It’s the bottom of the 9th, and you’re up by a single score. Your core team has brought you this far, but to seal the win, you need something to put you over the top. In, comes the closer.
The closer isn’t there to pitch for the whole game. He’s there because he has the skill, experience, and composure to finish it. He’s dialed in, focused, and ready to deliver immediate results.
Conceptually, this is much like how fractional consulting works.
Even the most successful organizations sometimes need outside expertise to solve their biggest challenges. Other times, companies need experienced leadership for a specific project or initiative.
In many cases, the need isn’t great enough to justify a full-time position, but the problem still needs to be solved. That is where fractional consulting becomes a viable solution.
What Is Fractional Consulting?
Fractional consulting makes it possible for companies to work with highly experienced professionals to fill specific needs or leadership gaps on a part-time or project basis.
That can mean bringing in a C-Suite executive for their highly specialized expertise, or bringing in skilled talent to oversee initiatives in areas like operations, supply chain, HR, and digital transformation.
Instead of hiring someone full-time, organizations gain access to a professional’s full expertise for a fraction of the time. Think of it like on-demand expertise.
The truth is, not all businesses have the budget or ongoing need to justify a full-time hire, but they still need professional expertise. Fractional consulting helps them get it.
What Is Fractional Consulting in Business?
In the broader business context, fractional consulting is about more than simply hiring temporary help.
The needs of organizations in the small-to-medium sized stages of growth can quickly shift. A team that felt fully capable a few months ago can suddenly find itself stretched thin by growth or system changes.
Fractional consulting helps organizations adapt. It lets them augment their workforce with senior-level expertise that closes gaps, while avoiding long-term costs and commitment.
This model has become especially common in areas like operations, leadership, and digital transformation; areas where manufacturers often need help the most.
The Benefits of Fractional Consulting
Fractional consulting has become increasingly popular with manufacturers because it solves two problems at once: access and cost.
The simple fact is that not every manufacturer has the budget to justify a full-time executive hire. And not every challenge requires one permanently.
Fractional consulting gives companies access to experienced professionals when they’re needed, without the financial commitment of a full-time role with salary and benefits.
Even when budget isn’t an issue, traditional hiring cycles take time. Consultants can often step immediately, giving organizations nearly instant access to their expertise.
Perspective is another major benefit.
When you’re on the inside, it’s easy to miss inefficiencies that over time have become the norm. Fractional consulting brings a fresh, objective perspective that helps spot bottlenecks or waste that insiders may overlook.
What Does a Fractional Consultant Do in Manufacturing?
What a fractional consultant does depends entirely on the problem they’re brought in to solve.
In the context of manufacturing, consultants are usually brought in to handle short-term projects that in-house teams don’t have the time or expertise to solve on their own.
Sometimes that means stabilizing production after a sudden surge in demand. It could also be bringing in an expert to oversee a systems upgrade.
Regardless of the specific task, much of the consultant’s work is hands-on. They will spend a large portion of their time on the shop floor, looking for bottle necks or areas of waste. When they identify an issue, they consult with management and spearhead process improvements or lead lean initiatives.
In other situations, fractional consulting is used to fill leadership gaps, such as bringing in a fractional CTO to lead a digital transformation effort.
What makes consultants so valuable is the experience and insights they bring from other work environments. Injecting that experience directly into a new organization helps them move faster and avoid costly mistakes.
How Fractional Consulting Works in a Manufacturing Environment
Fractional consulting boosts a business’s performance by offering help with short-term or project-specific needs, but how does that actually work in a manufacturing environment?
The process usually breaks down like this:
1. Identify an Opportunity
Leadership identifies a problem to solve, like an inefficient workflow, supply chain disruption, or a decline in throughput. It can also be an opportunity for growth, like preparing for automation or upgrading an internal system.
2. Define Scope
To be successful, fractional consulting must make the most of limited time. Before contacting consultants, teams must know what level of commitment is needed, and have a clear definition of what success looks like: what the deliverables are, and what metrics will be used to measure progress.
3. Integrate Into the Team
Consultants work alongside both leadership and core operational teams. They work closely with management to guide decision making, then seamlessly engage with floor-level operations. The best fractional consultants are able to adapt quickly to your organization, without disrupting it.
4. Execute and Share Knowledge
Whether a fractional consultant is only there for a few days a week, or for the duration of a project, a good consultant will pass their knowledge onto your internal teams. They shouldn’t come to depend on the consultant, but build their knowledge so that improvements can continue after the consulting engagement ends.
5. Exit
Fractional consulting isn’t meant to last forever. Once objectives have been reached, the consultant will move on. Some organizations may choose to keep the consultant on board in a light advisory capacity, but in most cases the engagement ends when outcomes defined by the scope are reached.
When to Hire a Fractional Consultant
Fractional consulting isn’t just for companies that are struggling. In reality, sometimes growing manufacturers find themselves scaling too fast.
Likewise, small and midsized manufacturers may not have the budget for a full-time CFO hire, though they still need that level of expertise.
Fractional consulting for small businesses removes the barriers to accessing high-end talent. It lets companies without the budget or need for a full-time hire still access top talent. That helps them compete with larger companies and reduces the risk of trying new initiatives.
So how do you know when to hire a fractional consultant?
A good rule of thumb is this: when a problem becomes too complex for your current team, but doesn’t justify a full-time executive hire, working with a fractional consultant often provides a strong middle ground.
To help, leadership should ask questions like:
- Is growth outpacing our internal capabilities?
- Are key teams being stretched too thin?
- Do we need results faster than we could get through a direct hire?
- Have we been struggling to address an issue we know is wrong?
Answering “yes” to any of these questions is a strong indicator that fractional consulting is the right move.
Need a Hand? Manex Offers Fractional Consulting for Small to Midsized Businesses
Fractional consulting isn’t a replacement for your full-time team, but it’s a chance to bring in a closer who can help you get the win.
Manex has helped California manufacturers streamline and improve their operations for over 30 years. Our fractional consulting services give companies access to top manufacturing talent and executive leadership who can step in to solve challenges and fill virtually any need on a fractional basis.
We can help you get the expertise you need, without the cost or time it takes to bring on a full-time hire.
If you’re ready to explore the opportunities fractional consulting unlocks, contact Manex today and let us help you meet your manufacturing challenges head-on.
