A fractional COO engagement needs to show operational leverage fast. This checklist ensures you get the right access, understand where execution is breaking down, and set clear priorities.
Systems & Access
- Project management tool access (Asana, Linear, Notion, Jira)
- HR and people ops system access (Rippling, Lattice, Workday)
- Financial reporting access (for operational budget tracking)
- Customer support platform access (Zendesk, Intercom)
- Vendor and contract management repository
30-Day Priorities
- Map all cross-functional workflows and identify bottlenecks
- Review org structure and reporting lines
- Interview each department head (30–45 min each)
- Identify top 3 operational fires vs. systemic issues
- Assess current OKR or goal-setting process
60-Day Milestones
- Deliver operational improvement roadmap
- Implement or improve weekly leadership cadence
- Standardize cross-team communication and escalation paths
- Build operational dashboard (headcount, velocity, utilization)
- Identify automation opportunities for manual processes
90-Day Deliverables
- Documented operational playbooks for top 5 recurring processes
- Hiring plan aligned with growth model
- Vendor rationalization recommendations
- Board-ready operational metrics report
- 90-day review and engagement renewal decision
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