About

About Centre of Business.

An Australian consultancy working with manufacturers and distributors. We design operational improvements, build the systems behind them and stay until your team can run it without us.

We exist to help manufacturers turn good intentions into reliable, on-time execution.

Black and white portrait of Craig Bennett, Founder and Director of Centre of Business
Founder & Director

Craig Bennett

Operational performance, supply chain & digitisation

Craig started his career building business systems, spending seven years as an analyst/programmer and applications development team leader. He then spent a decade in supply chain planning, including S&OP Manager at Orrcon Steel and National Demand & Inventory Manager and Global Program Manager, Planning & Supply Chain Analytics at FLSmidth. He has run the planning meetings his software is built for, not only advised on them.

He works with Australian manufacturers and distributors, particularly in food, FMCG and inventory-heavy operations, across planning, inventory, delivery reliability and the systems underneath. Clients include FLSmidth, Earlee Products (FIAQ 2023 Queensland Manufacturer of the Year), Vege Chips and Hussey & Co.

He also builds the software that grows out of that work: the Integrated Planning Platform; CheckSetGo, which takes a review through to action; and the Safety Reporting System. For some clients, running that work in the software is the next step. It is recommended only where it helps, never as a condition of the engagement.

What we stand for

How we work and why it's different.

Four principles that shape every engagement.

I.

Manufacturing specialists

We work only with manufacturers and distributors, food, FMCG and inventory-heavy operations, so the fixes fit your reality, not a generic template.

II.

We build what we design

Dashboards, apps and automation that digitise the process, delivered rather than described. Strategy and execution under one roof.

III.

Payback in weeks

The work should pay for itself quickly and then keep paying. FLSmidth broke even in five weeks.

IV.

Your team owns it

When we leave, your people run the systems we built. That is the point of the handover, and the gains hold because of it.

What they said

Clients, partners and the profession.

Named people. The full wording, not a highlight reel.

Manufacturers and processors

Centre Of Business helped us scope, design and implement our transactional supply automation project; from project planning, process mapping, programming the solution and developing business intelligence dashboards, and all of this being completely integrated with our ERP. Because of this work, our supply chain is more agile, able to offer a higher service level to our customers and can do so at lower costs. Great job!
Darrell HawkinsRegional Procurement Manager, FLSmidth
Craig, thank you again. This project has continued to deliver cost savings, now over three months past go-live. I'm looking forward to partnering with you and your company again to deliver further supply chain enhancements for FLSmidth.
Darrell HawkinsRegional Procurement Manager, FLSmidth
Working with Craig Bennett from Centre of Business has significantly enhanced how Hussey & Co uses data to improve our business operations. Craig's expertise helped us harness our data, transforming it into practical insights that have led to better decision-making and operational efficiency. We greatly appreciate Craig's dedication, knowledge, and ongoing support in helping us achieve these improvements.
Brendan FlanaganCommercial Operations Manager, Hussey & Co
Craig has been an invaluable part of our journey at Earlee. He took the time to really understand our business, our people and the challenges we were facing, and then worked alongside us to improve the way we operate. What stood out to me was that Craig didn't just come in, make recommendations and leave. He helped us put practical systems and processes in place that our team could actually use and sustain. He also worked with our department owners to build a full suite of audit reports, creating clear accountability across the business and giving us much greater confidence in the accuracy and transparency of our data. Craig's approach is very hands-on and collaborative. He became part of the team and was always focused on getting a real outcome rather than simply delivering a report. The work has helped us build a much stronger data-driven culture and given our people better information to make decisions with more confidence and speed. I'm very happy to recommend Craig and Centre Of Business, and I'm also happy to speak directly with anyone considering working with him.
Michael D'AlluraChief Operating Officer, Earlee Products, 31 August 2023
The operational audit undertaken by Centre of Business provided valuable insights into our business and highlighted both our strengths and opportunities for further improvement. The review process was efficient, collaborative, and supported by a comprehensive report containing practical recommendations. Craig Bennett's understanding of operational and manufacturing environments ensured the outcomes were relevant and actionable. We would happily recommend Centre of Business to organisations looking to improve operational performance and maturity.
Vege Chips TeamFood manufacturing

Industry partners

As a director of the Manufacturing Excellence Forum Sunshine Coast (MEFSC), I have had the pleasure of collaborating with Craig Bennett and the Centre of Business team. Craig's expertise and dedication have been instrumental in developing two vital resources for our organisation: MEFSC Stats and Database Visualisations. These pages have transformed how we present and analyse data, providing clear, interactive, and visually engaging insights for our members. Craig's ability to translate complex datasets into accessible, actionable tools has empowered MEFSC members to make informed decisions that drive meaningful improvements in their operations. Craig's collaborative approach and commitment to excellence are evident in every aspect of his work. We are incredibly grateful for his contributions and look forward to continuing our partnership with Centre of Business to further enhance the value we deliver to our members.
Tim KellyDirector, Manufacturing Excellence Forum Sunshine Coast

The profession

Craig volunteers with the Australasian Supply Chain Institute. This is about that contribution, not a paid engagement.

I am pleased to write this testimonial for Craig Bennett, an extraordinary volunteer who has given his time and energy to ASCI with dedication and passion. His determination and positive attitude inspire us all, and his tireless efforts have contributed significantly to our work. We are proud to have him on our team.
Dr Pieter NagelAustralasian Supply Chain Institute
Work with us

Let's fix the gap.

Book a consultation and we'll show you exactly where strategy is failing to meet execution in your operation.

✓ 90 minutes✓ No cost✓ A prioritised action list