How SYSTEMology Drove Business Systemisation and Operational Efficiency for an Australian Construction Supply Company

Executive Summary

Valmond and Gibson, an Australian construction supply company, found themselves trapped in a cycle of daily firefighting and owner overwhelm. Despite years of industry experience and plenty of business advice, they struggled to break free from chaos and create a business that could run without constant owner involvement.

Everything changed when they joined the SYSTEMology group program, facilitated by business systems consultant James Brown. Step by step, they turned scattered knowledge into clear, repeatable systems. The team became more confident and capable, the owners found breathing room, and the business laid the groundwork for lasting growth, with less stress and more freedom.

Key results:

• Their most critical client process was mapped out and documented, removing guesswork.
• The number of documented systems grew rapidly, giving everyone clarity on what to do and how to do it.
• Team members stepped up, took ownership, and the business no longer relied on the owners for every decision.
• With chaos replaced by structure, Valmond and Gibson built a strong foundation for future growth - without burning out. Their journey reflects what’s possible when small business consulting services focus on clarity, team empowerment, and systemisation.

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About the Business

Valmond and Gibson is a specialist supplier of building facades, serving projects across Australia’s construction sector, from family homes to hospitals to high-rise developments. Founded during the COVID-19 pandemic, the family-led business has achieved remarkable growth in just three and a half years.

Michael, the owner, and Kieran, his partner in people, systems, and innovation, started Valmond and Gibson with a goal: fill a gap in the market while building a business that wouldn’t consume their every waking hour. They wanted a company that could stand strong on its own, giving them space for family, growth, and life outside work.

But as the business took off, familiar headaches set in. Like many Australian SMEs in construction supply, they found themselves caught in a web of owner dependency, scattered processes, and a team unsure of what to do next. Despite their best efforts and early wins, they realised that sustainable growth and freedom would only come with better systems and a united, empowered team.

That’s when they set out to transform chaos into clarity, searching for a practical, step-by-step way to build the business (and the lifestyle) they’d always envisioned.

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Challenges

Turning Growth Into Chaos: The Real Struggles Behind the Scenes

As Valmond and Gibson grew, so did the pressure. Their rapid rise brought familiar challenges that plague many construction suppliers:

• Scattered documentation: Early attempts at capturing processes were lost in endless Google Docs, leading to confusion, missed steps, and wasted time.
• All theory, no playbook: The team knew the “why” behind systemisation (thanks to business classics like E Myth) but kept hitting a wall when it came to actually putting systems in place.
• Owner dependency: Kieran felt he had to stay hands-on in every process, meaning the business couldn’t run without him, and growth always hit a ceiling.
• Change vs. survival mode: Building better systems always seemed to take a back seat to urgent day-to-day demands, leaving little space for real progress.
• Stalled improvement: Both Michael and Kieran were hungry for optimisation, but without clear, documented processes, every improvement felt out of reach.

"We had a lot of the why... but we didn't really have the how. We were on the lookout, and as soon as we listened to that first podcast around SYSTEMology, we were sold straight away." - Kieran, Co-Founder

These pain points aren’t unique. They are the reality for countless business owners in building supply, owners who want freedom but are kept stuck by chaos and the constant need to be present. They’re common in Australian SMEs and especially in construction suppliers who’ve tried traditional business consulting services with little long-term impact.

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Choosing to Work With Us

For Valmond and Gibson, knowing the theory wasn’t enough, they needed a hands-on, practical path to real business freedom. Like many SMEs, they had already tried business coaching and read the E Myth, but nothing seemed to stick. The missing ingredient was a system that actually works in real life, not just on paper.

• False starts, real frustration: Previous coaching and big ideas hadn’t delivered the step-by-step tools they needed to turn vision into daily reality.
• A program that finally fit: The SYSTEMology group program stood out because it balanced expert support with building know-how inside their own team.
  “We were keen on doing it internally, using our internal IP and knowledge base.” - Kieran, Co-Founder
• Ready, set, go: In the end, they decided to leap.
  "We just jumped in and were brave." - Kieran, Co-Founder

For Valmond and Gibson, this wasn’t just another program, it was the beginning of real change, built on their own expertise, with practical guidance every step of the way.

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Their SYSTEMology Journey

Step-by-Step Systemisation: Empowering the Team, Easing Owner Overwhelm

Valmond and Gibson’s transformation was a series of small, intentional steps that led to real freedom.

• Learning by doing: Michael and Kieran showed up session after session, leaning into live workshops and using recordings to stay on track. The group format meant they learned not just from their own business, but from others too.
• Nailing the critical client flow: Guided by James Brown, they focused energy on mapping their core process, the one that really mattered. This “go slow to go fast” approach meant they didn’t drown in endless documentation and could actually see progress.
• Letting go for growth: At first, Kieran tried to do it all himself. But with James’s encouragement, he recognised his real power was in leading people, not paperwork. He eventually handed off documentation to a trusted team member.
  "The efficiency of what we're now getting out of that machine of documentation is amazing." - Kieran, Co-Founder
• Learning from the community: Peer feedback and James’s honest input helped them sidestep rookie mistakes and fast-track best practices.
• Scaling, bit by bit: What started as a one-man show turned into a repeatable workflow - one staff member now owns the SYSTEMology process, from scheduling interviews to prepping forms and keeping everything organised.

By giving the team ownership and building systems together, Valmond and Gibson finally broke the cycle of owner dependency and set the stage for lasting, scalable growth.

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Before and After 

Business Process Improvement: How SYSTEMology Transformed Valmond and Gibson

Before SYSTEMology:

• Documentation was scattered, inconsistent, and hard to follow.
• Owners felt chained to the business, reluctant to delegate, with every decision funnelling through them.
• All the business theory in the world, but no clear way to turn it into action.
• Optimisation and growth were postponed for “someday.”

After SYSTEMology:

• Their most critical client process is now clearly mapped, documented, and running smoothly.
• Documentation is organised, up-to-date, and accessible in System Hub.
• Systems can be rolled out across the whole business, so every team knows exactly what to do and how to do it - consistently.
• Owners finally let go. Kieran is focused on leading, while a SYSTEMology-trained team member keeps the documentation engine running.
• Team members are involved and engaged, learning the systems and owning their part in the process.
• The business now has a strong foundation for ongoing improvement and real, sustainable growth.

"The efficiency of what we're now getting out of that machine of documentation is amazing. Our investment in time is amazing." - Kieran, Co-Founder

Without SYSTEMology, Valmond and Gibson would still be stuck with inefficiency, owner bottlenecks, and missed opportunities for scalable business systems.

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Reflections and Outlook

Looking back, Valmond and Gibson’s leaders see SYSTEMology as a true turning point. The old way - relying on memory, firefighting, and owner control, gave way to a culture of shared ownership and clarity, thanks to James Brown’s nurturing but also challenging approach. His guidance didn’t just teach systems; it helped the team believe in their ability to lead real change.

Now, the focus is on weaving these systems into every corner of the business, making continuous improvement a way of life. The journey isn’t over, but the early wins have already proven that investing in a step-by-step systemisation program pays off, especially for construction suppliers ready to move from reactive to proactive small business management.

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Conclusion

Valmond and Gibson’s story is living proof that business systemisation works. By choosing a proven methodology, empowering their team, and moving beyond owner dependency, they’ve unlocked new levels of consistency, growth, and peace of mind. For construction companies ready to break out of survival mode, their journey shows what’s possible when you build your business one system at a time.