Fractional supply chain manager for small and mid-size manufacturers

This is for owner-led and mid-size manufacturers where supply chain work is spread across people who already have other jobs.

• Plants of roughly 50 to 250 people with no supply chain or materials manager.
• Companies whose supply chain manager left, where the role is open or being rethought.
• Owners and general managers who spend their own evenings expediting parts.
• Teams with capable buyers and planners who need direction, priorities and a routine.
• Businesses that want to define the role properly before hiring someone full time.

Without an owner, supply chain decisions get made one emergency at a time. These are the patterns we see most often when there is no one in the seat:

• Shortages on the line while the warehouse holds plenty of the wrong parts.
• Sales, production and purchasing each working from a different plan.
• Buyers reacting to the ERP’s suggestions without trusting them.
• No regular review of suppliers, lead times or open purchase orders.
• Reports that describe last month but do not help decide next month.

A fractional engagement is ongoing, part-time leadership with a defined agenda. The mix changes with your priorities, but it typically covers:

• A monthly sales and operations planning (S&OP) meeting that ends with one agreed plan.
• A weekly or fortnightly review of shortages, expedites and late suppliers with your buyers.
• Inventory policy: safety stock, reorder points and order quantities for the items that matter most.
• A short KPI set, such as on-time delivery from suppliers, inventory turns and past-due orders, reviewed on a regular schedule.
• Coaching for buyers and planners, so decisions stay in the team.
• A job description and onboarding plan if and when you hire a full-time manager.

A one-off project fits a defined problem, such as a dead stock clean-up or an MRP reset. A full-time manager fits when the workload justifies a permanent seat and you know what the role should do. A fractional manager sits between the two: ongoing ownership of the routine, without a full salary and without waiting months to recruit.

Many clients use fractional support as a bridge. The routine, the KPIs and the job description are in place before the hire starts, so the new manager inherits a working system. Our comparison of a supply chain consultant vs a full-time hire covers the trade-offs in more detail.

In the first week, we review last month’s results with you: supplier on-time delivery, past-due customer orders, inventory movement and any shortages that hit production. We agree what changed and which items need attention.

In the second and third weeks, we run the buyer review, check open purchase orders against the production plan and work through the exceptions the ERP raises. Where a reorder point or safety stock setting caused a problem, we fix the setting rather than just expediting the part.

In the last week, we prepare and lead the monthly planning meeting. Sales brings its outlook, operations brings capacity, purchasing brings supply risks, and the meeting ends with one plan and a short list of decisions. Between meetings, your team can reach us with questions, so small problems do not wait a month.

Every quarter, we step back with the owner or general manager: what has improved, what still hurts, and whether the time we spend should go up, down or move toward a handover to a permanent hire.

To make the first call useful, it helps to have a rough picture of how supply chain work is shared today. None of this needs to be polished.

• Who places purchase orders, who plans production and who chases late suppliers today.
• A recent list of shortages or expedited orders, even if it is just from memory.
• Which ERP or planning tools you use, and which reports people actually read.
• What you would want a full-time supply chain manager to own, if you hired one tomorrow.

How many days a month does a fractional supply chain manager work?

It depends on your size and priorities. We agree a set number of days or meetings per month in the scope, and review it each quarter.

Is the work remote or on site?

Mostly remote, using video calls and your ERP exports. On-site days can be added when they help, for example to walk the warehouse or run the first planning meeting in person.

Do you replace our buyers or planners?

No. Your team keeps doing the work. The fractional manager sets priorities, runs the routine and coaches the people who make the daily decisions.

How do we end or change the arrangement?

The scope sets out notice and review points. Many clients reduce the time once the routine runs on its own, or move to a handover when they hire.

What does it cost?

It depends on the time and scope. Contact us first, scope agreed before we start, so you see the full proposal before committing.

• Supply chain consulting for small business
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• Demand planning consultant
• S&OP for small manufacturers
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