The Industry Drag Report / Free Report
The threat isn't the same in every industry. Neither is the opportunity.
Your industry may be changing faster than the way your company operates.
This report examines 29 industries through three questions: where structural drag sits, what competitive pressures are changing the economics, and where a lighter operating model could create an advantage.
2026
A cross-industry briefing
The IndustryDrag Report
The drag. The threat. The opportunity.
Analyzed
Structural drag doesn't look identical across industries. Neither should the response.
Inside the report
29 industries. Three questions worth asking.
A way to look past the usual industry headlines and examine the operating burden, changing competitive expectations and possible openings.
What makes established companies heavy?
Look for the internal work, dependence and complexity that can absorb margin or slow a response to the market.
What changes when a competitor needs less effort?
Consider where automation, faster decisions or a different operating model could change the economics of competing.
Where could a different structure change the outcome?
Identify questions worth investigating before adding headcount, capital, systems or complexity to the existing model.
A useful lens to take into the report
Don't just ask whether your industry is changing. Ask what is becoming harder to justify.
Use these questions with your CFO or COO. They are a starting exercise, not an industry score or proof of what is happening inside your company.
What work grows every time we add a customer, location or dollar of revenue?
What could a competitor deliver with fewer steps, approvals or paid hours than we require?
Which investment are we considering that might reinforce the current burden instead of removing it?
Bring the industry question inside your company
Where is structural drag showing up in yours?
The report gives you an industry perspective. Take your Drag Score for a separate look at your company's operating patterns—or bring one consequential concern to a 15-minute conversation.
