The Challenge

FBS Distribuidora operates across multiple business units—a factory and a distribution network—serving hospitals and healthcare facilities with specialized products. The company had built a solid customer base and was generating meaningful revenue. However, beneath the surface, the operation was struggling with a fundamental problem: nobody could see the real picture.

Financial data lived in spreadsheets scattered across different people and systems. The factory and distribution sides operated with separate processes, separate goals, and separate information flows. When leadership tried to understand profitability by unit, they hit a wall. Costs weren't clearly allocated. Supplier quality issues weren't tracked systematically. Customer complaints arrived through WhatsApp and phone calls, with no formal way to log them or track resolution.

"We had the revenue, but we couldn't see where the money was actually going," one executive explained. "We didn't know if the factory was profitable, if the distribution was profitable, or if we were just moving money around between the two."

The company was also struggling with quality control. Products reached customers with inconsistent weight, packaging issues, and delivery delays. Suppliers weren't being managed strategically—the team relied on a few key vendors without backup plans. And when problems surfaced, there was no formal process to document them, understand root causes, or prevent recurrence.

On the operational side, tasks weren't tracked. Responsibilities were unclear. Bonuses were tied to production numbers, not quality or customer satisfaction. The organization had grown, but the systems hadn't grown with it. What worked when the team was smaller was now creating bottlenecks and confusion.

The Solution

FBS Distribuidora brought in a consulting team to tackle these challenges systematically. The approach wasn't about buying new software or making dramatic changes overnight. Instead, it focused on three core areas: financial clarity, operational standardization, and quality governance.

Building Financial Visibility

The first step was consolidating financial data. The consulting team created a unified spreadsheet that pulled data from the bank extracts and the existing system, showing not just cash flow but also operating profit and margins—metrics the old reports didn't display. They established clear rules for classifying transactions: what counts as a loan between entities, what's a purchase of inventory, what's owner compensation.

"Once we could see the actual numbers by unit, we could make real decisions," a finance leader noted. "Before, we were guessing."

The team also implemented a monthly closing process. Every month, the finance team would reconcile the bank statements with the system, flag discrepancies, and validate the numbers. This wasn't just about accuracy—it was about building confidence in the data so leadership could trust it for planning.

Standardizing Processes and Ownership

Next came process documentation. The consulting team worked with each department to map out what they actually did. What are the daily tasks? Weekly? Monthly? Who's responsible for what? This led to written procedures, clear organograms, and responsibility matrices.

For quality, they created a formal quality policy with inspection checklists, a non-conformity reporting form, and a dedicated quality leader. When a product didn't meet standards, it was logged, analyzed, and tracked to resolution. Suppliers were evaluated based on data—not just gut feel.

For sales and customer service, they introduced a centralized dashboard tracking new customers, order volume, delivery times, returns, and quality issues. Suddenly, the team could see patterns. Which suppliers had the most problems? Which delivery routes were slowest? Where were customers most likely to complain?

Creating a Culture of Accountability

The consulting team also introduced a bonus structure tied to performance metrics. Quality mattered. On-time delivery mattered. Customer satisfaction mattered. Not just production volume.

They brought in organizational psychology support to help leaders manage their teams more effectively. They trained operators on quality standards and had them sign off on their understanding. They created a system where problems were surfaced quickly, not hidden.

"The biggest shift was moving from 'this is how we've always done it' to 'let's measure it, understand it, and improve it,'" a production leader said. "Everyone started thinking like owners."

The Transformation

The results came faster than expected.

Within months, the financial picture became clear. The company could now see profitability by unit. They understood their cost structure. They identified where margins were being squeezed and where they had room to grow. The monthly closing process, which used to take days of manual work, became predictable and reliable.

On the quality front, non-conformities dropped. The company tested new material suppliers and found better options. They invested in a gravimeter to ensure packaging weight was consistent. They standardized the cutting process to make products easier for customers to open. Customer complaints decreased, and the team could point to specific improvements they'd made.

The dashboard became the heartbeat of the operation. Every week, leadership could see how many new customers came in, how many orders shipped on time, what the average delivery time was, and where quality issues were emerging. This visibility led to faster decisions. When a supplier started having problems, the team could see it immediately and take action.

Sales through online channels like Shopee grew to generate meaningful monthly revenue. The company expanded its sales team with a dedicated inside sales role. Representation became more formalized, with clear contracts and commission structures.

The factory and distribution sides started working as one operation instead of two separate silos. Information flowed between them. Production planning aligned with customer demand. Inventory was managed strategically instead of reactively.

Perhaps most importantly, the team's mindset shifted. People started thinking about the business as a system. They understood how their work connected to profitability. They saw the impact of quality on customer retention. They took ownership of their metrics.

"We went from feeling like we were just surviving to feeling like we were building something," a team member reflected. "We could see the progress. We could see what we were improving."

The consulting engagement also created a foundation for the next phase of growth. With clear processes, reliable data, and a quality-focused culture, the company could now scale confidently. They could hire new people and train them on documented procedures. They could make investment decisions based on real financial data. They could negotiate with suppliers from a position of strength because they understood their own costs.

The transformation wasn't about becoming a different company. It was about becoming the best version of itself—organized, transparent, and focused on continuous improvement. And that foundation is now enabling FBS Distribuidora to pursue growth opportunities that would have been impossible before.