The Hidden Aspect of Growth: Mastering Supply, Distribution, and Delivery

You can have the best product in the world, and you can have eager customers, ready to buy. But if you can’t?get it to them, reliably and at scale,?none of it matters.

Seven years ago, I helped scale a company that have an incredible garden maintenance product. Demand was surging. Orders were flying in. On paper, they were set for explosive growth.

Except for one problem, they couldn’t deliver. Their suppliers missed deadlines delaying manufacture. Warehouses were overstocked with the wrong components and often in the wrong locations. Deliveries took twice as long as promised and customers got frustrated, distributors threatened to withdraw, and the brand took a hit before it had the chance to truly scale.

That’s when we realised, their supply, distribution, and delivery networks aren’t just operational details. They’re another of the hidden factors that makes or breaks your ability to scale.

Build a supply chain that won’t let you down

Founders love talking about their products. But the most successful ones obsess over?where their raw materials come from, who their suppliers are, and how resilient their supply chain really is to the unknown and unexpected.

When Gymshark first started, founder Ben Francis was literally packing orders from his garage. Today, they ship to over 180 countries, because they built a?supply chain that scales.

Here’s how you do the same:

·????? Have multiple suppliers?– Relying on one source is a risk. If they fail, so do you. Have a primary supplier by all means, but make sure to build a backup network that’s reliable and with the right ethical and sustainability standards.

·????? Negotiate long-term agreements?– Lock in pricing and availability before you need it. Just like the energy industry, lock in costs so you can maintain stability for your customers.

·????? Balance cost and reliability?– The cheapest supplier isn’t always the best. Delays and defects cost more in the long run. Remember to factor in your carbon neutral commitments. There will be legislation eventually for all sectors so build it in now.

Design a distribution model that fits your business

How you get products from A to B depends on your business model.

• Direct-to-consumer (DTC)?– You handle distribution yourself, controlling everything from warehouses to last-mile delivery. Potentially higher costs but if you are building a company to scale, worth the investment.
• Retail & wholesale partnerships?– You sell through retailers or distributors, giving up some margin for wider reach. Can be a useful cashflow management strategy as your distributors are holding the cost of their stock.
• Hybrid models?– A mix of both, balancing control and scale.

Take?BrewDog.?They built their own direct-to-consumer platform while also working with bars and supermarkets. This dual approach gave them a?direct relationship with customers?while still reaching mass markets.

Make delivery a competitive advantage

Speed. Reliability. Cost.?These aren’t just logistics, they’re part of your customer experience.

Amazon built an empire on one promise:?fast, reliable delivery.?Customers don’t just buy products; they buy confidence that those products will arrive exactly when expected.

You don’t need Amazon’s scale, but you do need:

·????? Reliable delivery partners?– Choose couriers with a proven track record. It only takes one Ring Doorbell video to go viral, or warehouse manager’s feedback about your delivery partner to impact your reputation. Master your due diligence!

·????? Real-time tracking?– Customers want to know where their order is.

·????? Contingency plans?– What happens when something goes wrong? Have backup logistics in place. What if your delivery vehicle breaks down or there’s another barrier to fulfilling delivery on time.

Don’t let logistics choke your growth

I’ve seen businesses collapse under the weight of their own demand. They sell out too quickly. They overpromise on delivery times. They spend so much on urgent shipping that margins disappear. Scaling properly means?building infrastructure before you need it.

If you plan to double sales next year,?do you have the supply chain, warehouses, and logistics to handle it?

Build for the business you want to be

Supply, distribution, and delivery aren’t always the most glamorous side of business, but they’re the difference between a company that struggles to keep up and one that scales effortlessly.

Because in the end, customers don’t just judge you on what you sell.?They judge you on how well you deliver – the point at which your company is face to face with your customer.

Challenge 12: What are your contingency plans for a breakdown or failure in your supply chain and distribution chain. When was the last time you reviewed them and drew up a list of replacements. How often do you review and improve your current systems?

For more help and guidance, again search “supply” in my blog pages.