My Approach to Fractional CIO Services

Strategic IT Leadership, Not Just Consulting

The difference between a fractional CIO and a traditional consultant is simple: ownership.

As your fractional CIO, I don't just make recommendations and walk away. I own the outcomes. I attend your leadership meetings. I report to your board. I manage vendor relationships. I develop your team. I'm accountable for results—just like a full-time CIO, but on a part-time schedule.

This isn't hourly consulting. It's executive leadership.

The Fractional CIO Engagement Model

Step 1: Initial Conversation (30 minutes, no cost)

We start with a straightforward conversation about:

  • Your business and current IT situation

  • Your strategic priorities and challenges

  • Whether fractional CIO services make sense for you

  • How the engagement would work specifically for your company

No pressure, no sales pitch. Sometimes I'm not the right fit, and I'll tell you that. Sometimes you're better served by a full-time hire or a different type of consulting. But if there's a good match, we'll talk about next steps.

Step 2: IT Assessment & Roadmap Development (First 30-60 days)

If we decide to move forward, I begin with a comprehensive assessment:

  • Review your current IT environment, systems, and infrastructure

  • Interview key stakeholders (leadership team, IT staff, key users)

  • Evaluate vendor relationships and contracts

  • Assess cybersecurity posture and compliance gaps

  • Understand your business strategy and growth plans

Output: A strategic IT roadmap that aligns technology initiatives with business goals, identifies priorities, estimates costs, and provides a clear path forward.

This becomes our working document—the plan we execute against.

Step 3: Strategic Leadership (Ongoing)

After the initial assessment, we settle into an ongoing rhythm:

Monthly Cadence:

  • 2-4 days per month on-site or virtual (depending on your tier)

  • Attendance at leadership/executive meetings

  • Regular check-ins with IT manager/team

  • Vendor meetings and negotiations

  • Project oversight and decision-making

  • Monthly status reporting

What I Own:

  • IT strategy and roadmap

  • Major technology decisions (ERP, infrastructure, cybersecurity)

  • Vendor relationship management

  • IT budget planning and financial reporting

  • Project governance and oversight

  • Team development and mentoring

  • Board/investor presentation preparation

What You Own:

  • Day-to-day IT operations (your IT manager/team)

  • Tactical execution (your team implements, I provide strategic direction)

  • Company-specific processes and workflows

The result: You get strategic CIO-level thinking and decision-making without paying for full-time overhead.

Step 4: Scale Up or Down Based on Needs

The beauty of the fractional model is flexibility:

Busy Periods:

During ERP implementations, M&A integrations, or other major initiatives, I can increase my time commitment to 4-5 days/month (or more for critical go-live periods).

Stable Periods:

Once systems are running smoothly and major projects are complete, we can scale back to 2 days/month for strategic oversight and planning.

Project-Based:

Some clients engage me specifically for a 6-12 month transformation (ERP implementation, cybersecurity overhaul, M&A integration), then transition to lighter ongoing support.

You pay for what you need, when you need it.

Deliverables & Outcomes

Strategic Planning & Documentation

  • 3-Year IT Roadmap aligned with business strategy

  • Annual IT budget with project prioritization

  • Vendor evaluation reports and recommendations

  • Technology assessment and gap analysis

  • Cybersecurity program development

  • Disaster recovery and business continuity planning

  • Monthly executive status reports

  • Board presentation materials

Active Project Oversight

When you have major IT initiatives, I provide hands-on leadership:

  • ERP selection: Vendor evaluation, demo coordination, contract negotiation

  • ERP implementation: Project governance, vendor management, go-live planning

  • Cybersecurity: Risk assessment, control implementation, compliance programs

  • Infrastructure: Cloud migration planning, network upgrades, system consolidation

  • M&A integration: Technology due diligence, integration planning, execution

IT Team Mentoring & Development

Your IT manager and team get access to experienced CIO-level guidance:

  • Career development and growth planning

  • Technical decision-making coaching

  • Project management skill building

  • Vendor management best practices

  • Strategic thinking development

I make your internal team better, not dependent on me.

