How a $6-7M robotics manufacturer restored ERP finance accuracy and scaled operations.
Manufacturing
Australia
Ongoing Strategic Advisory
10-12 staff
Operational clarity and executive alignment established.
to establish clean Trial Balance in Odoo
weighted average product gross margin revealed
successfully recruited to free up CEO capacity
long-term growth target with international scope
Technical ERP implementation success marred by broken backend accounting workflows.
The business generates $6-7 million in turnover with 10-12 employees across robotics, manufacturing, and product development. Having implemented Odoo ERP, operational workflows across purchasing, inventory, manufacturing, and dispatch were working smoothly under the CEO’s engineering oversight.
However, the financial and accounting end of the system was completely disconnected from operational realities. Because every operational step in Odoo triggers corresponding accounting entries, unmapped financial impacts meant the Profit & Loss and Balance Sheet were unserviceable. Management could not rely on historical figures to make strategic operational decisions.
Compounding vulnerabilities across margin tracking, leadership structure, and growth execution.
Blind Product Margins: The company sold 7-8 major product categories, but lacked general ledger segregation to track gross profit per category.
Extreme Operational Dependency: The CEO remained heavily bogged down in daily warehouse, purchasing, and operational routines, restricting strategic R&D focus.
Key Person Risks: The sudden resignation of the General Manager and upcoming retirement of a 10-year veteran exposed significant operational knowledge gaps.
Under-Invested Growth Levers: Annual marketing expenditure was capped at just $12,000, severely restricting market visibility despite strong online traction.
Systemic financial alignment followed by executive recruitment and strategic expansion.
Traced complete transaction workflows (Purchase → Goods Receipt → Manufacturing → Dispatch → Invoice) in Odoo sandbox, aligning general ledger rules within 30-60 days.
Mapped specific sales and COGS accounts to distinct product categories, identifying core margins ranging from 35% up to 70-75%.
Built integrated P&L, Cash Flow, and Balance Sheet forecasting models linked directly to pipeline demand and operating expenditure.
Structured and executed recruitment for a Chief Operating Officer, screening over 100 applications to hire a candidate to manage operations.
Conducted onsite interstate acquisition reviews with a retiring reseller to establish a growth region foothold.
Introduced fractional marketing expertise, transforming the $12,000 budget into a high-ROI brand exposure strategy.
Transition from backend accounting recovery to international scale preparation.
Reliable Financial Infrastructure: Fully restored Odoo reporting integrity, providing real-time Trial Balance trust and category margin clarity.
Leadership Capacity Unlocked: Transferred day-to-day operational control to an embedded COO, freeing the CEO to concentrate on product engineering and market growth.
Interstate Expansion: Advanced formal discussions for a strategic interstate acquisition.
Disciplined Management Rhythm: Established structured monthly cadence evaluating cash flow, actual vs. forecast performance, and growth projects.
Clear Scalability Roadmap: Laid solid structural foundations to guide business growth from $6-7M toward $20M with targeted interstate and international expansion.
What Our Clients Say Real results from real business owners across Australia.
What Our Clients Say Real results from real business owners across Australia.
