Strategex

Most manufacturing CEOs don’t have a growth problem; they have a focus problem.
Complexity builds quietly:
– more SKUs
– more customers
– more exceptions

At first, it feels like growth.
Over time, it starts to drag everything down:
– margins
– speed
– decision-making

We see this often in $1B+ manufacturing companies, especially those that have grown through expansion or acquisition.
The hard part isn’t identifying complexity.
It’s having the discipline to eliminate it.
Where are you seeing complexity creep in right now?
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Most companies don’t have a demand problem.
They have a commercial focus problem.

We see it all the time:
– too many SKUs
– too many customer segments
– inconsistent pricing

Revenue grows.
But margin doesn’t follow.
Especially in $1B+ manufacturing businesses, complexity creeps into the commercial model long before it shows up in the P&L.
The challenge isn’t identifying it.
It’s deciding what to simplify.
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Where are you seeing this show up most: product, customer, or pricing?

TAM tells you how big a market is. It doesn't tell you if it's worth pursuing.
Total Addressable Profit (TAP) is a simple extension of traditional market sizing. Instead of focusing only on revenue, TAP estimates the total gross profit available within a market or segment.

Because the biggest market and the most profitable market are not always the same thing.

Read more about TAP, the missing dimension in market sizing, here: https://hubs.la/Q04hrlCm0

Total Addressable Profit (TAP): The Missing Dimension in Market Sizing TAM shows market size, but not value. Learn how Total Addressable Profit (TAP) helps companies prioritize higher-margin opportunities and drive better…

Strategex Vice President, John Ahn, breaks down what 50 PE investors are planning to do in 2026, and why conviction is harder to come by than capital. The forecast is gloomy, but there is undoubtedly value to be captured. The path to it just needs a fresh game plan.

Read the observations from our most recent market survey:
https://hubs.la/Q04cTQXC0
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Dry Powder, Damp Spirits A Strategex 2026 Private Equity Market Survey. SEE THE DETAILED UNDERLYING DATA

"Gathering insights is worthless without action."
Too many companies hear hard truths from their customers and respond with "We already knew that," then change nothing.

One company chose differently. Three years and an 89-point NPS swing later, they went from at-risk to industry leader.
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https://hubs.la/Q04cfphK0

The Value of Customer Insights: Why Listening Drives Growth Companies that ignore customer satisfaction metrics risk falling dangerously behind, but those who measure relentlessly and act on the hard truths can…

95% of companies investing in AI have seen zero measurable return. Why? They're automating work they should be eliminating. Read the full insight to see how a simple 3-step approach turns AI spend into results.
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https://hubs.la/Q04b-p1Y0

A 30-Year-Old Warning About AI That Everyone Is Ignoring 95% of businesses investing in AI have seen zero measurable return. The problem isn't the technology; it's that most companies are automating work they…