When to Hire a Fractional COO Instead of a Full-Time Operations Executive
A full-time operations hire is often the right decision, and just as often an early one. Here is how I help owners tell the difference.
Insights
Writing for owners and operations leaders who have to make the plant work on Monday.
These are practical essays from the work: when to hire a fractional COO, how to step back without losing the rhythm, and how to use Lean in a smaller plant without the jargon.
Owner Transitions: Keeping Operations Steady When the Founder Steps Back
In many closely held plants, the owner is still the unofficial chief of operations. Here is what to stabilize before that person steps back.
Signs Your G&A Is Growing Faster Than Your Operations
Revenue can be up and the plant can still feel tighter every quarter. These are the patterns I look for when G&A is getting ahead of the work.
A Practical First 90 Days for Interim Plant Leadership
An interim plant leader should leave the operation better than they found it, and leave behind a rhythm the team can keep. Here is the sequence I use.
Lean in Small Manufacturers, Without the Jargon
Lean is a way of seeing work, not a vocabulary test. Here is how I use it in smaller plants without the binders and the buzzwords.
What an Operations Diagnostic Should Actually Produce
A diagnostic should stand on its own, even if it leads to more work together. Here is what I think you should hold in your hand when it is done.