Revenue, margin and cash flow gaps identified within 48 hours of your evidence pack
Coffee Import Program, Distributor Control Model
Case Study | Published February 2026
At a Glance: Australian coffee importer and distributor | Single product line, full container shipments | Multi-week lead time | Weekly drawdown to roaster customers | Engagement type: 48-Hour Solution | Delivered: commercial terms framework, payment control model, logistics and compliance system, and weekly operating scoreboard
The Situation
An Australian coffee importer and distributor operating a full container import program with weekly deliveries to roaster customers had built a working business on informal foundations. The commercial relationships were real, the product was moving, and the customer demand was steady.
But the operating model carried risks that were not visible until something went wrong. Payment milestones were unclear. Document release and title transfer rules were not formalised. Landed cost components had not been independently verified. Storage and handling standards had never been written down. And the weekly drawdown cycle - running against a multi-week replenishment lead time - left almost no room for stockouts, disputes, or service failures.
The business needed a model it could operate repeatedly and scale with confidence. What it had was a setup that relied on goodwill and good luck in equal measure.
The Brief
Fixer48 was engaged to conduct a fast operating review and deliver a practical control model the business could implement immediately.
The brief covered four areas:
- Identify and close the cash and margin exposure points in the current commercial structure
- Build a payment, document, and title transfer framework that reduced unsecured trading risk
- Define the logistics, storage, and compliance requirements for a food-grade import and distribution operation
- Produce a repeatable weekly operating system with clear owners, proof requirements, and escalation rules
The Approach
Fixer48 worked through six areas of the business in sequence, building a connected control model rather than a collection of isolated fixes.
Cost Review and Reduction
All cost drivers across freight, insurance, port charges, handling, storage, and delivery were identified and mapped. Verification checks and evidence requirements were set per shipment to confirm landed cost components and remove exposure to double-dipping or opaque cost build-ups.
Revenue and Margin Protection
Pricing guardrails were established alongside discount and exception approval rules. A clear structure for service charges was built, linked directly to real handling and distribution workload rather than informal estimates, ensuring every order carried its true cost.
Working Capital and Cash Control
Staged payment milestones were defined across the shipment lifecycle - purchase order, dispatch, port arrival, and 3PL receipt. Document release and title transfer rules were tied to confirmed cleared funds at each stage, reducing unsecured exposure across the full container value.
Governance and Operating Control
Decision rights, approval limits, and escalation rules were defined across the operation. A weekly operating pack was built with an action register, owners, and close-out evidence requirements at every step.
Compliance and Quality
Storage conditions, handling rules, pest and hygiene controls, batch traceability requirements, and complaint response steps were documented and built into the 3PL brief and supply agreements.
Stakeholder Reporting
A weekly update format was created for customers and supply partners covering stock position, inbound timing, releases, and exceptions - giving all parties visibility without relying on ad hoc communication.
Challenge and Outcome
Key Challenges Addressed
How do you protect cash across a high-value single container import when payment milestones, document release, and title transfer rules have never been formalised?
How do you verify landed cost components and protect margin when the cost build-up sits with a third party and has never been independently confirmed?
How do you manage stockout risk when weekly drawdown is steady but replenishment lead time is measured in weeks, not days?
How do you build compliance confidence in a food-grade import and distribution operation that has been running on informal handling standards?
What Fixer48 Delivered
A supply and distribution agreement framework with clear control points covering margin split, payment flow, multi-sourcing rights, cost transparency obligations, and non-compete limits.
A shipment cost verification checklist with supporting evidence requirements per shipment, designed to confirm landed cost components and flag any double-dipping before funds are released.
A 3PL requirements brief and selection scorecard covering food-grade handling, temperature and humidity controls, pest management, batch traceability, reporting standards, and delivery service levels.
An inventory model with reorder rules aligned to lead time and weekly drawdown patterns, eliminating stockout risk from the operating model.
A weekly KPI scoreboard and action register with owners and close-out evidence, giving the business a repeatable operating rhythm for ongoing shipments and future scale.
The Deliverable
Fixer48 produced a full import and distribution control model covering the situation assessment, cost verification framework, revenue and margin guardrails, working capital and payment control structure, governance and decision rights, compliance and quality standards, stakeholder reporting format, and a weekly operating scoreboard. The work was completed within 48 hours to meet an imminent customer meeting deadline.
The deliverable moved the business from a fragile, informally structured operation to a controlled import and distribution model with clear rules at every handover point - built for the current program and designed to scale.
"The business moved from a fragile setup to a controlled import and distribution model. The work reduced dispute risk, improved cash protection, lifted service reliability, and created a repeatable process for ongoing shipments and future scale." From the Fixer48 engagement conclusion
What This Engagement Demonstrates
This engagement is representative of Fixer48's 48-Hour Solution - a fast, focused advisory product designed for business owners who need a decision-ready plan under time pressure. The client did not need a long engagement or a strategy workshop. He needed someone to read the operation clearly, identify the exposure points, and build a control model he could act on the same week. Fixer48 delivered that within 48 hours.
Core capabilities demonstrated in this engagement include import and distribution model design, working capital and cash control, landed cost analysis, food-grade compliance framework, logistics provider evaluation, and weekly operating system design.
To discuss how Fixer48 can help your business, contact Ashley Kent. ashley@fixer48.com.au fixer48.com.au
