Work & Proof

Where AIRONCLAD has
made a difference.

AIRONCLAD works on a small number of high-impact engagements. The themes below represent current and recent work — technology company go-to-market advisory, Amazon marketplace strategy, supply chain, and cost-to-serve — described at the level of the problem, the work, and the outcome.

30+Years CPG operating experience
$2B+Enterprise-scale accountability
3Active client engagements
ConfidentialClient identity (by default)

Engagement Themes

Four engagement themes. All real operating work.

Client names are kept confidential by policy. The themes below reflect current and recent engagements, described at the level of the category, the problem, the work, and the outcome.

VC-Backed AI Technology Platform

Operations & Go-to-Market Advisory for a Tier-1 AI Company

The Situation

A tier-1 VC-backed AI company had strong technology and investor backing, but needed operating discipline and enterprise go-to-market advisory as it scaled. The founding team had deep technical capability but limited experience navigating enterprise buying processes and the operational infrastructure required for scale.

The Work

AIRONCLAD provided ongoing advisory to the CEO and leadership team — covering go-to-market architecture, enterprise positioning, operating cadence design, and the organizational infrastructure needed to support a growth phase. Brought large-enterprise operating patterns to an AI-native company scaling its first real operations function.

What Changed

The company built a clearer enterprise narrative and a more disciplined operating cadence. The advisory brought large-enterprise operating knowledge into a fast-moving AI startup context — accelerating decisions that would otherwise have required expensive trial and error.

Outcome

Enterprise narrative and positioning refined. Operating cadence established. Key organizational infrastructure decisions accelerated.

Organic Beauty CPG — Amazon + Physical Retail

Amazon Marketplace Strategy & Omnichannel Pricing Architecture

The Situation

A multi-million-dollar organic beauty brand was scaling its Amazon presence alongside physical retail placement, but pricing across the two channels was creating conflict. Third-party sellers were undercutting MAP on Amazon. Retail buyers were raising concerns. And the brand had no MAP enforcement architecture or consistent omnichannel pricing policy.

The Work

AIRONCLAD designed a full omnichannel pricing architecture — MAP policy, enforcement framework, 1P/3P channel structure recommendation, and a retail-Amazon price alignment strategy. We also reviewed inventory positioning across FBA and physical retail to reduce channel conflict at the supply level.

What Changed

The brand gained a defensible pricing position across channels. MAP policy was implemented with enforcement architecture. Retail buyer relationships stabilized. Amazon inventory was repositioned to support a healthy sell-through rate without undercutting physical retail.

Outcome

MAP policy implemented and enforced. Retail buyer relationships stabilized. Omnichannel pricing architecture in place.

Food & Beverage CPG — Amazon + Physical Retail

Supply Chain Optimization & Demand Planning for a Growing F&B Brand

The Situation

A food and beverage brand with strong retail placement and a growing Amazon business was experiencing supply chain fragility — unpredictable supplier lead times, excess inventory in some SKUs and stockouts in others, and no reliable demand forecasting process. Logistics costs were rising as a percentage of revenue.

The Work

AIRONCLAD conducted a supply chain assessment and redesigned the planning process from the ground up — implementing a sell-through-based demand forecasting model, right-sizing safety stock by SKU, rationalizing the supplier network, and building an S&OP cadence that kept purchasing, sales, and operations aligned. Amazon inventory positioning was integrated with the overall supply plan.

What Changed

The brand moved from reactive replenishment to a forward-looking planning cadence. Stockouts on hero SKUs were reduced. Excess inventory carrying costs declined. Supplier relationships became more strategic and less transactional.

Outcome

Demand planning process implemented. Hero SKU stockout rate reduced. Excess inventory carrying costs down. Supplier SLAs established.

CPG Operations — Pricing & Margin Architecture

Cost-to-Serve Modeling and Channel Pricing Architecture

The Situation

A CPG brand operating across multiple retail channels and Amazon was experiencing gross margin erosion that did not have a clear root cause. Price was holding on shelf, but margin was declining. The brand had no cost-to-serve model at the SKU or channel level and no framework for evaluating the true profitability of each customer relationship.

The Work

AIRONCLAD built a bottom-up cost-to-serve model — freight, co-manufacturer costs, brokerage, promotional trade spend, and channel fees — at the SKU and customer level. The analysis surfaced margin leakage that was invisible at the category level but material at the account level. A revised channel pricing architecture and promotional ROI framework were developed from the model.

What Changed

Leadership had a clear view of true profitability by SKU, channel, and customer for the first time. Promotional spend was redirected away from the lowest-ROI accounts. Pricing on several SKUs was revised to reflect true cost-to-serve.

Outcome

Cost-to-serve model built and operational. Promotional spend redirected. Channel pricing revised on targeted SKU-customer combinations.

A note on confidentiality

AIRONCLAD works with clients who are often navigating sensitive technology and business decisions. We maintain strict confidentiality on client identity by default. References are available upon request for qualified engagements.

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