You can tell a lot about a company the moment you walk the plant floor.

The questions start piling up before the tour even ends:

• Why is margin leaking out of the quality process?

• Why is on-time delivery stuck and never seems to improve?

• Why is there a bottlenecks that cannot be identified or improved?

These aren’t cosmetic problems. They’re systemic. And if you’re doing due diligence—either as a buyer, a seller, or a lender—these cracks in the foundation matter more than the polished pitch deck upstairs.

Here’s what I’ve learned after doing these deep operational reviews across dozens of manufacturing businesses: you can’t fix what you don’t track, and you can’t scale what you don’t understand.

Want to increase enterprise value? Start by tightening the basics:

• Get your forecast accuracy above a 50% coin flip.

• Stop rescheduling orders because your S&OP is off.

• Put real-time production boards in place.

• Make quality costs visible—and accountable.

This isn't about making things look better. It’s about making them work better.

The best businesses run on rhythm and rigor, not heroics and guesswork.

If you're planning an exit, acquisition, or even just an internal turnaround, don't wait for a buyer to point this out. You’ll either fix it now—or discount it later.

👉 Want to know if your business is ready to sell?
I use a no-fluff checklist during every ops review to expose risks and surface value killers.
📩 Email me at [email protected] and I’ll send you a copy.

About Don Vanpool
Don Vanpool is a strategic operations expert who helps entrepreneurs scale, systematize, and sell their businesses for top dollar. With decades of experience across corporate leadership, private equity, and coaching, Don helps business owners turn operations into real assets buyers will fight for.