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We find the biggest challenges for Manufacturing include generating sales at good margins, ensuring productivity from automation and ensuring distribution..

Great Product + Productive Team + Equipment = Results

Quality product and highly productive team is essential for Manufacturers to achieve higher margins and sales growth

Our team of Business Strategists have spent many years working in Manufacturing environments at all levels.   Many of our team started their careers in junior Manufacturing positions and have also worked as General Manager of Manufacturing businesses.    

The biggest opportunities include lean manufacturing, productivity improvement, economies of scale, finding a niche where competition is less fierce, recruiting and building a great team, process and systems development to reduce reliance on owners and key team members, and improving management and leadership across the business.

The Strategize team since 2004 has worked with a wide range of clients from small to large retailers.  Some of these Manufacturing businesses include:

  • Food Products
  • Beverage Products
  • Textiles 
  • Wood Products
  • Engineering
  • Equipment 
  • Furniture Joinery
  • Machinery 
  • Metal Fabrication
  • Building Structures
  • Transport 

...and many more!

Manufacturing Growth Strategy

Many Manufacturing businesses we meet need sales and even more urgently need higher margins.  Many manufacturers we meet lack sales process and training whether to grow sales to existing or finding new clients.  Effective Marketing and Sales strategy and process are essential for Manufacturing business success and improving margins.  

The business impact of lack of sales at low margins means many manufacturers do not have cash flow to automate and expand or even to pay suppliers on time.  Manufacturing to focus unique products or manufacturing at scale is essential for success.      

Improving Manufacturing Productivity

 An effective Manufacturing Productivity Strategy is essential for improving and maintaining profit margins to ensure Manufacturing businesses are competitive.  We have found low productivity is caused by a number of factors:

  • Lack of management focus
  • Poor induction and training of team members
  • Ineffective process and system automation strategy
  • Lack of or out of date Information Systems 
  • Attrition of key team members 
  • Too much technical focus 
  • Need to implement latest project management methods 
  • Lack of cash flow from low margins to expand 

Building Manufacturing Teams

We find many manufacturing businesses have a tendency to be too focused on technical aspects of manufacturing rather than soft skills.  An effective Culture and People Strategy covering team engagement, leadership and management, career planning and Human Resources are essential for manufacturing business success.  A lack of focus on people and culture causes: 

  • Low team engagement leading to low business sales
  • Quality issues leading rework and low margins 
  • Late deliveries leading to upset clients and client leakage
  • High team turnover and constant training 
  • Lack of team self leadership and management 
  • Lack of defined minimum standards and output


What Our Clients Say

House Structures - “We purchased the opposition and had some real issues.  Or Consultant got us to be realistic about expectations and helped us to grow sales and align costs, we exceeded our expectations when new business profits were substantial.   ”
House Structures

“We purchased the opposition and had some real issues. Or Consultant got us to be realistic about expectations and helped us to grow sales and align costs, we exceeded our expectations when new business profits were substantial. ”

Food Manufacturer - “Our Business Advisor initially helped us with a Business Plan and within 6 months of implementing the Business Plan we added 3 extra distributors".
Food Manufacturer

“Our Business Advisor initially helped us with a Business Plan and within 6 months of implementing the Business Plan we added 3 extra distributors".

Engineering Fabricator - “We initially worked on stock reduction, debtor collection and managing suppliers,  but the real gains were made on growing sales for our bests product lines”
Engineering Fabricator

“We initially worked on stock reduction, debtor collection and managing suppliers, but the real gains were made on growing sales for our bests product lines”

Our Business Services for Manufacturing

Our core Manufacturing services include:

  • Strategizer Tool Business Assessment and Industry Benchmarking
  • Manufacturing Real Needs Assessment
  • Tailored One on One Business Improvement and Growth Programme
  • Manufacturing Marketing and Sales Growth Programmes 
  • Manufacturing Business Recovery and Turnaround
  • Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma analysis and implementation
  • Manufacturing Productivity Analysis and Improvement
  • Process and Systems Needs Evaluation and Project Implementation
  • Business Advisory Boards and Governance
  • Manufacturing Personnel Needs Assessment, Recruitment, and Development 
  • Manufacturing Leadership and Management Development and Training 
  • Succession Planning and Business Sale Readiness
  • Mergers and acquisitions for improving business scale
  • Manufacturing Services Licence and Franchise Model Development 

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