You have an operating system design. You have a roadmap. But execution is messy:
• CEO is drowning in firefighting instead of strategic work
• Your team lacks daily/weekly accountability rhythm
• Nobody is relentlessly driving KPI improvement and metrics
• Margins stay flat while operational improvements slip off the agenda
• Process discipline breaks down under operational pressure
• Your team doesn't have a clear owner managing the operational machine
You need someone IN the business driving execution daily.
A Fractional COO is right when:
✓ Your operating system is designed and you need execution leadership
✓ You have a roadmap and need someone to drive daily accountability
✓ You're 6+ months post-acquisition and moving from "stabilization" to "optimization"
✓ Your CEO needs someone managing the operational machine day-to-day
✓ You want margin recovery and KPI improvement as a priority
✓ You need ongoing operational leadership (12+ months or indefinite retainer)
A Fractional COO is NOT the right first step if:
✗ You just closed the deal (start with Operating Partner to design the system first)
✗ You haven't designed your operating system yet (start with Operating Partner)
78% of companies report using AI, but over 80% see no measurable earnings impact. The problem isn't the tools—it's the operating model.
Most teams bolt AI onto broken workflows instead of redesigning work around agents. At Path to Scale, we use the Agent OS and A.G.E.N.T. playbook from Harvard's agentic AI program to redesign critical workflows in your first 90 days, delivering real, measured margin impact—not just another chatbot
Problem: Pricing Erosion
Metric: Average project margin
How: Move from cost-plus to value-based pricing. Eliminate projects below margin threshold
Impact: Direct margin improvement
Problem: Labor Inefficiency
Metric: Billable utilization %
How: Increase billable utilization from 68% to 80%+. Optimize role allocation.
Impact: Revenue per team member
Problem: Delivery Chaos
Metric: Rework rate %
How: Implement quality checkpoints. Streamline approval process. Prevent scope creep.
Impact: Reduce costly rework and delays
Problem: No Accountability Rhythm
Metric: Goal completion rate %
How: Implement EOS. Strategic planning. Goal alignment. Weekly accountability rhythms and monthly execution reviews
Impact: Organizational alignment and execution discipline
Organizational Alignment
Problem: Org Misalignment
Metric: Project delays %
How: Clarify roles and decision rights. Establish accountability rhythm.
Impact: Faster decision-making and execution
Problem: Cash Flow Drag
Metric: DSO (days sales outstanding)
How: Reduce DSO. Extend DPO
Impact: Improved working capital and cash flow
Agentic AI Automation
Problem: Manual or Inefficient Processes
Metric: Manual process hours, cycle times
How: Apply A.G.E.N.T. playbook (Audit, Gauge, Engineer, Navigate, Track) to redesign 1–2 workflows. Agents handle repetitive work, humans handle exceptions and decisions
Impact: Faster response times, fewer errors, and durable capacity gains that compound every month
Customer Focus
Problem: Customer Concentration
Metric: Customer concentration %
How: Reduce reliance on top 3 customers. Improve retention. Increase LTV
Impact: Revenue stability and profitability
Why can we drive these results
Our background isn't theory. It's built on real execution:
Many clients start with our Fractional Operating Partner offering (6-12 month integration blueprint). Once that foundation is set, they bring in a Fractional COO to drive execution and margin recovery over the next 12+ months
Ideal For
✓ Founder-led service businesses (where founder is the bottleneck, not the builder)
✓ Recently acquired companies 6+ months post-close needing execution leadership
✓ Portcos with operational leadership gaps
✓ Teams that have an operating system but lack daily execution discipline
✓ Companies preparing for exit that need operational strength and documented systems
Your Path to Margin Improvement
Our engagement model is transparent and aligned:
DISCOVERY CALL (30 minutes)
Free. No commitment. We understand your situation and determine if this is the right fit. You'll know within 30 minutes if we're a match
ASSESSMENT (Optional 2 weeks)
We audit all 8 operational levers. You get a written report with: • Specific margin recovery opportunities • Current execution gaps • 90-day implementation roadmap • Realistic improvement projections
ENGAGEMENT (Ongoing Retainer)
During your first 90 days, we run a focused 8-week AGENT sprint on one high-value workflow (dispatch triage, quote follow-ups, collections, etc.):
Weeks 1-2: Audit & Gauge – Map process, data, pain; score automation potential
Weeks 3-5: Engineer – Build and deploy your first AI agent
Weeks 6-8: Navigate & Track – Tune human-agent collaboration and measure impact
Result: A proven agent-powered workflow you can replicate across your business
If aligned, we define scope and timeline. Most engagements are 12+ months. We work hands-on with your team:
• Bi-weekly accountability calls
• Weekly KPI reviews
• Daily operational problem-solving
• Monthly progress updates to board
• Bi-weekly accountability calls
• Weekly KPI reviews
• Daily operational problem-solving
• Monthly progress updates to board
Once your operating system is designed, a Fractional COO focuses on continuous improvement across these 8 dimensions. Here's what execution looks like: