benefits, barriers and needs for grocery drone delivery

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Raise awareness of the drone delivery customer experience across the business through a town hall presentation attended by almost 100 colleagues.
• Incorporated technical optimisation and usability prototypes test results into the drone delivery roadmap
• Provided guidance on optimal consumer pricing and identified partner types to strengthen the drone delivery proposition.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Project management was excellent throughout. Becky, my main point of contact at TVE, was consistently responsive, highly detail-oriented, and proactive. She met all deadlines, addressed issues quickly, and maintained clear and effective communication at all times.

What was your primary form of communication with The Value Engineers?

Virtual Meeting

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

They combine strong communication with a genuinely thoughtful and collaborative approach. The team is personable and clearly cares about their work and client needs. They are inquisitive, curious and ask the right questions. They also provide sensible recommendations, clear frameworks to interpret user behaviour, and deliver well-designed, polished reports.

Are there any areas for improvement or something The Value Engineers could have done differently?

Fieldnotes tool used for the diary tasks is functional, but not particularly user friendly.  

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Head of Consumer & Marketing Insights of Bulk

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We sell a broad range of protein powders and other sports nutrition and health supplements. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire The Value Engineers to accomplish?

• Develop a quantitative consumer segmentation
• Provide a blueprint for rolling this segmentation out across the business

SOLUTION

How did you find The Value Engineers?

Online Search

Why did you select The Value Engineers over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Smaller firm that felt incredibly dedicated to our project

How many teammates from The Value Engineers were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

TVE were tasked with looking at the sports nutrition market across Europe (where we operate), deriving the size of the opportunity universe in the category, and pulling apart different types of consumer segments based on behavioural, attitudinal and purchasing patterns. 

Key deliverables included: 

• Delivery of the segmentation with full methodological review 
• A series of decks outlining the segments in varying levels of detail 
• A series of embedding workshops to help seed the segmentation across the business 
• A consumer typing tool to allocate people within the segmentation

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The project delivered 7 consumer segments across 3 different cohorts (inner core, outer core, stretch)

Given the nature of the project as a segmentation delivery and embedding exercise, the measurables are somewhat difficult to define. I would say the biggest testament to the quality and impact of the work is that the entire business is laser focused on the consumer segments from everything to our core brand pillars, to creative briefs, to howe we approach the new product development pipeline. Our segments are in common parlance across the business every day with people referring to "focused gainers" or "active athletes" all the time. 

We include a segmentation workshop in our new employee onboarding experience that gets people up to speed on who our customers are from their first week with the company. 

The embedding workshops were an enormous success and stakeholders from entry level to the C-suite coming together to learn and workshop how best to approach different types of segments. 

We were able to type consumers within our database and subsequently analyse purchase behaviours at the segment level - this has been incredibly important in commercialising our segments. 

We are in the process of launching a CDP and our consumer segmentation will be at the heart of future personalisation efforts.  

Some work products required retooling to make more fit for purpose for different functional teams, however it was not in the SOW for TVE to provide functional materials.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Everything was delivered on time and within budget. 

The best thing about working with TVE was that we felt incredibly well taken care of. We were very validated in our decision to work with them, as we felt like we had a genuine partner who was invested in our success, rather than a partner who would hand us a deck at the end of 3 months and then never hear from them again. We still have open communication with the project team (who check in every once in a while to see how things are progressing with the segmentation). The TVE team seemed to enjoy the work and the collaboration with Bulk stakeholders, which was really important to feel from our, the client's, perspective. 

Whenever we had a problem or a question, there was always a genuine curiosity to try and understand our perspective - TVE didn't feel like a vendor who was coming in and telling us how to run our business, but a partner who felt like they were on our team. 

What was your primary form of communication with The Value Engineers?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The work was incredibly high quality, but the level of service was even better. There was a scrappiness to the team that made you feel like they were in the trenches with you, always willing to roll up their sleeves and get stuck in. Everyone we worked with at TVE was smart, kind, and seemed genuinely passionate about our project. 

Another really impressive element was how the segmentation work made the jump from a significant piece of big data analysis, to a really tangible and accessible strategic framework for how we approach thinking about and activating different types of customers. Their presentation materials weren't just data dumps, and while everything was intensely data driven, it felt like they nailed the human element (ultimately what a segmentation is...) and the strategic implications as well. 

Are there any areas for improvement or something The Value Engineers could have done differently?

Honestly, there aren't any major improvements I can think of - communication and delivery were both excellent.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the insight lead for financial services at M&S.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The Value Engineers?

We needed support conducting a research project to understand customer responses to various credit products. This was to help us understand the appeal of propositions we'd designed and how customers would use them.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The Value Engineers ran a qualitative and quantitative research project for the financial services part of M&S. They handled everything: survey design, recruitment, fieldwork, data analysis, focus group moderation, and a full debrief.

