When an Alberta industrial firm in the $1M to $50M range faces a crisis, the first 90 days determine whether recovery is possible. A Fractional COO turnaround follows a structured playbook: establish control, triage and stabilize, reset systems, build momentum, then deploy a strategic framework. Each phase has a specific objective. Skipping a phase compounds the crisis.
What Happens in Week 1?
Your first objective is information dominance. Meet every department head individually. Review financial statements, operational reports, and customer feedback. Do not rely on summary reports: verify critical data personally. Identify cash position, upcoming obligations, and immediate threats.
How Do You Stabilize in Weeks 2 to 3?
- Address cash flow first: accelerate collections, renegotiate terms, defer non-critical expenses.
- Identify operational bleeding: quality failures, delivery delays, safety violations.
- Communicate changes decisively. Uncertainty paralyzes organizations in crisis.
- Assign single owners to each critical stabilization action.
What Does Systems Reset Look Like in Weeks 4 to 6?
- Implement daily cash reporting with a single owner.
- Establish weekly operations reviews with a fixed agenda.
- Clarify decision authority at every management level.
- Enforce accountability consistently from day one of the new structure.
How Do You Build Momentum in Weeks 7 to 9?
Identify low-effort, high-impact improvements that demonstrate progress. Resolve a chronic customer complaint. Fix a recurring quality issue. Streamline a bottleneck process. Visible wins restore team confidence and stakeholder patience.
What Is the Strategic Framework for Weeks 10 to 12?
- Define the target operating model: what must change structurally.
- Develop a phased implementation plan with clear milestones.
- Align the leadership team around priorities and resource allocation.
- Transition from crisis management to proactive operational governance.
What Causes Turnarounds to Fail?
Turnarounds fail when leadership confuses activity with progress, when communication lacks transparency, or when changes lack follow-through. Successful turnarounds require decisive action, consistent execution, and relentless focus on results. A Fractional COO delivers this for $1M to $50M Alberta firms without the fixed overhead of a permanent executive hire.
