Patrol023 is a family company founded in 2006 in the field of manned and technical security, which grew into one of the largest domestic companies in its industry.
Amid strong business growth, the company found itself organizationally disordered — a logical consequence of rapid growth. It needed to continue the shift from entrepreneurial to professional management, that is, to carry out a professionalization of the business.
The challenge
Business growth that organizational development hadn't kept pace with: a lack of formal structures, plans, procedures and job descriptions. The consequence was that the owner was under great pressure and strain, because too much rested on him.
Project objectives:
- Defining a strategic development plan for the company.
- Keeping pace with business growth through organizational development.
Approach and methodology
- Diagnostics — a detailed analysis of the business: financial parameters, the structure of clients and suppliers, competition and internal processes.
- Defining strategy — working with the owners and top management on a strategic development plan for the next three years.
- Organizational design — introducing a functional model and clearly defining responsibilities at all levels.
- Implementation and evaluation — gradually introducing changes, tracking results and adjusting; defining processes and procedures.
The work drew on the “I, Entrepreneur” methodology (finding competitive advantage and positioning the business) and Galbraith's “Star” model of organizational design, which links strategic goals to structure, processes, people and rewards.
The solution
- A clear strategic direction was formulated with a unique value proposition in the market.
- A functional model was introduced with departments, department heads and clear reporting lines.
- Processes and procedures within the business were defined.
- The owners and managers were educated in strategy and organizational design — so the company can keep improving on its own.
Results
| Metric | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | under €2M | ≈ €4M (+100%) |
| Net profit | under €70k | €150k+ (+100%) |
| Employees | ~180 | 400+ (+100%) |
Alongside measurable growth, qualitative results were achieved too: better communication and cooperation among employees, a clear development vision, greater agility in responding to market opportunities, greater leadership capacity for independent strategic planning, and the ability to delegate from owner to management.
If someone had told us a while ago that we could step back operationally from the family business and it would keep running smoothly, we wouldn't have believed them.
Key lessons
- Professionalization enables growth on healthy foundations and reduces the business's dependence on a single person.
- As a family business grows, organizational development must keep pace with business growth.
- A clearly and formally defined strategy is a precondition for serious results.
- Methodologies that connect strategy, organizational design and culture build long-term competitiveness.
This case shows how one of the largest domestic companies in the security industry reached that position — with a clearly defined strategy and an effective organizational design, achieving significant growth in both financial performance and organizational capacity, with sustainability and flexibility over the long term.