Case Studies
Case #1
Design Build Contractor with Growth Issues
Challenge
Niche privately held design/build contractor has growth issues struggling with too much market and not enough company, along with lack of senior team and organizational structure to offload owner responsibilities. Owner wants to consider various growth scenarios and eventual exit strategies.
Role
Fractional COO/Strategic Advisor
Strategy
- Develop strategic plan with ownership and select existing staff
- Implement organizational structure and personnel changes
- Develop and implement new business flow process
- Establish financial controls, forecasting and reporting
- Assist with company operations and mentor senior staff
- Develop company ownership scenarios, select and carry to conclusion
Implementation
Organization
- Developed new organizational structure
- Developed new job descriptions for new positions
- Standardized recruiting, hiring and on-boarding process
- Implemented Project Management team as matrix to functional departments and hired new project managers
- Hired new senior staff (Director of Finance, Director of Production,
- Director of Client Services, Director of IT, Executive Assistant)
- Implemented Performance Review Process
- Developed and implemented company-wide incentive compensation program
- Mentored staff
Marketing
- Spearheaded new corporate literature package
- Refined style guide
- Developed new Website
- Managed advertising and community engagement programs
Financial
- Worked with new Director of Finance to develop monthly reporting package
- Instituted monthly forecast process
- Developed annual financial and business plans
- Tightened financial controls to be in audit-ready condition
- Established new bank financing
- Developed product profitability analysis
Operations
- Acted as Chief Operating Officer, co-managing company with President/Owner
- Set up standing meeting schedule for operations review and scheduling
- Set up standing meeting schedule for senior staff department reviews
- Conducted quarterly all company presentations to review operations performance
- Worked through new operating system to establish efficient workflow process
- Developed standard project status and scheduling reports
- Oversaw office building renovation and new building construction for expansion
Ownership Trajectories
- Developed multiple business configuration scenarios
- Developed multiple scenarios for future transfer of ownership
Results
Fully functional and scalable organizational structure
Company positioned for continued growth
President/Owner has improved work/life balance
Positioned company for future ownership scenarios
Case #2
Family Owned Business Transition & Growth
Challenge
Family owned multi-location retail agribusiness needs stability and direction while going through ownership transition to next generation, remedy institutional vulnerabilities, improve operations performance and staff engagement, improve financial performance and reporting and reset growth trajectory through organic improvements, facilities developments and new business opportunities. Retail marketing good but needed further resource to offload senior staff.
Role
Business Advisor
Strategy
- Map out family ownership and operations transition process
- Identify senior management team and next level operations group
- Develop and implement strategic plan with senior and operations teams
- Set and achieve financial and growth targets
- Build senior staff to offload new owners from day to day operations to achieve strategic initiatives
Implementation
Organization
- Instituted cross-functional committee structure to implement strategic plan
- Standardized recruiting, hiring and on-boarding process
- Implemented performance review process
- Refined company-wide incentive compensation program
- Built confidence with previous family ownership to let go
- Identified and remedied areas of institutional vulnerability
- Identified high performing staff for future management positions
- Weeded out under performing employees
- Cultivated customer service and team oriented business culture
- Added new Finance Director, Marketing Director and business office personnel to offload new ownership
- Improved salary structure
- Mentored new owners
Financial
- Developed annual plan(s)
- Defined new financial and business reporting
- Set and achieved growth and financial performance targets
- Bank financing for several facilities initiatives
Operations
- Instituted and joined regular senior management committee meetings
- Instituted regular operations team meetings
- Instituted regular plan implementation committee meetings
- Transitioned to new POS operating system
- Improved labor utilization through new scheduling program
- Developed new inventory storage site as hedge for leased property
- Renovation project for flagship store
- Developed business plan for additional store operation
Results
Stable and performing senior staff, operations staff and workforce
Attained greater throughput in operations with CAGR of 17%
Achieved Gross Margin and EBITDA targets
Family transition complete
Case #3
Position Company for Strategic Growth and Exit Strategy for Owners
Challenge
Privately held Information Technology (IT) Managed Service Provider (MSP), with a unique anticipatory problem-solving business model and a higher first cost/lowest total cost of ownership value-based market model, wants to bridge from the threshold of post startup to a more sophisticated small business enterprise and achieve a scalable strategic growth plan. No real marketing activity. Additionally, current ownership couple who are CEO and CFO want to exit day to day operations and eventually exit ownership.
Role
Strategy and Operations Consultant
Strategy
- Prepare organization for leadership transition.
- Identify and mentor transitional senior team.
- Develop and Implement Strategic Plan.
- Develop financial planning and reporting models.
- Develop marketing resources to position & raise company profile.
- Develop cost models for both the company & clients to define value.
- Determine company valuation & ownership transition scenarios.
Implementation
Organization
- Developed recruiting, hiring and on-boarding process.
- Developed new job descriptions and postings.
- Introduced innovative goals/points-based employee incentive compensation plan.
- Offloaded CEO – Filled key positions to permit transition of Operations manager to COO to run day to day operations.
- Offloaded CFO –Engaged outside accounting firm and managed Finance.
- Set organization plan (Scalability) for further staffing based on growth projections.
Marketing
- Hired and mentored new marketing director.
- New logo development.
- Developed new website and SEO.
- Developed value proposition and marketing messaging.
- Developed marketing channels for messaging.
Financial
- Act in finance manager role with eventual hire of new CFO.
- Developed monthly reporting package.
- Developed annual financial and business plans.
- Developed P&L reporting and forecasting model with cash flow projection.
- Developed client profitability analysis.
Operations
- Set up standard meeting schedule for operations, marketing and senior team.
- Instituted Quarterly all company update meetings.
- Mentored new COO.
Results
Company positioned to grow 10% annually
Solid financial position with cost clarity
Scalable organizational structure
Incentivized and upbeat company culture
CEO and CFO have left day to day operations with successful transition