What is the team composition?

I dealt with four teammates from The Value Engineers over the course of the project, but there were likely other team members working in the background. We worked with a small team.

How did you come to work with The Value Engineers?

I was aware of The Value Engineers' work from a previous company I worked with. They have delivered several insight projects for M&S in the past. For this project, we did a two-agency pitch. The Value Engineers put forward a strong proposal that met our requirements well, particularly the aspect of delivering under very tight timeframes.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with The Value Engineers from July–August 2025 on this specific piece of work. Their work with M&S goes back further.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The Value Engineers delivered a difficult project in a short timeframe. Their planning and communication were excellent. The team delivered on time and included the key information we needed.

How did The Value Engineers perform from a project management standpoint?

Our primary form of communication was email and Microsoft Teams meetings. The project lead also spent time in the office with us, which was particularly valuable in kicking things off well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The Value Engineers took the time to understand our business and its context and represented our customers' needs really well. For this specific project, the timings were a real challenge, but they worked cleverly and flexibly to make sure it was possible. They always kept an eye on the quality of the final outcome while listening to stakeholder requirements and being flexible where possible.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they did a great job on this piece of work and delivered everything we set out to achieve.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of strategy and business development at A Healthier Earth. We develop and operate climate tech projects using multidisciplinary teams to deliver scalable, profitable solutions that address climate change and environmental restoration, supporting the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The Value Engineers?

We needed help commercializing a new product by conducting a full go-to-market and execution strategy based on deep market research and insights.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The Value Engineers provided a go-to-market and execution strategy based on deep market research and insights. Their work included market analysis, market insights (key trends, customer profiles, drivers of demand), interviews with key market participants, identification of sub-sectors we should target, messaging for key targets, and an execution strategy. The team also provided bolt-on services such as website building and brand design at the end of the project.

What is the team composition?

We worked with five teammates from The Value Engineers.

How did you come to work with The Value Engineers?

We found them through a personal contact; our founder had previously worked alongside Paul (Managing Director). We chose The Value Engineers because they gave us the most complete suite of services, and their experience in commercializing global brands was unmatched by any of the other bidders.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent less than $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January–May 2025.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We were able to identify our target customers and engage them successfully with insights derived from the deep market research conducted by The Value Engineers. We were also able to redirect our R&D team to deliver outputs that are highly relevant to our customers' needs. We successfully engaged 75% of our target market in the first three months of executing the strategy that The Value Engineers helped to define. This engagement enabled us to establish a brand and break into a new market in a meaningful way.

How did The Value Engineers perform from a project management standpoint?

The Value Engineers' team was flexible in how they utilized their client's time but also proactive in ensuring that deliverables were realized on the agreed schedule. We had face-to-face meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The depth of their experience, particularly Paul and Sarah (Senior Consultant), in their respective disciplines was impressive. The whole team had worked across multiple sectors and had a vast toolkit of skills to apply to new challenges. Just listening to their respective career histories was an education in itself. Their client management was exceptional, and they were fun and engaging to work alongside.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they hit the mark on both the brief and the way in which they engaged with my team and stakeholders.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Reviewer Name: Catriona

Company Name: Unilever

Position: Consumer Insight Director

Company Description: Unilever produces and markets a wide range of leading consumer brands in food, personal care, and household products, including Lipton, Dove, and Ben & Jerry’s. The company aims to improve lives and promote sustainable, purpose-driven business practices.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The Value Engineers?

We needed help understanding consumer habits in the hand and machine dish category in our key markets.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of work performed?

The Value Engineers ran quantitative consumer research to understand dishwash habits in a number of countries. The team produced a high-quality report and an interactive database that allowed us to interrogate research findings after the study was complete. Further work was done on segmenting users based on attitudes to allow us to create targeted innovation and communication by segment.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a dedicated group of eight teammates from The Value Engineers.

How did you come to work with The Value Engineers?

We found The Value Engineers through a referral from another Unilever employee who had done good work with them. We did a pitch, and their solution was the best of all three agencies to whom we pitched the work.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with The Value Engineers in March 2024, and the project is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The Value Engineers has delivered the research to a high standard and created outputs that are useful for our team going forward. The data has been used within our marketing and R&D departments to develop innovation and communication. This data has also been used to guide the innovation funnel, which has allowed us to develop a strong innovation pipeline.

How did The Value Engineers perform from a project management standpoint?

The Value Engineers delivers on time and in full. We primarily communicate via email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We're impressed by The Value Engineers' dedicated and smart group of teammates. They have a can-do attitude.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything for The Value Engineers to improve.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Market Research and Insight Manager of Arco Ltd

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a safety product and services wholesaler

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire The Value Engineers to accomplish?

