By Viktor Andrukhiv, Co-founder of Fibermix, Savex Minerals and PACK FOR BUSINESS
When a business starts performing well, the inevitable question arises: “Is it time to scale?”
Research from the University of Pennsylvania backs this up — the largest companies don’t lead because they’re the most productive, but because they’re the most scalable. On average, top performers are 10% more scalable than their competitors.
But scaling isn’t about going faster. It’s about going smarter.
Our company grew from a local operation to exports in 17 countries. Here’s what we’ve learned about scaling sustainably — without compromising the very thing that brought us success: quality.
Lesson 1: Your Team Is Not a Resource — It’s the Foundation
One of the most common mistakes founders make is treating people like a resource to “optimize.” But growth isn’t only about systems and tools — it’s about people.
We’ve seen competitors using the exact same equipment and still falling behind. The difference? Skills and mindset. Competence drives performance — and incompetence leads to inefficiency, rising costs, and wasted potential.
To grow without breaking your team:
Build internal training systems before scaling starts.
Raise salaries proactively — it’s cheaper to retain than to retrain.
Duplicate key expertise so you’re not dependent on a single person.
Lesson 2: How Much Growth Can You Handle?
From our 15 years of experience: 2–3x annual growth is the most your system can handle without cracks appearing. Aim for 5–6x? You’re almost guaranteed to see quality issues.
Why? Because systems have limits. As demand spikes, the pressure on people and processes outpaces their ability to adapt. Mistakes slip in. Quality drops.
Data shows scalable companies get 7% more output from the same inputs. But that only happens with structured growth — not chaotic leaps.
To assess your safe growth zone:
- Audit your current bottlenecks.
- Calculate your equipment’s true capacity (downtime included).
- Evaluate how fast your team can absorb new processes.
- Plan growth in phases, with 3-month checkpoints.
Lesson 3: Why Gut Feel Isn’t Enough Anymore
As volumes grow, intuition fades. You can’t rely on gut feeling — you need systems.
Digitization is what lets you react before things break. You’ll need clear data on sales, production, quality, logistics, and procurement — especially if you’re planning to double volumes. And don’t hesitate to involve external auditors to challenge your blind spots.
Start with standardizing:
- Quality control at each stage, tied to KPIs.
- Departmental reporting — who, what, when.
- Supplier workflows — from request to payment.
- Onboarding and upskilling for new hires.
Lesson 4: Don’t Forget the Warehouse
Scaling isn’t just strategy. It’s also space, materials, and machines.
If your warehouse is 100 m² and you want to double output — you’ll need to upgrade or expand. That could mean shelving systems, new forklifts, or new sites altogether.
Suppliers matter too. Our principle: at least two options for every critical input. We operate 24/7 — and when one supplier fails, backups save the day.
Lesson 5: Scaling Sends Signals — If You Listen
Readiness doesn’t happen overnight. In our case, we saw the pressure build over two years. Orders outpaced our capacity, and eventually, we had to choose: grow or fall behind.
We chose to grow.
Checklist: Are You Ready to Scale?
Consistent profit for the last 6 months
Stable order backlog for over 2 months
Team operating at 85–90% capacity without losing quality
At least 80% of processes standardized
Financial buffer to cover 6–9 months of operations
The 5 Scaling Mistakes That Kill Quality
- Trying to scale with the same resources — double the output rarely works on the same budget.
- Ignoring bottlenecks — if it’s already weak, it’ll break under pressure.
- No backups — relying on one supplier, one expert, one line.
- Cutting raw material costs — tempting, but risky.
- Jumping from x1 to x5 — skipping phases leads to collapse, not growth.
Scaling is a rhythm, not a race. And quality is the beat that must never break.
