The key data points to drive portfolio company growth with Bill Canady
Jan 9, 2024
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Bill Canady, CEO of OTC Industrial Technology and Arrowhead Engineered Products, shares key strategies for data-driven growth in PE firms, becoming customer-centric, and managing multiple companies. He discusses the common mistakes in PE and the profitable sales model. Bill emphasizes leveraging data to achieve PE goals and his Profitable Growth Operating System (PGOS). He also shares his motivation for writing books and resources for self-improvement. Additionally, the podcast touches on the importance of going fast, drawbacks of drop shipping, having a clear mission and goal, and the significance of studying history.
Moving quickly and making strategic changes based on data analysis is crucial for achieving superior returns in private equity.
Effective data analysis, focusing on profitable customers and products, can drive substantial growth without the need for additional capital in portfolio companies.
Deep dives
The Importance of Moving Fast in Private Equity
One of the most common mistakes observed in private equity firms and portfolio companies is moving too slowly. When a new CEO takes over, it is crucial to quickly assess the data and identify the profit pools. Private equity is all about achieving a superior return, and time is a key driver of that return. The CEO needs to be thoughtful and systematic, using a series of questions and processes to make fast and strategic changes. Going fast allows the company to take advantage of the limited window of opportunity and make significant improvements.
The Benefits of Managing Multiple Companies as a CEO
Having a CEO manage multiple companies backed by the same private equity firm can be challenging, but advancements in technology and virtual teams have made it possible. With a virtual leadership team, physical proximity is no longer a requirement, allowing the CEO to effectively manage different businesses across locations. The key is to have a consistent process and approach that can be applied to each company. By adopting a systematic and data-driven model, the CEO can focus on maximizing profitability and driving growth in each company.
The Four-Step Process for Effective Business Transformation
To ensure successful business transformation, a four-step process is recommended. The first step is the goal meeting, where the CEO establishes the target return on invested capital and sets the growth goals for the company. The second step is strategy development, where the CEO determines the strategic actions required to achieve the goals. The third step is organizational structuring, where the company is aligned to effectively execute the strategy. The final step is the tactical meeting, where the specific steps and actions needed to execute the strategy are identified. This four-step process helps streamline decision-making, optimize resource allocation, and drive effective execution.
The Power of Data in Driving Business Growth
Effective data analysis is critical for driving business growth. By leveraging the principles of the 80/20 rule and lean methodologies, companies can focus on their most profitable customers and products. Through data analysis, companies can identify their A customers, who consistently drive the majority of the profits. By optimizing resources and enhancing efficiency around these high-value customers and products, businesses can achieve substantial growth without the need for additional capital. Balancing between emotional attachment to customers and the data-driven realities of profitability is key to successfully implementing this strategy.
Introducing Bill Canady Bill Canady is the CEO of OTC Industrial Technology and Arrowhead Engineered Products, both backed by private equity. Bill has over thirty years of experience as a global business executive in various industries and markets focused on industrial and consumer products and services. As a leader, Bill aligns with key stakeholders to create a clear and compelling vision to rally an organization to drive growth, control costs, and increase profitability. From his experience, Bill has built the Profitable Growth Operating System (PGOS) to help owners and operators worldwide grow their companies profitably.
What You Will Learn
Key Strategies to make data work for PE firms
How to be customer-centric and achieve profitable growth
Taking command and growing of your company
Breakdown [00:17] Getting to Know Bill Canady [02:59] Common Mistakes by PE Firms and actions to correct them [04:15] How Bill is managing two companies as the CEO [07:07] The processes that have allowed Bill to run successful PE firms [17:57] How to cultivate a customer-centric mindset in PE [24:05] The most profitable sales model for PE firms [26:30] How to leverage data to achieve PE goals [28:30] Bill’s motivation and model for writing multiple books [32:15] Bill’s books and his PGOS model for profitable growth [35:40] Bill’s Go-To Self-Improvement Resources [36:53] How to reach out and connect with Bill
How Data Works in Private Equity How does data work in achieving PE goals? According to Bill, the goal of PE firms is to make money and get to the exit as fast as possible. The way this works is by looking at the maths and identifying where a PE firm is making money. As a company, Bill shares that when they get the data, they start figuring out where to go, and as the CEO, his work is to communicate their mission and goals. The goals are irrefutable, and everyone around the table is committed to them in PE. They know exactly what they must do to get a return that is acceptable to everyone.
This means that to make data work, you need three things. First, a CEO who says, “We’re going to follow the data and reorganize ourselves.” Second, the operators running the company have to follow the process. Third, you need a program manager who understands the 80/20, the toolset, and the strategy management process and can act as the trainer or coach within the business. According to Bill, without these three: someone to tell you how to get there, someone to do the work, and someone that says work must be done, the outcome is pretty underwhelming.