ACI Group increases turnover with technology shift

In 2020, the Smet family bought back ACI Group just two years after they sold it when they realised the new owner was running out of funds. It was at this point that Karsten formally joined the small family business his father had founded in 1988. 

Karsten was immediately interested in leveraging technology to make the business more sustainable and improve the service delivered. On top of this, ACI Group was in the early stages of an acquisition.  

Despite his experience, Karsten felt that he needed to develop his own knowledge in order to integrate the acquisition and grow the business.  ‘What happens when you've been in a C-level position at large organisations is you don't know how SMEs work. You don't necessarily understand how all the different components really fit together.’ 

Karsten began searching for courses that could help him manage the many moving parts of the company, and this is when he found the Help to Grow: Management Course at Brunel University. 

'Fundamentally, directors from larger firms like myself, do not understand how decisions are made in SMEs, because often you are not required to explain yourself.'

Karsten initially hoped that the course would help him understand how he could apply the ACI Group values and cultures to the new business they were acquiring and also become a technology-enabled organisation. 

However, the scope of the course was much more far-reaching, helping Karsten consider ACI Group’s digital presence, launch a CRM system, and address diversifying the workplace.  

‘In the first two modules, we started talking about the value of a business and how you differentiate yourself in the market. Straightaway I was able to apply the ways of thinking to what I was doing in the business. Rather than doing my usual 40-page business plan, I saw the benefit of getting down the key points on a page. This has helped me greatly in investor conversations and it gave me the grounding to consider how the business can deliver against a plan.’ 

There were also frameworks that helped Karsten approach his company in a different way. After conducting a ‘Digital Audit’ through the structure provided in the Digital Transformation module, Karsten was introduced to the ‘Marketing Mix’ in Module 6 (Building a Brand). This is a model to help business leaders assess how they reach potential consumers. With these frameworks in mind, Karsten decided that the ACI Group could be better promoted to its intended audience. Combining the two frameworks, Karsten put a renewed focus on the ACI Group’s digital presence. 

Ultimately, this had a huge impact on how the business interacts with customers. 

Karsten applied his learnings to his digital marketing strategy, the acquisition ACI Group was undertaking, and the launch of a new product.  

Digital Marketing 

After revamping the ACI Group’s website and social media channels, the business has seen an 800% increase in interactions with customers on its website. On top of that, the ACI Group now has over 1,200 followers on LinkedIn which places it within the top five of its competitors. 

Acquisition 

When it came to ACI Group’s acquisition of Oomph Works (previously Go Media), Karsten was able to apply what he had learnt about company culture from the Help to Grow: Management Course.  

‘I was worried about how we would blend working cultures and ultimately improve our two businesses as a single unit. The learnings on mission, vision, and values I managed to apply, and the support of my mentor, made the process of integrating Oomph Works into ACI Group a success.’ 

Launching a new product 

Following the acquisition, ACI Group has also been able to launch a new product. This was after Karsten saw that the technology he was implementing could be useful elsewhere.  

‘I looked around and saw that many CRMs were overpriced for small businesses and had add-ons that weren’t suited to SMEs. 

We already had this software underpinning our operations and so with the skills in marketing I had picked up, I went about bringing Oomph to market.’ In February 2023, the product was launched. 

The impact of applying new processes to the ACI Group has been felt across the business and ultimately led to better financial health. The company has increased its £11 million in turnover in 2022 to £18 million.  

ACI Group’s success has also been recognised with a number of awards, including winning Thames Valley’s SME of the year 2023 and being shortlisted for 3 different categories in the National Business Awards.  

‘ACI Group got so much out of this course, we have doubled in valuation, increased turnover, won awards, and launched a new product. 

‘I found the course so helpful that I have a member of staff attending the course at the moment. Honestly, my advice to anyone would be to get yourself and your senior leaders on the Help to Grow: Management Course.’