Case study · Business turnaround
Business turnaround through cost optimization and operational restructuring
We reduced costs by more than 30% and turned a four-brand F&B group into a profitable business, without relying on sales growth.
The client
A four-brand F&B group in a difficult market
The client operated a portfolio of four international brands, with approximately 300 to 400 employees across the organization. It was trading in a challenging market, where significant sales growth was difficult to achieve.
The priority was therefore to improve profitability by fixing the cost structure, strengthening financial control and creating a more efficient operating model.
The challenge
Make the business profitable without depending on sales growth
Procurement
Improve purchasing efficiency, supplier management and cost discipline.
Cost control
Gain visibility over expenses, identify inefficiencies and control operational spending.
Consultancy and external services
Review consultant engagements, what they cost and the value they delivered.
At the same time, the company needed stronger internal systems and a more structured organization to manage finance and operations consistently across its four brands.
The strategy
Fix what the business can control
We focused on improving the existing business model rather than relying on aggressive sales growth.
Procurement optimization
Restructured procurement processes, strengthened purchasing controls, and cut unnecessary costs to improve spending efficiency.
Cost control and financial discipline
Introduced stronger cost monitoring and better financial visibility to find inefficiencies, control expenditure and support management decisions.
Consultancy cost review
Reviewed external consultancy spend and found ways to reduce costs and get more value from external engagements.
Centralization and restructuring
Built the core operating infrastructure from the ground up, centralizing HR, accounting, back office and procurement to remove duplication, standardize processes and improve accountability.
The results
A profitable business, built on control
- 30%+ cost reduction through procurement optimization, tighter cost control and organizational restructuring.
- A successful turnaround to profitability, despite challenging market conditions.
- Modest sales growth, without making revenue expansion the main driver of the turnaround.
- Four international brands brought under a more structured, centralized operating model.
- 300 to 400 employees supported by stronger systems, processes and management controls.
The business impact
Profitability does not always require big revenue growth
In a challenging market, we concentrated on what the business could control: procurement, operating expenses, external consultancy costs and organizational efficiency.
By cutting costs by more than 30% and centralizing systems across the company, we improved financial discipline and created a more sustainable operating structure. The result was a profitable business built on cost management and operational control, not on sales growth alone.
The key lesson
When you cannot control the market, you must control the business.
We did not rely on a major increase in sales. We restructured the operation, challenged the cost base, centralized critical functions and turned operational efficiency into profit.
Is your business under cost pressure?
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