From Chaos to Clarity: Three Executive Levers to Build Resilient Growth

First published July 2025

At a Glance

• Unlock > $100 million in CapEx capacity for reinvestment in value-creating segments.
• Realise up to 80 % productivity gains by scaling Gen AI into core workflows.
• Boost digital retention by 15 %+ through real-time, closed–loop customer feedback.

For CEOs and operating leaders under pressure to deliver profitable growth in tighter capital markets, these three levers are delivering measurable impact quarter by quarter.

Read time: 4 minutes

Lever 1. Shift from Growth at All Costs to Growth by Design

High-performing companies are rebalancing their priorities, moving away from indiscriminate expansion to disciplined, business-outcome–driven growth. Growth is no longer a side–effect of capital availability – it is the output of deliberate organisational design.

Market insights

• The OECD projects global growth slowing from 3.3% in 2024 to 2.9% in both 2025 and 2026. While Australia has limited exposure to US tariff changes, it remains vulnerable to any slowdown in China. (OECD Outlook)
• Fund-raising across private markets fell to its lowest level since 2016, signalling that cheap capital can no longer subsidise unfocused expansion. (https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/private–capital/our–insights/global–private–markets–report )

Hallmarks of High Performance

1. Double-down on value–creating segments – Identify the 20% of products, markets or customers that generate 80% of economic profit and redirect resources accordingly.
2. Adopt rolling capital-allocation rhythms – Replace annual budgeting with quarterly investment committees that can green-light, pause or kill initiatives based on live data.
3. Test ➜ Learn ➜ Scale – Run lean experiments (4-6 weeks), prove traction with customer-value or cost-to-serve metrics, then scale – avoiding bloated multi-year programs.

Case studies

Software – Atlassian

Facing macro headwinds, Atlassian tightened hiring and pruned its portfolio, yet still grew FY 24 revenue to $4.4 billion and generated $1 billion free cash flow, while increasing enterprise customers spending over US $1 million by 48% year-over-year. (Atlassian Investor Letter)

Retail – One of Australia’s largest retailers (ADAPTOVATE engagement)

• Identified $100+ million of unspent allocated capital.
• Aligned 70% of quarterly capex directly to strategic outcomes. (Case study)

Lever 2. Embed Efficiency as a Strategic Capability

Efficiency is no longer synonymous with cost-cutting – in 2025, it’s an innovation agenda. It’s about removing complexity, surfacing value and reinvesting time and resources into what matters most.

• Australia’s productivity growth has dropped to a 60-year low. (AICD)
• McKinsey sizes the productivity prize from generative AI at US $4.4 trillion annually (mckinsey.com).
• Field data show workers are 33% more productive in the hours they use gen AI, equating to a 1.1% uplift in aggregate productivity today. (Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis)

1. Lean, cross-functional delivery models – Small, mission-based squads with clear OKRs cut hand-offs and reduce time-to-value.
2. Digital & AI-enabled automation – Automate high–effort, low-impact tasks (e.g. reconciliations, reporting) to release capacity for innovation.
3. Data-driven performance rhythms – Weekly visual management and flow metrics (throughput, cycle time, escaped defects) surface bottlenecks in near-real time.

Professional services – RSM US

Committing US $1 billion to AI integration and reporting pilot programs with productivity gains up to 80%. (WSJ)

Energy – Global energy major (ADAPTOVATE engagement)

Achieved 40% reduction in cycle time through agile planning and delivery after an operating-model redesign. (Case study)

“A significant benefit was the collaboration across different functions…before we started working this way, we weren’t getting very much traction.” – Action Plan Lead

Consumer goods – Global confectionery company (ADAPTOVATE engagement)

Realised 15% increase in time efficiency by integrating Gen AI applications into core processes. (Case study)

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Lever 3. Reignite Customer Intimacy & Value Creation

In tight markets, customer centricity is non–negotiable. The best organisations connect customer insights directly to delivery – they don’t just listen; they act.

• In KPMG’s 2024-25 Customer Experience Excellence (CEE) study – 86 073 consumer interviews across 23 countries – top-ranked brands lifted their CEE scores 1.3 % year-on-year, with integrity and personalisation driving NPS and loyalty (kpmg.com)
• DBS Bank linked real-time behavioural data to delivery, moving from regional laggard to “World’s Best Bank,” doubling digital engagement and profitability. (link.springer.com)

1. Closed-loop customer learning – Feed feedback, telemetry and behavioural data into backlog prioritisation within days, not quarters.
2. Empowered front-line – Provide real–time insights and guard-rails so staff can personalise offers or resolve issues instantly.
3. Rapid product adaptation – Use feature flags or modular service components to iterate with customers, capturing value while refining fit.

Insurance – NRMA

Partnering on a CX transformation, NRMA achieved a 15% uplift in digital self–service, freeing call-centre capacity for high-value advisory conversations. (The Australian)

Banking – Australian Big-Four bank (ADAPTOVATE engagement)

• 6× reduction in time for standard risk approval.
• 8× reduction in cost of standard risk approval.
• Consolidated 20 risk artefacts into one streamlined document.

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