Vendor Relationship Management

I handle the hard conversations so you don't have to:

  • Contract negotiations (ERP, software, services)

  • Performance management and SLA enforcement

  • Renewal discussions and cost optimization

  • RFP development and vendor selection

  • Escalation management for critical issues

Why This Works

Real CIO Experience, Not Just Consulting

I've sat in the CIO chair. I've presented to boards. I've managed budgets. I've made the tough calls when projects go sideways. I've negotiated with vendors. I've hired and fired IT staff.

When I advise you on an ERP decision or cybersecurity investment, I'm drawing on actual experience having made those same decisions—and living with the consequences.

Most IT consultants may not have been accountable for a P&L or had to defend their recommendations to a skeptical CFO or CEO. I have.

Deep Manufacturing Industry Knowledge

Manufacturing has unique IT challenges:

  • ERP systems that must handle complex BOMs, work orders, and shop floor integration

  • Supply chain visibility and inventory management

  • Quality management and traceability requirements

  • Production scheduling and capacity planning

  • IoT and equipment connectivity

  • Regulatory compliance (depending on industry)

I understand these challenges because I've solved them—in wood products, marine manufacturing, industrial equipment, and other manufacturing sectors.

I speak your language.

Quality Over Quantity

I work with 3-4 clients at a time. That's it.

This isn't a volume business where I'm trying to maximize billable hours across 15 clients. I focus on a small number of companies where I can make a real impact.

If we're not a good fit—wrong industry, wrong size, wrong timing—I'll tell you upfront. I'd rather refer you to someone better suited than take on a client I can't serve well.

Results-Oriented, Not Clock-Watching

I work on monthly retainers, not hourly billing. If something needs 3 hours or 8 hours in a given week, I don't nickel-and-dime you.

My goal isn't to extend engagements unnecessarily. If you need me intensely for 12 months during an ERP implementation, then lightly for ongoing oversight after that—great. I'd rather have a long-term relationship where I'm truly useful than artificially inflate my involvement.

I'm in this for interesting work and helping companies succeed, not maximizing revenue per client.

Industries & Expertise

Manufacturing Sectors Where I Have Deep Experience:

  • Heavy Industrial Manufacturing

  • Beverage and Food Manufacturing and Marketing

  • Marine Manufacturing & Fabrication

  • Industrial Equipment Manufacturing

  • Metal Fabrication & Machining

  • Third Party Administrators - Health Insurance

  • Consumer Goods Manufacturing

  • Retail Operations

While I focus on manufacturing, I've also worked in logistics, distribution, and retail—all of which have transferable challenges around ERP, inventory management, and supply chain.

ERP Platform Expertise:

I'm platform-agnostic but have deep hands-on experience with:

  • Epicor (v8, 10, Kinetic) - Multiple implementations, upgrades, and ongoing management

  • NetSuite - Implementation and cloud ERP migration

  • Infor SyteLine - Manufacturing-specific implementation

I can evaluate and advise on other platforms (SAP, Microsoft Dynamics, Oracle, etc.) but my deepest expertise is in the platforms listed above.

Core Capabilities:

  • ERP Strategy, Selection & Implementation

  • IT Strategic Planning & Roadmap Development

  • Cybersecurity & Compliance Program Development

  • Cloud Strategy & Migration Planning

  • M&A Technology Due Diligence & Integration

  • Vendor Management & Contract Negotiation

  • IT Budget Planning & Financial Management

  • Team Development & Organizational Design

  • Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity

  • Infrastructure Modernization

Ready to Explore Fractional CIO Services?

If you're a manufacturing company leader who needs strategic IT leadership—but not a full-time CIO—let's talk.

I offer a free 30-minute consultation to discuss your situation and whether fractional CIO services make sense for you.

Schedule Your Free Consultation