All companies know they need chief operating officers, executives to ensure that all the day-to-day operations are running efficiently and effectively. But many organizations–and especially start-ups and new ones–often will put aside the position of COO, thinking it’s a costly role their executive leadership can share for now until the company becomes larger and more successful. 

The problem with that perspective is that it is often the dedicated attention to a company’s operating needs that best positions an organization to achieve success. Because no matter how solid a company’s business plan or financing structure or any other aspect, it all falls apart if the wheels of production aren’t spinning. 

From staffing needs to vendor relationships and more, chief operating officers can have a real and immediate effect on whether or not a company can move from one level to a more productive–and profitable–next level.

Outsourced COOs offer an affordable alternative for companies that have yet to create a singular, dedicated position to address their operating needs. These fractional COOs can provide flexible support for individual long- or short-term company issues and projects, or they can tackle more expansive needs affecting all parts of a company’s operational structure. 

Among the varied services on-demand, outsourced COOs offer:

• Coordinated work with company CEOs to manage all operations activities, especially those not client-facing
• Oversight of shipping and receiving issues to ensure they are managed effectively and timely
• Back-office support for a company’s administrative and support personnel
• Management of talent acquisition and retention needed to ensure operations continue unimpeded during any staffing shortages

• Temporary executive leadership during management staffing transitions
• Budgeting and forecasting for all aspects of operational needs
• Vendor management and contract negotiation
• Implementation of risk-management methodologies 
• Analysis of resources to better overcome their limitations
• Review of technology infrastructure needs now and in the future

These are only a few of the areas in which chief operating officers can use their expertise to repair or improve a company’s output, whether it’s a product or a service. And outsourced COOs can offer these same beneficial services but without the expensive overhead of a full-time position and all its attendant benefits and tax costs.