• Identify customer value drivers when dealing with suppliers like us
• Benchmark our performance against competitors

SOLUTION

How did you find The Value Engineers?

Referral

Why did you select The Value Engineers over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from The Value Engineers were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

The project included analysis of existing research and data to inform a customer and market survey. Key deliverables included several presentations of surveys results for different stakeholder groups and a multifacted conjoint simulator. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

No internal measures were linked directly to this project. 

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The team were friendly, knowledgable and flexible. Deadlines were kept and amended as needed. A great level of expertise was injected into the project from the start. 

What was your primary form of communication with The Value Engineers?

Virtual Meeting

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The extensive market knowledge

Are there any areas for improvement or something The Value Engineers could have done differently?

None 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a senior revenue marketing manager at WEX, a global commerce platform that provides embedded, personalized solutions to simplify payments, benefits, and mobility services for businesses worldwide.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The Value Engineers?

We needed support identifying and implementing our ideal customer profiles (ICPs).

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The Value Engineers has delivered tangible ICPs across multiple markets in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). The deliverables have included reports, profiles, presentations, and documents for implementation across the business to educate our team.

What is the team composition?

We've worked with 2–5 teammates from The Value Engineers.

How did you come to work with The Value Engineers?

We found them through a referral and chose them because they were a great culture fit.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2025, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The Value Engineers has delivered structured meetings with outputs and clear KPI deliverables on time. The KPIs have included delivering ICPs in a set format by a set date. We've also measured the effectiveness of the ICPs by their ability to influence and educate stakeholders, which we've assessed through their buy-in and feedback on the project.

How did The Value Engineers perform from a project management standpoint?

The Value Engineers has delivered on time brilliantly and is great at setting expectations. We primarily communicate through virtual meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The Value Engineers' culture, adaptability, and openness have been impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There's nothing they need to improve.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the Brand Director of a hospitality & leisure company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Creates extraordinary holidays for UK consumers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire The Value Engineers to accomplish?

• Review and reframe our brand strategy and target market to ensure they were fit for purpose
• Define market & category map
• Evolve brand ambition and vision
• Develop short - medium term strategy (incl 18mth roadmap)

SOLUTION

How did you find The Value Engineers?

Previously worked with them

Why did you select The Value Engineers over others?

• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned
• Previous experience with past company and they had also worked on this brand before

How many teammates from The Value Engineers were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

• Our current reality - situational analysis (Stakeholders, Brand, Product, Business, Guest & Competitors)
• Defining our future - defined market (category map), simplified target and defined ambition & vision
• Short term strategy - Must Win Battles, Jobs to be Done, 18mth Roadmap 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Clear market map - where we sit in the market, who our key competitors are, and where we want to target in the future

Brand ambition, vision & positioning - a rallying cry for the business to align behind and provide clarity for all brand, marketing and product activities

18 month roadmap - to drive strategic & tactical priorities to achieve brand value growth

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The teams always delivered on time, ensured expectations were successfully managed, and outputs clearly agreed.  They always responded promptly to any queries or questions, and were truly thought provoking and honest with their responses.

What was your primary form of communication with The Value Engineers?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Great strategic expertise, experience of working on successful brands and the ability to achieve credibility with senior stakeholders.

A combination of different team members giving valuable perspectives.

The ability of the team to present their work in an effective and also engaging manner to not only the core project team but also wider stakeholders and teams, inspiring them to believe in the outputs.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the Senior Manager, CPG Innovation of a retail company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

uplifts people's day through coffee and connection

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire The Value Engineers to accomplish?

• understanding an evolving CPG category and how to best compete and position ourselves in an authentic, differentiated way

SOLUTION

How did you find The Value Engineers?

Referral

Why did you select The Value Engineers over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from The Value Engineers were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

global category and consumer research in an under-served yet fast-growth category that was beginning to be selected by younger generations as their category of choice in our competitive space.  our goal was to understand the landscape, consumer perceptions and attitudes, how we could create a lasting and differentiated proposition to win with these consumers, and ultimately a story/narrative to help dispel ingrained negative beliefs about the product category and the appeal for our brand in playing in it.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

we had a comprehensive and clear research report with detailed recommendations on areas we could/should focus, as well as a clear revised story to help shift key leader opinions in our organization.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

yes very on top of the day to day management, always on time and responsive.  very collaborative.

What was your primary form of communication with The Value Engineers?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

the scale of their capabilities and level of their work for what felt like a very small boutique agency in terms of size.  felt very open, natural and conversation and meant that we could establish trust early.

Are there any areas for improvement or something The Value Engineers could have done differently?

none that I can think of