Target operating model and culture transformation to enable growth

Logistical Support Services (LSS) is a UK based SME in high security defence and government logistics, specialising in road logistics, freight forwarding and chartered freight solutions. Rapid growth in revenue and demand had outpaced its internal structures, creating strain on leadership and delivery. To continue its trajectory, LSS needed business transformation services that would align leadership, define a business transformation framework and enable operations transformation. Project One was engaged to provide transformation consulting and operations consulting expertise, so LSS could build confidence, resilience and a culture aligned with its ambitions for long term success. It would strengthen customer trust in defence supply chains further.

LSS had grown at pace, expanding its customer base and revenue across road, air and sea freight. As with many fast-scaling SMEs, the internal structure had not evolved at the same speed, which created pressure on both leadership and day to day operations. The owners were closely involved in decisions, which worked well in earlier stages but became harder to sustain as volumes increased. The team recognised they needed greater clarity on roles, management routines and future growth requirements.

These dynamics are common in family run businesses where commitment is high and leaders are deeply invested in outcomes. However, in a sector where continuity, resilience and compliance matter, LSS wanted to strengthen its foundations so the business could continue to grow with confidence. They saw the opportunity to align their leadership team, clarify accountabilities across back office and front office, and introduce processes that would support both productivity and culture as the business scaled.

As Charlotte Stone Sharpe (CFO and Owner) explained: “We are a business that grew very quickly in terms of revenue and output… we knew we needed someone with external experience to help us structure it in the right way.” The team proactively sought a partner with experience in operations transformation and business culture transformation who could validate their instincts, challenge their thinking and help them shape a business transformation framework tailored to their ambitions.

Their priority was to build shared alignment on the strategic vision, define director responsibilities, and establish practical routines that would support leadership and staff day to day. They also wanted an implementation plan that would turn their intentions into a clear sequence of actions and give them a way to track progress.

By strengthening structure, language and confidence around the operating model, LSS aimed to convert fast growth into sustainable long-term performance. This work would protect customer trust, support future hiring, and create a resilient foundation for the next stage of expansion.

Project One began by listening and mapping, and through interviews and workshops, we assessed structures, processes and accountabilities, and captured how work flowed. We validated the pain points the owners felt and surfaced those they had not named yet, translating them into clear language and priorities. Using our business transformation framework, we then co-created a strategic vision and a high-level operating model with the senior team. This covered people, process and tools, and it set operating principles to guide future decisions.

We clarified director accountabilities and divided the business into front office and back office to streamline flow and reduce single points of failure. We identified critical roles for growth, notably a Head of Operations as a buffer between the owners and day to day management. Alongside structure, we introduced practical routines such as regular one to ones, role descriptions and a performance and cadence rhythm, building leadership muscle across the team. We designed an implementation plan with adoption tracking so progress could be monitored and sustained.

Our change leadership approach created psychological safety for hard conversations in a family context. We helped the owners separate emotion from business-critical decisions, built a shared narrative for the case for change, and equipped leaders with the language to lead. Concepts such as single points of failure and cadence quickly entered the business vocabulary, making difficult topics easier to address. Education was embedded throughout so that capability would remain after exit.

We worked at pace and flexed as needs evolved. When impatience grew for visible results, we shifted gears to produce tangible outputs sooner, including job profiles and recruitment adverts, without losing sight of the deeper operating model and culture work. This balance kept momentum and confidence high.

What made this approach different was empathy combined with disciplined methods. We brought independent operations consulting skill, co-created with the customer, and made choices that fit a growing SME in defence logistics. The result was a set of practical artefacts, routines and accountabilities owned by the leaders themselves, supported by governance and a clear plan to embed the change. Leaders owned the plan and the pace fully.

LSS now has a clear operating model with defined leadership accountabilities and a practical plan to embed new ways of working. Separating front office and back office has organised workloads and reduced reliance on the owners for day-to-day decisions. Recruitment has been reframed with clarity on roles, behaviours and culture fit, reducing the risk of repeating earlier hiring issues.

The cultural shift is visible. Leaders have the language, routines and confidence to manage performance and coach their people. Charlotte summarised the impact: “I feel more confident now… beforehand it was more like a question mark. Now it’s more like a full stop.” The team has embraced the structure and communication rhythm, and LSS is progressing interviews for critical roles, including the Head of Operations identified early in the work.

Customers benefit from a more resilient and predictable partner in a sensitive sector, with clearer ownership and faster decision making. The owners describe feeling empowered, supported by tools and an external network they can call on when needed. The engagement closed with energy and optimism, with LSS ready to implement and grow.

Project One value Add: 

• Independent external lens and trusted challenge
• Practical business transformation framework, owned by leaders
• Blend of operations transformation and culture change
• Education and language that stick beyond the engagement
• Balanced quick wins with long term capability
• Clear accountabilities and governance embedded
• Defence aware, SME friendly approach
• Personable consultancy, not big consultancies

Do you need change expertise

If your organisation is facing rapid growth, structural strain or cultural misalignment, Project One can help. Our business transformation consultancy blends operations consulting and culture change. We co-create with your leaders, embed practical routines and leave you with the confidence and capability to continue.