Scaling a Cape Town-Based Online Retailer
Industry: E-commerce (Clothing & Lifestyle)
Location: Cape Town, South Africa
The Challenge:
A small but fast-growing online retailer selling local fashion brands was struggling with logistics. Orders were frequently delayed, stockouts were common, and customer complaints were rising. The founders were spending hours on operations instead of marketing and product sourcing.
The Solution:
As a Fractional COO, I conducted a full operations audit. I implemented automated inventory tracking through a cost-effective POS system integrated with their Shopify store, partnered with a reliable local courier, and set up weekly fulfillment KPIs for the team.
The Results:
Reduced order fulfillment time from 4 days to 24 hours
Decreased order errors by 60%
Freed up 20+ hours per week for the founders
Boosted repeat customer rate by 28%
Case Studies
Streamlining Operations for a Tech Startup
Industry: SaaS / Fintech
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
The Challenge:
The company was preparing for its Series A funding round. However, internal chaos in project management, missed development milestones, and unclear team accountability were red flags for investors. Burnout among developers was high.
The Solution:
I introduced agile operations, defined quarterly OKRs (Objectives & Key Results), and restructured project workflows using Asana and Slack. A weekly reporting cadence was implemented for transparency across the board.
The Results:
Product development sped up by 35%
Employee retention increased by 22% over 6 months
The team secured R12 million in Series A funding
Operational Overhaul for a FMCG Distributor
Industry: Fast-Moving Consumer Goods
Location: Durban, South Africa
The Challenge:
This family-owned distributor of health beverages was scaling nationally, but their operations were stuck in manual systems. Delivery errors, delayed invoicing, and overstretched staff were threatening partnerships with major retail chains.
The Solution:
I digitized their order-to-cash process using a local ERP provider and trained staff on new SOPs. Inventory was centralised and real-time dashboards introduced to track key metrics.
The Results:
Delivery accuracy improved to 98%
Month-end invoicing time dropped from 10 days to 2 days
Enabled 3 new retail chain partnerships
Reduced operational costs by 18% in 6 months