The Punch We Didn't See Coming
Have you ever been blindsided by your own inexperience? I sure have. The first half of 2024 hit us like a punch we didn’t see coming, and our company was left reeling. But just like a good fighter who takes a few hits, we got up, dusted ourselves off, and dove back into a fight we knew we could win.
New Beginnings: Relocation and Expansion
As 2023 wrapped up and we entered 2024, I had my head down, focused on getting through the final stages of KMM’s move into our new facility. It was an exciting time! After nearly two years of planning and renovation, we were about to realize the vision we’d created during our 2020 merger. COVID was behind us, and we were ready to seize the incredible opportunities ahead. The last major step was getting the three companies that formed KMM under the same roof. Once that was done, I thought we’d be off to the races.
The Real Challenges of Integration
I could not have been more wrong. The mistake I made was equating the physical relocation of equipment and personnel with the actual integration of roles, personalities, and processes. What I didn’t anticipate was that while many people had known each other since 2020, they hadn’t really worked together. Too many of the processes from the individual companies had stuck around, rather than being replaced with new systems that would better serve our larger, unified company. Looking back, I completely missed what the “integration” of KMM should have truly looked like.
That, my friends, was the “haymaker” that knocked us down. We were struggling. Communication broke down between departments. We lost visibility over our scheduling, production control, inventory, and ultimately, our finances. We needed to pivot, and we needed to do it fast.
Self-Reflection and Realignment
By the end of Q2, Eric and I took a hard look at ourselves and the company and started making some much-needed changes. We got back on our feet. We realized that we needed to rethink many of the roles—starting with our own. As leaders, it starts at the top. We took an honest inventory of what we, and the rest of the leadership team, were contributing, compared it to the roles we were in, and assessed what the company truly needed to get back on solid ground. Once we aligned our roles with our strengths, things began to fall into place.
But we didn’t stop there. We were humble enough to recognize that we needed outside help. I’m not usually one to call in consultants, but in this case, we knew we couldn’t waste time reinventing the wheel. We engaged a fractional CFO group and an operational consultant. What we’ve learned from them has been nothing short of transformative.
The Power of External Expertise
We’ve learned to focus on the right metrics for the CMO we’ve become. We’ve empowered our leaders, who are now in roles that match their strengths, with the right information. Communication is improving across the company, and we’re already feeling the positive momentum week by week.
The consultants helped us evaluate our staffing levels. Though it was challenging to hear, the results showed that we were overstaffed in some areas. We made some tough decisions and had difficult conversations with valued team members who didn’t fit the needs of the company at this stage. It wasn’t easy, but it was necessary to restore balance.
Key Takeaways from Our Journey
Looking back, we re-learned a vital lesson. We got ahead of ourselves and paid the price for losing focus on some of the foundational business principles that drive success in any industry:
- Put leadership in roles where they can thrive.
- Open lines of communication and foster transparency.
- Ensure the right balance between staffing and company needs.
2024 was full of challenges, but it was also a year of significant achievements:
- KMM’s move to its new facility signaled to the MedTech industry that we are competing at the highest level of the CMO space.
- By leveraging our unique technical expertise, we successfully solved ongoing production issues for several A-list clients, positioning us for strong growth in 2025.
- The entire KMM team became more resilient, focused, communicative, and stronger.
A Stronger KMM in 2025
As we step into 2025, we find ourselves in a very different position than we were just 12 months ago—wiser, more focused, and ready to tackle the exciting challenges that come with the strongest projected growth in our history.
However, we believe that real growth starts with self-reflection and decisive action. If your team is struggling with integration or facing a crossroads, know that you’re not alone. Reach out—we’re always here to share insights, swap stories, or offer technical expertise to solve a challenge. Contact Us!
Let’s make 2025 into a year of shared success.
