'Case_Study_Cingular.indd' by josh.strauss

The largest cash-transaction merger in the USA to date posed signifi cant execution challenges
for Cingular Wireless in its $48 billion purchase of AT&T Wireless. With studies by leading
consultancies indicating that a majority of mergers fail to deliver intended results, with mergers
of equals failing twice as often, Cingular needed fl awless execution to turn two very good
companies into one great company and achieve wireless industry leadership.

Highly-Customized Experiential Learning

BTS interviewed some 16 senior executives at Cingular, including the COO, CFO and CMO,
developing the customized solution in 8 weeks. The centerpiece of the initiative was a business
simulation which featured Cingular’s four strategic imperatives, key initiatives and 3-year plan
goals. The simulation enabled leaders to explore what great execution looks like and to practice
successful execution by focusing on the execution capabilities of the company’s managers in key
areas across the business.

Eight years of experience with Cingular, as well as its predecessor and parent companies, SBC
and BellSouth, enabled BTS to develop the solution with a short lead-time and highly focused
on how leaders contribute to merger success.

The Solution – A Simulation Enabling Leaders to Practice Successful
Execution of Cingular’s 3-year Merger Plan

Solution: A 2-day workshop with 2-hour e-learning prerequisite

The solution, “Getting To Great”, created an intensive, discovery-based experiential learning event to
drive strategic alignment and accelerated execution of business plan. The initiative had the following
objectives:

Understand the company’s goals for industry-leading metrics and learn execution strategies for
effective, results-oriented leadership

Deepen understanding of the 14 key initiatives that drive execution and achievement of the
company’s strategic imperatives

Drive and sustain practices that will achieve merger objectives

Increase the ability to leverage and maximize resources, with a new competitive mindset
focused on driving growth

Build an integrated organization that will help us quickly achieve business goals

Deepen understanding of key metrics behind “reputation” and churn and relationship of those
to subscriber growth, ARPU and operating margin

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