Research & Consulting Group

What Research & Consulting Group does

Research & Consulting Group AG (RCG) is a privately held Swiss boutique management consulting firm headquartered in Pfäffikon, Canton of Schwyz, that operates exclusively in the steel, metals and mining industry. Founded in 2001 and led by Chairman Joachim Schröder, the firm employs 11–50 staff—anchored by principals each with more than 25 years of industry executive and advisory experience—who serve as the principal-led delivery backbone for all engagements. The firm works with major international enterprises across all stages of the value chain (from mining and raw materials through production, processing, and distribution), all major product categories, and all key producing and consuming regions including Brazil, China, CIS, the EU, India, Japan, Korea, North America, Southeast Asia, and MENA.

The firm is organized around three integrated practice areas: Strategy, Organization and Transformation; Operations, Technology and Industry 4.0; and Markets, Customers and Sales. Its analytical IP rests on proprietary consulting methodologies rather than software—most notably a hypothesis-led, fact-based engagement approach, a 2-week S&OP Quick Check diagnostic, a six-step corporate strategy development framework, and a four-step strategic feasibility study framework with 7-year horizon scenarios. Underpinning these is a content library of more than 100 market assessments covering all major product groups and consuming regions, accumulated across 150+ successfully executed client projects. The firm complements this with strategic academic partnerships at the University of St. Gallen, RWTH Aachen, WZL, and IFA focused on production and process management including digitalization, and a UNED partnership for international distance-learning services.

Revenue is generated exclusively through project-based, quote-based professional services engagements sold directly to enterprise clients via field sales. RCG explicitly positions itself as not compromised by ambitions to sell follow-on engineering, IT implementation, or outsourcing—preserving independence and objectivity as a core differentiator against cross-industry generalists and full-stack consultancies. There are no disclosed funding rounds, acquisitions, subsidiaries, or public listings, and the company appears to be founder or management-owned.

Name

Research & Consulting Group

Legal name

Research & Consulting Group AG

Website

https://rcg-ag.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Research & Consulting Group AG is a Swiss boutique management consulting firm specializing exclusively in the steel, metals and mining industry, serving major international enterprises with strategy, operations, and market analysis engagements across the full value chain.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Management Consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Strategy & Corporate Development Consulting (BPAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Supply Chain & Procurement Consulting (BPAHACAC), Innovation, Product & R&D Consulting (BPAHACAM), Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom) (BPAHALAE)

Keywords

• Industrial management consulting
• Steel industry consulting
• Metals and mining advisory
• Strategy transformation services
• Operations consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Pfaffikon

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Management Consulting Services: Professional services revenue generated through management consulting engagements in strategy, operations, and market analysis for steel, metals & mining industry clients. Engagements are project-based, hypothesis-led, and delivered in close client collaboration.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Research & Consulting Group is a management consulting firm that exclusively serves the steel, metals and mining industry, delivering strategy, operations, and markets-related engagements from mining and raw materials through production, processing and distribution. Engagements are hypothesis-led and fact-based, executed in close collaboration with clients by principals with 25+ years of industry experience, and supplemented by specialized analytical services such as feasibility studies, S&OP Quick Checks, and corporate strategy development frameworks.

