Operational Advisory

Who this is for

Owner-managers in manufacturing, trades, wholesale distribution, or professional practices who have outgrown informal coordination. You likely have a capable team, but you still approve too many decisions personally and cannot see where work stalls until a customer complains.

What you receive

Over twelve weeks, we work through four phases:

1. Current-state mapping — We interview key staff, observe handoffs on the floor or in the office, and document how work actually moves (not how the org chart says it should).
2. Constraint diagnosis — We identify the three to five structural bottlenecks holding back throughput, margin, or owner time. These might be unclear roles, missing weekly cadences, or approval thresholds set too low.
3. Operating playbook — A written document your leadership team owns: role clarity, meeting rhythms, escalation paths, and KPIs tied to real operational levers.
4. Implementation support — Fortnightly check-ins during weeks nine through twelve to help managers adopt the new rhythms and adjust where reality differs from the plan.

What is included

• Up to six on-site days across your primary location (additional sites by agreement)
• Stakeholder interviews with up to twelve staff members
• A single consolidated operating playbook (typically 25–40 pages)
• Four leadership workshops (half-day each)
• Fortnightly progress calls with the owner and direct reports

What is excluded

• Recruitment or HR legal advice
• IT system selection or implementation
• Ongoing bookkeeping or tax compliance
• Permanent fractional executive placement after the engagement ends

Provider and approach

Engagements are led by a senior advisor with fifteen years in operational turnaround work across regional NSW. We favour plain language, visible metrics, and changes your existing managers can sustain without us in the room.

Preparation

Before kick-off, we ask for: an organisation chart (even if informal), last twelve months of management accounts, and a list of the three operational frustrations you would fix first if you had a free month.

Pricing basis

Fixed fee from $18,500 depending on staff count, site complexity, and interview scope. A 40% deposit is due at engagement letter signing; the balance at delivery of the operating playbook.

Next step

Request a scoping call through our contact page. We will ask about your headcount, primary site, and the operational pressure point that prompted you to look for outside counsel.