Strategy

New Opportunities

CFN investigates and reports on opportunities, trends and the competitive environment for clients' products and/or services. CFN actively seeks new areas where opportunities exist for clients or where CFN can develop additional expertise.

The special products and services of a client company may, under certain circumstances, lead to a unique opportunity for a directed contract with the Government. CFN looks for these so as to advise on how best to present the client's case successfully.

The demand for the services that CFN provides remains strong. With continued Government spending on defence and security, there are many potential areas where CFN can assist a client directly, provide strategic advice, or facilitate a connection to advance an initiative.

Perhaps the greatest impediment to seizing every new opportunity that arises is a fundamental tenet of CFN not to work for more than one client on any particular project. While the provision of strategic advice and information to all our clients may be appropriate during the early stages of a project, there comes a time when we must ensure that we do not have a conflict of interest situation.

Accordingly, all CFN consultants work for all clients, and we do not create 'firewalls' within the firm. Moreover, CFN will remain scrupulous in ensuring that competing clients understand this and our potential commitment to other companies in specific areas of work.

Socio-Economic and Industrial and Technological Benefits (formerly Industrial and Regional Benefits)

Major equipment acquisitions are announced on a regular basis and progress is being made in procuring new defence capabilities. The need for off-shore and domestic contractors to provide the necessary socio-economic and industrial and technological benefits has created a significantly increased demand for assistance in support in this area.  CFN has committed to various investments to broaden our expertise in this area and CFN has created a centre of excellence in supporting our clients with respect to socio-economic and industrial and technological benefits. This expertise applies not only to those companies with socio-economic and ITB obligations but also to those seeking to engage in work which could help fulfill those obligations.

Position in the Marketplace

Competition exists but CFN continues to enjoy an important and well-recognized position in the provision of strategic advice and assistance predominantly in aerospace, defence and public safety, although from time to time, we employ our expertise in other related government areas.  Given the fact that we are 'knowledge brokers' and that our capabilities largely flow from the collective expertise and experience of our consultants, we feel our vision is realistic – to be "the premier consultancy specializing in Canadian aerospace, defence and public safety". 

CFN consultants have ‘walked the walk’ – we provide support to our clients based on personal experience having spent our prior careers in government and business!

Approach to Servicing Clients

For the most part, CFN continues to maintain clients on retainer, with a view to establishing and developing long term relationships. We actively work to retain our clientele, through the provision of valued assistance, services and advice – surging when necessary to meet specific needs. This approach allows us to be very competitively priced, especially when one considers that all clients enjoy the contributions of all consultants, within the areas of work agreed.

This business model has served CFN and our clients well since 1983 and will continue to be the foundation for our relationships and provision of service. This is not to suggest that we will not take on specific project work from time to time, especially if it holds the promise of positioning us to serve clients even better in the long term.

Throughout, we make an effort to get to know our clients and their competencies in depth.  We conduct strategy sessions and gather information to determine the most appropriate approach to take, and to ensure that we become a valued partner in whatever undertaking is pursued.  We have found that honest and transparent advice serves our clients well and we will continue to provide it to the best of our collective ability.