Product overview

Research & Consulting Group is a management consulting firm organized around three core practice areas: Strategy, Organization and Transformation; Operations, Technology and Industry 4.0; and Markets, Customers and Sales. These three integrated service lines work together to provide holistic consulting engagements—from strategic planning through operational execution—serving leading international companies in the steel, metals and mining industry. The firm supplements its core consulting practices with specialized analytical services including feasibility studies, S&OP Quick Checks, and corporate strategy development frameworks. All offerings are delivered by industry-experienced consultants rather than through software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategy, Organization and Transformation Management consulting practice that addresses strategic threats and opportunities across multiple time horizons, covering corporate strategy development, organizational restructuring, and transformation planning and execution support for leading steel, metals and mining companies.
• Operations, Technology and Industry 4.0 Consulting practice covering all production stages and major support processes including maintenance, procurement, sales and operations planning, and supply chain, with a focus on operational performance optimization and the application of Industry 4.0 and digitalization technologies for steel, metals and mining clients.
• Markets, Customers and Sales Consulting practice covering market assessments, channel and customer analysis, commercial operating model optimization, and sales strategy development across all major steel, metals and mining product groups and consuming regions.
• Feasibility Study Services Market feasibility analysis and validation service for strategic investments, including market sizing by end-use segments, dimensions, potential sales volumes and revenue forecasting for steel, metals and mining clients.
• S&OP Quick Check Two-week diagnostic assessment evaluating the maturity of planning strategy, operational processes, organizational structure, information management and controlling for steel, metals and mining clients.
• Corporate Strategy Development Six-step strategic planning service covering market and technology analysis, opportunity identification, evaluation of options, prioritization and strategic roadmap development for one- to two-year horizons, aimed at leading steel, metals and mining companies.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 150 projects successfully executed with leading steel, metals & mining companies
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers33 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of St.Gallen (HSG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic cooperation enabling optimal interface between industry-specific knowledge in steel, metals & mining and academic research capabilities. Focus on production and process management including digitalization.
• RWTH Aachen University, FIR (Institute for Industrial Management)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation providing expertise in production, maintenance and service management including digitalization. Various projects conducted in Industry 4.0 context.
• WZL (Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for production and process management including S&OP. Project experience in digitalization and Industry 4.0.
• IFA (Institute of Production Systems and Logistics)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for production systems and logistics expertise supporting consulting engagements.
• UNED (Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for international services and educational offerings through distance learning for all career levels.
• BDS – Bundesverband Deutscher StahlhandelminorOthersMembership in German steel trade association for industry engagement and networking.
• European Steel AssociationminorOthersMembership in European steel industry association for industry representation and networking.
• European Association of Steel Traders, Flat Service Centers and Steel StockholdersminorOthersMembership in European steel traders association for industry engagement.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• McKinsey & Company: Global generalist management consulting leader with an industrials & metals practice. Competes with RCG on large board-level strategy and transformation engagements for steel and mining majors, but serves many industries and lacks RCG's single-vertical depth and objectivity claim.
• Bain & Company: Global strategy consulting firm with an industrial practice that frequently serves mining, metals, and steel clients on corporate strategy and operational improvement. Comparable on C-suite strategy work; broader portfolio than RCG's niche.
• Boston Consulting Group (BCG): Top-tier global management consultancy with materials and industrial goods practices advising major steel, mining, and metals clients on strategy, operations, and decarbonization. Direct overlap on enterprise transformation mandates where RCG also plays.
• Roland Berger: European-origin strategy consultancy with strong industrial and automotive-adjacent practices that engages with European steel and metals producers. Overlaps with RCG on industrial strategy and operational transformation work in EU markets.
• Oliver Wyman: Global management consultancy with an industrials practice serving metals, mining, and heavy-industry clients on strategy, operations, and commercial transformation. Overlaps with RCG's transformation and market advisory offering, with broader industry coverage.
• Arthur D. Little: Global strategy and innovation consultancy with deep industrial heritage in metals, materials, and process industries. Closest broad incumbent on industry-specialized strategy and transformation work; competes with RCG on steel/metals advisory mandates.
• Kearney: Global management consultancy with strong heritage in industrial, metals, and process-industry operations and strategy. Competes with RCG on operations transformation, supply chain, and metals-industry engagements.

Direct peers

• Wood Mackenzie: Specialist commodity and metals & mining research and consulting firm covering steel supply/demand, mining, and downstream markets globally. Most direct functional peer on RCG's Markets/Customers/Sales practice and feasibility-study work; competes for the same market-analysis budget.
• Hatch: Global engineering and project management consultancy with a substantial metals, steel, and mining practice delivering feasibility studies, transformation, and operations improvement. Closest peer on engineering-flavored transformation work; differs from RCG in also delivering implementation.
• CRU Group: Independent commodity research and consultancy firm with deep steel, metals, and mining expertise producing market intelligence, price assessments, and bespoke consulting. Direct peer on market assessments, feasibility work, and strategic advisory for the same producer and trader clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/research-consulting-group-ag-rcg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Research & Consulting Group