Ian Xie: The Essence of Localization Is “Reverse Innovation”
As part of its strategy to deepen its presence in the Chinese market, dss+, a globally leading operations management consulting firm, has decided to officially introduce its new brand name “顶世智汇” （Ding Shi Zhi Hui） to the Chinese market.
dss+ is a global consulting firm focused on helping organizations improve efficiency, reduce costs, and achieve sustainability goals through operational management expertise. It has been operating in China for 22 years,entering the market in 2003.
Ian Xie, China Managing Director of dss+, told International Financial News that the group had decided on the new brand name after careful and thorough deliberation. The term “顶世” (Ding Shi) reflects its expertise and commitment to shaping the future as a pioneer in the operations management consulting industry; while the term “智汇” (Zhi Hui) means leveraging both global and local expertise and strengths to drive organizations toward high-quality outcomes through collaboration.
When it comes to the company’s core competitiveness in the Chinese market, Ian said that dss+ currently boasts a team of over 1,750 experts, with business operations spanning across more than 40 countries and regions worldwide. He described the dss+ expert lineup as being “capable of both strategic planning, technical expertise and practical execution”.
As Ian has observed, the current China market landscape poses increasingly higher demands on consulting services. It’s not enough for organizations to have a clear strategic plan—they must also focus on ensuring the strategy can be effectively implemented.
As for how the dss+ will further deepen its localization strategy in the future, Ian elaborated from three perspectives: team composition, methodology, and strategic thinking.
dss+ has a team of over 100 experts in China, all of whom are local professionals. They understand Chinese culture and are deeply familiar with the operational patterns of domestic companies. dss+ rejects the rigid transfer of foreign models. Ian emphasized that while Chinese companies once went through a period of uncritical admiration for international practices two decades ago, the market has since changed drastically. Today, Chinese companies are far more discerning and no longer accept external solutions wholesale.
He believes that the essence of localization lies in “reverse innovation”. It’s not just about translating international experience into Chinese and applying it without adaptation. It’s about designing solutions tailored to local development based on the genuine needs of the Chinese market.
About a month ago, dss+ formally established a long-term strategic partnership with Shandong Dongming Petrochemical Group Co., Ltd. to accelerate its transition into a world-class enterprise by deeply integrating advanced international management experience with local industry practices.
Li Zhi, President of Dongming Petrochemical, said that the company faced multiple challenges. Through strategic cooperation, he hoped to leverage dss+ extensive operations experience to make breakthroughs in several core areas, including production, R&D, engineering, and marketing, thereby creating greater value for all stakeholders.
Ian revealed that dss+ has enabled chemical companies in the Chinese market to enhance production efficiency, achieving cost savings worth hundreds of millions of yuan, equivalent to slashing the consumption of raw materials and energy by over 100 million tons. These resource efficiencies can be directly translated into measurable carbon reductions. “Over the past 18 months, we helped one client reduce equipment failure rates by 75%, which directly led to higher production efficiency and lower energy consumption,” he added.