Operational Advisory
Diagnosing and fixing operational constraints in manufacturing and logistics.
Applying AI, automation, and systems thinking to improve throughput, coordination, and operational profitability. Helping operationally complex businesses identify where technology creates genuine leverage — and where process, planning, and operational flow matter more.
Common Patterns
Operational friction I typically find
These patterns accumulate gradually in manufacturing, warehousing, and supply-chain businesses. They constrain throughput, erode margin, and limit the ability to scale.
Cross-functional coordination overhead
Planning changes ripple manually across production, warehouse, and procurement. Handoffs create latency, ambiguity, and rework.
Planning and scheduling instability
Production schedules overridden daily. Forecasts disconnected from capacity. Priorities shift faster than systems can track.
Fragmented and disconnected systems
Stock in spreadsheets, orders in legacy ERP, critical data in email threads. Reporting requires manual reconciliation across multiple sources.
Inventory visibility gaps
Uncertain stock positions across locations. Surprise shortages alongside excess inventory. Cash tied up in the wrong places.
Duplicated information handling
The same data re-entered across systems. Updates lost between versions. Skilled people spending hours on data entry and reconciliation.
Tacit knowledge dependency
Critical operational knowledge sits with a small number of individuals. Process understanding that isn't documented or transferable.
Process inconsistency
Different people doing the same task different ways. Workarounds that have become standard practice. No clear baseline to improve from.
ERP immaturity or misalignment
Systems implemented but not embedded. Master data quality issues. Workarounds that bypass the intended process.
Production throughput constraints
Bottlenecks that limit output. Capacity utilisation unclear. Scheduling decisions made without visibility into downstream impact.
Operational firefighting
Management time consumed by urgent exceptions. Reactive problem-solving crowding out systematic improvement.
Scaling friction
Processes that worked at smaller volumes now breaking down. Growth exposing coordination gaps that were previously manageable.
Reporting reconciliation burden
Hours spent pulling data from multiple systems, reconciling discrepancies, and building reports that should be automatic.
Who We Work With
Manufacturing, logistics, and inventory-driven businesses
I work with founders, MDs, and operations leaders who need to fix operational constraints, reduce coordination overhead, or prepare systems for growth.
Manufacturers
Discrete and process manufacturers with production scheduling complexity, shop floor coordination issues, or ERP that isn't delivering expected value.
Warehousing & Logistics
Distribution centres, 3PLs, and fulfilment operations dealing with throughput constraints, stock accuracy issues, or pick/pack inefficiency.
Inventory-Driven Businesses
Companies where stock management, procurement timing, and supplier coordination directly determine margin and cash position.
Operational SMEs
Businesses where operational execution—not just sales or product—is the primary determinant of profitability and growth capacity.
Typical Client Profile
How It Works
Diagnosis before recommendations
Every engagement starts with understanding how your operations actually work—not how they're supposed to work.
01. Discovery Call
30 min30-minute conversation to understand your operational context and current challenges. We'll discuss where constraints sit and whether a structured diagnosis would be useful.
02. Operational Diagnosis
2–4 weeksStructured assessment of how your operations actually work. I map processes, analyse data flows and system handoffs, identify constraints, and surface root causes. Output: written diagnostic report with findings.
03. Improvement Roadmap
1–2 weeksPrioritised recommendations sequenced by commercial impact and implementation complexity. Each initiative scoped with clear dependencies, resource requirements, and expected outcomes.
04. Implementation Advisory
OngoingOngoing support as you execute. I help with vendor evaluation, process design, change management decisions, and course correction. Engagement depth scales to your needs.
Outcomes
What changes as a result
Throughput improvement
Increased output from existing resources. Bottlenecks identified and addressed. Flow improved through production, warehouse, or fulfilment.
Operational visibility
Clear picture of how operations actually work—where constraints sit, where time is lost, where rework occurs.
Reduced coordination overhead
Fewer meetings to chase information. Cleaner handoffs between functions. Less time spent reconciling data across systems.
Margin improvement
Operational efficiency gains that translate to profitability: reduced waste, better inventory turns, lower cost per unit.
Reduced firefighting
Fewer urgent exceptions. More predictable operations. Management time freed for systematic improvement.
Scalable operations
Processes and systems that support volume growth without proportional headcount increases or coordination breakdown.
How We're Different
Operational expertise without overhead or technology bias
I fill a gap between generalist consultants who lack operational depth and software vendors who lead with technology.
Generic management consultants
Operations-specific expertise with manufacturing, warehousing, and supply chain depth
ERP vendor assessments
Technology-agnostic analysis focused on operational outcomes, not software features
Internal initiatives without external perspective
Independent diagnosis that surfaces blind spots and tests assumptions against operational reality
Reactive problem-solving
Systematic constraint identification and prioritised improvement sequencing
Large firm overhead and junior consultants
Senior-led engagement with direct access and practical operational experience
30 years on the inside
I started my career on the shop floor of a regulated medical devices manufacturer in 1993 — as a Quality Inspector, then Production Controller, working up through planning, logistics, and operations management over the next two decades.
That background matters because it means I understand operational constraints from the inside. I've been the person dealing with MRP exceptions at 7am, rebuilding schedules when capacity assumptions fall apart, and trying to get useful information out of ERP systems that weren't configured to give it. Before I ever consulted on operations, I spent 20 years running them.
My experience spans medical devices, defence, aerospace, food and beverage, and discrete manufacturing — predominantly in regulated, operationally complex environments where getting it wrong has real consequences.
Over the last six years I've worked as an independent consultant and presales architect, helping manufacturers evaluate, implement, and improve operational systems. I've been on both sides of every ERP conversation — as the end user who lived with the consequences, and as the consultant helping businesses make the right decisions.
Stratanto exists because most operational improvement conversations get hijacked too early by technology. The diagnosis comes first. The tools follow.
Start with a discovery call
30 minutes to discuss your operational context, current constraints, and whether a structured diagnosis would be useful. No preparation required.
Typical next step: scoped diagnostic proposal within one week.
Book a Discovery Call