CASE STUDY
2x EBITDA moving from owner-dependent to tech-enabled
The issue
A growing manufacturer had become stagnant because too much of the business still depended on informal processes, manual workarounds, and the CEO's personal involvement.
The result
The business became easier to manage, easier to scale, and better positioned for an eventual 8-figure sale.
The situation
Over 30 years, a $20M manufacturer had grown into a complex business with multiple departments, customer demands, licensing requirements, production needs, and fulfillment challenges.
The company had strong market demand, but the operating system had not fully caught up with the size and complexity of the business.
The problems
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A 20-year-old legacy ERP was failing under the complexity of the business
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Customer chargebacks, service issues, and preventable escalations were piling up
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Manual workarounds were creating inventory errors and forcing constant rechecking
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The CEO was getting pulled into too many day-to-day operating problems
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Sales momentum suffered because leadership attention was consumed by operations
What we changed
Replaced ERP backbone
Migrated to a modern, cloud-based ERP that was fully customized to the business. Process automation implemented throughout the system & data integrity was restored. Tech began to work for the team, not against them.
New inventory discipline
Improved cycle counting, inventory processes, item setup, and warehouse accountability so the system started matching physical reality. Scan guns, tablets, and labels replaced physical paper throughout the warehouse.
Revamped KPI and reports
Redefined the company’s core operating KPIs and used the new systems to create visibility into production and warehouse performance. Daily ops meetings shifted from finger-pointing and firefighting to data-driven problem solving.
Results
2x
EBITDA growth
0
downtime ERP migration
5
new KPIs unlocked
80%
reduction in mis-ships
Why this matters for owners
When operations are messy, you become the fallback system.
Customer issues, chargebacks, bad data in reports, and department conflicts keep finding their way back to the owner. Sales is winning opportunities, but operations can't deliver. Growth slows down.
This work helped move the CEO out of the day-to-day using modern process automation and best-in-class systems.