Capacity/ Throughput Maximization
Rapidly Capturing Manufacturing And Logistics Cost Reduction Opportunities At Ethnic Foodservice Products Manufacturer
Captured $1.2MM in operations run-rate savings in 12 weeks at an ethnic foodservice and retail private label products manufacturer by implementing shop floor management best practices. Gotham worked on the shop floor to: observe operations; identify potential improvement opportunities; provide immediate guidance to client personnel; and troubleshoot and pilot solutions. We improved line through from ~225 cases/shift to ~375 cases/shift, reduced fill weight by 3-7% to minimize overfill, reduce floor scrap by 50%; and eliminated expired rework scrap. To ensure sustainability and further improvements, we: trained client personnel, put in place process changes, tools, KPIs and reporting system; and identified/planned next set of improvement opportunities. Gotham also launched logistics savings capture by developing direct ship pilot and facilitating conversation between company sales teams and foodservice distributors.
Show Details
Avoiding Need for Capital Investment via Throughput Improvement and Cost Reduction at Private Label Nutraceutical Company
Identified significant manufacturing capacity available through a variety of key throughput levers, including: reduced number and shortened length of changeovers; reduced frequency and duration of downtime; and increased speed in bottleneck equipment. In addition, identified 35% reduction in direct labor cost. Following our implementation plan, company increased EBITDA by $7MM by the end of the fiscal year and the PE firm successfully sold the company.
Show Details
Assessing Operational Scalability to Support Targeted Growth at Family-owned Branded Ethnic Foods Manufacturer
Built operational performance fact base and cost model for due diligence of an entrepreneurial company. Effort included: first-hand observation of operations, management interviews, data collection and synthesis, equipment condition and capex requirement assessment, food safety review, and interviews with potential co-packers. Established that: the existing plant can meet the buyer's target of growing the business 2-3X current volume; identified 5-6 viable and interested co-packers; identified opportunities to reduce cost per case by 16-17.5%; and provided a road map for improving operations. The PE firm is in process of closing the deal.
Show Details
Establishing Operation End-vision for a Fast-growing, Entrepreneurial Climate Control Product Manufacturer
Conducted a 3-week operations diagnostic to establish an end-vision for optimizing the clients’s manufacturing, supply chain, and engineering operations. Gotham developed a solid fact base of the client’s operations, including demand patterns, inventory, labor efficiency, product complexity, and cost structure. Working with management, Gotham created an end-vision to transform operations and generate both real bottom line benefits – 600bp EBITDA improvement, 20-30% reduction in inventory, and 30% reduction in the plant footprint – and capability enhancements (faster speed to market, improved quality, etc.) that will allow the client to capture market opportunities and drive future growth. The company’s board wholeheartedly backed this end-vision and asked Gotham to help accelerate capture of these opportunities.
Show Details
Establishing Growth Prospects, Margin Risk, CapEx Risk, and Operations Improvement Opportunities at Private Label Canned Food Manufacturer
In sync with the needs of each stage of the deal process, conducted phased customer, market, and operational due diligence, initially focusing on: 1) growth outlook – established the target’s category presence, identified key market trends, and built a model to project category growth; 2) competitive positioning – interviewed 27 PL and category buyers from supermarkets, wholesalers, food service companies, and brokers; and 3) CapEx and operational risk – visited the target’s 3 plants, assessed capacity, and reviewed operational improvement plans. After the client signed the LOI, Gotham conducted: a deep dive assessment of margin risk, using 7-year SKU-level price/margin data and outlook for major input cost drivers; and an in-depth operational diagnostic of material yield, direct labor, and inventory costs.
Show Details
Rapidly Validating Margin Improvement Opportunities and Assessing Capacity/CapEx Risk at Testing Services Provider
Conducted 2-week operational due diligence to validate margin improvement opportunities and assess capacity/CapEx risk. Gotham visited 7 facilities and conducted full-day operations review with management to understand operations management approach/processes and visions/plans moving forward. To fill gaps in this data poor situation, we performed various in-depth analyses – recasting labor cost structure, analyzing job-level data to understand profitability, building a bottom-up labor utilization and fixed cost model to project margins with revenue growth, etc. Gotham’s due diligence work enabled our client to move forward with confidence and successfully acquire target in a proprietary deal.
Show Details
