Case Studies
Issue No. 53 - June/July 2010
Casa del formaggio connects the dots
South Australian based soft cheese manufacturer La Casa Del Formaggio, is a well known business started in 1988 by Gerardo and Rosa Cicchiello. Nowadays, La Casa is run by their children, Claude and Marisa.
But to take success further, the family recognised the need for operations to become more sophisticated.
“As a small business we were able to drive outcomes by simply being on the factory floor and directing traffic on a day-to-day basis,” says Claude Cicchiello, Casa Del Formaggio MD.
But Claude acknowledged that without expert guidance, growing out of the SME class would be challenging..
The Chichiellos sought advice from Enterprise Connect, the Australian Government program offering advice and support to eligible SMEs which aims to connect businesses to the knowledge, tools and expertise needed to improve productivity, increase competitiveness and fully capitalise on growth potential.
“After an initial conversation with Enterprise Connect Business Adviser, Michael Cain I felt it was time we revisited the plan,” Claude says.
To access Enterprise Connect services, a business has to satisfy eligibility criteria. Once criteria are met, the process starts with a Business Review which looks at all areas of the business, from customer base to operations,management and staff. Business Reviews are free for eligible businesses and are carried out on-site by an Enterprise Connect Business Adviser.
For La Casa, the effect was immediate. “Michael, who has a strong track record in helping Australian small business, highlighted some things we could improve and created a pathway for us to move forward,” Claude says.
“The review confirmed that we were good at the operations aspects of the business, but we were lacking in the systems and procedures necessary to support company growth.”
This came as no surprise for Claude, who quickly acted on the review recommendations. La Casa put in a new management stru...
