Case Study: Rebuilding Commercial Control in a Stalled Portfolio Business
Overview
A portfolio company with strong brand recognition and a respected product had lost momentum. Revenue had plateaued. Product launches were missing deadlines. Financial pressure was building. A leading private equity firm asked NorthCo to conduct a full operational review and help leadership regain control of a business that still held real promise.
What We Found
This wasn’t a failing business. It was a business under strain. The symptoms were clear: siloed departments, reactive behaviours, and an overstretched finance team focused on managing reports rather than driving performance. Most critically, the business had lost its connection to the customer. The brand remained strong, but the commercial engine had stalled.
NorthCo’s job was to cut through the noise and bring focus, clarity, and calm. We helped leadership reconnect with their purpose, re-align around their customer, and re-energise the path forward.
Our Response
Financial Stabilisation
We are not financial consultants, but we understand how the numbers reflect operational reality. In this case, we identified a hidden shortfall in the sales forecast model—not through spreadsheets, but by interrogating the thinking behind the forecast process.
Under pressure, the finance team had become trapped in reporting cycles. Their focus had shifted from supporting recovery to maintaining the bank narrative. Sensible in isolation, but cumulatively damaging. Supplier delays, paused campaigns, and missed commercial opportunities followed.
We helped shift the focus:
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Uncovered a material shortfall embedded in the forecast
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Introduced cost measures that relieved pressure without stalling momentum
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Negotiated better supplier terms to ease cash strain
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Helped reframe finance as a support to commercial recovery, not just a reporter of results
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Encouraged a mindset shift—from scarcity and caution to control and confidence
Leadership Realignment
Pressure had pulled leadership inward. Internal meetings, performance decks, and risk avoidance had taken centre stage. The customer had become a secondary concern.
We reset that focus:
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Facilitated leadership alignment sessions centred on customer value
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Co-created a simple, one-page mission sheet with clear OKRs for the next 12 months
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Re-engaged cross-functional teams to shift from protectionism to shared ownership
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Reframed decision-making around customer impact and commercial contribution
The process wasn’t just about clarity—it was about restoring belief. The mission sheet became both a reference point and a rallying point. It helped the team lead again.
Operational Efficiency
Much of the frustration had been anchored to the digital platform. It had become a scapegoat—a reason for delay, deferral, and drift. In truth, while imperfect, the platform was not the root issue.
We helped the team move from deferral to delivery:
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Repositioned the platform as a constraint to manage, not a blocker to blame
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Agreed to retain the system and revisit alternatives in 18 months
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Focused on improving what could be controlled now
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Reduced returns through better content, tighter descriptions, and service fixes
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Removed friction in the buying journey and improved digital conversion
This helped the business regain momentum, replacing inertia with action.
Customer Engagement & Reputation Recovery
The brand promise was slipping. Service quality and customer experience were lagging behind the product.
We intervened:
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Reviewed customer sentiment, feedback, and perception
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Built a reputation recovery strategy tied to real customer pain points
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Put in place service recovery protocols and clearer escalation paths
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Shifted tone from defensive to proactive
Trust wasn’t rebuilt through spin. It was rebuilt through action.
From Insight to Action
Review work means little without follow-through. We stayed close to the team:
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Ran a strategic off-site to align leadership and define next steps
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Helped implement immediate cost-saving actions
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Supported negotiations with suppliers and creditors
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Created a commercial rhythm across sales and marketing
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Oversaw integration of customer-facing teams to improve alignment
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Initiated feasibility planning for a future platform transition
What This Shows
This wasn’t a finance problem. It was a leadership and focus problem. One that had allowed commercial drift and cultural fatigue to take root.
At NorthCo, we help management teams move from pressure to clarity. We reconnect strategy to execution, and restore forward motion without losing what made the business great to begin with.
If a portfolio company is drifting, we’ll help you get it back on course—with pace, purpose, and practical control.
Commercial control isn’t just about numbers. It’s about focus. That’s what we help restore.
