Optimizing Your Business

We hired Matt to join our fast growing consumer products business at the height of the pandemic.  Why Matt?  We had a hard-working team, barely keeping up with the overnight drastic changes and increase in business brought on by the pandemic, but we needed Experience, Process Definition, Process Documentation, Training, Leadership and Objective Data Analysis.  I was fortunate enough to come across Matt’s unique skillset and experience on LinkedIn and called him to discuss our needs.  We were fortunate to have him join when we did.  As soon as we adjusted our Supply Chain Management Principles to the realities of the Pandemic, the rules changed.  Unpredictability and Uncertainty was everywhere.  And while we ramped up fast at the early stages of the pandemic to build inventory levels to support early demand, what we didn’t do was plan our way through the coming decline, nor did I have the right person on the staff with the experience and analytical insight required to put all the pieces together for a report that ultimately showed that we had reached Peak Sales Velocity, were on the way down, and there would be a significant Inventory Hangover coming.   The Results?  We were able to pull back on hundreds of containers of planned production, cancel PO’s that were no longer supported by an “If you have it, you can sell it” forecast and reduce both the Money in Use and Warehouse space required to support the business.  His actions ultimately contributed to efficiencies measured in the millions of dollars.

 

On a team, there are staff who excel with clear direction and workload management, but in a Fast Growth Environment, where Process is “Tribal Knowledge” or Documentation simply doesn’t exist, There comes a point in the Company Growth Cycle where Process needs to be documented, Duplication needs to be defined, Problems need to have Root Cause identified and solved.  Staff and Vendors both seasoned and new need training.  Making the Time to do these things is very hard when everyone in the operation already has a Full Day of work ahead of them, every single day.  Not having these things documented and sorted out results in inefficient onboarding of New Team Members.  Bringing someone on to the team with the skills of Matt Padgett is something I would highly recommend to the Company Owner or GM who is responsible for taking their company from Good to Great.