We’re seeing the same issue come up repeatedly with U.S. manufacturers in the $30 million to $75 million revenue range.
The company has grown, sometimes quickly. There are more customers, more SKUs, more purchase orders and more jobs moving through the plant.
They usually have an ERP.
The problem is that the business isn’t always being run through it.
Material planning has a spreadsheet. Purchasing has another tracker. Production has its own schedule. Customer service may be keeping a separate past-due list.
Before long, there are multiple versions of what is supposed to be the same information.
That’s where the problems start.
It Usually Starts With the Data
One of the biggest warning signs is hearing someone say:
“The ERP isn’t right, so I keep my own spreadsheet.”
There may be a good reason they started doing it. Maybe inventory wasn’t accurate. Maybe lead times weren’t maintained. Maybe planning parameters were never set up correctly. Maybe people weren’t consistently making transactions in the system.
But once people stop trusting the ERP, they start building workarounds.
Now the MRP says one thing, the planner’s spreadsheet says something else, and what’s physically sitting in the plant may tell a third story.
A job gets scheduled because the system says the material is available.
Production gets ready to run it.
Then someone discovers a component is missing.
The job stops, another job gets pulled forward, purchasing starts expediting, and the schedule changes again.
By the time leadership sees the problem, it looks like production isn’t hitting the schedule.
The real problem may have started weeks earlier.
Production Planning Is Just as Important
Even if the material is there, someone still has to tell the floor what actually needs to be built.
A plant might have 50 open jobs. That doesn’t mean all 50 have the same priority.
Which orders are tied to customer commitments this week?
Which jobs have all the material available?
Which jobs need to move now because of downstream operations?
Where is there a capacity constraint?
What can wait?
If production planning isn’t actively answering those questions, priorities start getting determined another way.
The floor works what’s available.
A supervisor pushes a job because it’s almost finished.
Sales calls about an upset customer and that order jumps the line.
Another customer calls the next morning and the priorities change again.
Everyone stays busy, but being busy isn’t the same thing as producing the right work.
Then the Firefighting Starts
This is where we see some very recognizable symptoms:
At that point, the instinct is often to add people.
Hire another planner. Add another buyer. Put more people on the floor. Approve more overtime.
But adding resources to a broken planning process can just create more activity around the same problem.
This Isn’t Necessarily an ERP Problem
A company can spend a significant amount of money implementing an ERP and still have this problem. The software may be perfectly capable of doing what the company needs. The question is whether the organization is actually using it correctly.
Are planning parameters accurate?
Are lead times being maintained?
Does system inventory match physical inventory?
Those are operational questions, not software questions.
Growth Can Outpace the Planning Process
This is one reason we see the issue in manufacturers ranging from $30 million to $75 million in revenue.
A process that worked when the business was doing $10 million may not work at $30 million.
And the process that got the company to $30 million may start breaking at $50 million.
Revenue, customers and production complexity can grow much faster than the infrastructure behind them.
Eventually, the gap shows up in delivery performance.
Sometimes You Need Someone to Get Underneath the Problem
This is where interim and fractional leadership can be particularly effective.
A company may not need another permanent executive. It may need an experienced operations or supply chain leader who can come in, get into the data and determine where the breakdown is actually occurring.
That means working across material planning, purchasing, production planning and the floor, not looking at each function independently.
At Work Industries, we provide interim and fractional operations and supply chain leadership to help manufacturers address this exact issue.
We will get back to you soon.
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Last Updated: August 2026
Work Industries USA LLC (“Work Industries,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) respects the privacy of candidates, prospective candidates, consultants, independent contractors, clients, prospective clients, business contacts, and visitors to our website.
This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, retain, and protect personal information in connection with our executive search, professional search, direct-hire recruiting, interim and fractional leadership, consulting, and related business activities.
This Privacy Policy applies to personal information we collect about:
Individuals do not need to apply directly to Work Industries or submit information through our website for this Privacy Policy to apply. As part of our recruiting, executive search, and business activities, we may identify prospective candidates and professional contacts through other sources.
We may collect information through our website, recruiting and customer relationship management systems, email, telephone, text messages, professional networking and recruiting platforms, online forms, meetings, referrals, publicly available sources, third-party information providers, and other online or offline interactions.
Third-party websites, platforms, applications, and services may have their own privacy practices. Work Industries is not responsible for the privacy practices of third parties that we do not control.
The information we collect depends upon our relationship with you and the circumstances in which we interact.
We may collect:
For candidates and prospective candidates, we may collect:
A person does not need to apply directly to Work Industries for us to maintain professional information about that individual.
As part of our recruiting and executive search activities, we may identify, research, and maintain information concerning prospective candidates who may be appropriate for current or future opportunities.
We may obtain professional or business-related information from sources other than directly from you, including:
Information obtained from these sources may include your name, employer, job title, professional contact information, professional profile, employment and education history, qualifications, general location, and other professional information.
Work Industries provides direct-hire executive and professional search services to clients.
In connection with direct-hire searches, we may identify, evaluate, communicate with, and present candidates to clients for consideration.
Work Industries does not guarantee that any candidate will receive an interview, offer of employment, placement, or other opportunity. Hiring decisions and terms of employment for direct-hire positions are determined by the applicable client.
Work Industries also provides interim, fractional, consulting, and project-based leadership and professional services.
For certain engagements, Work Industries may contract with an individual’s independently established business entity rather than employing the individual directly.
Depending upon the engagement, Work Industries may require the contracting entity to be organized as an LLC, S corporation, C corporation, or other approved business entity and to maintain specified insurance coverage.
In connection with these relationships, we may collect:
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Nothing in this Privacy Policy guarantees the availability, duration, renewal, or continuation of any interim, fractional, consulting, or project-based engagement.
When reasonably necessary for an engagement, assignment, onboarding, legal compliance, background screening, client requirement, or other legitimate business purpose, we may collect information such as:
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When you visit our website, we or our service providers may automatically collect certain information, including:
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Work Industries may use artificial intelligence (“AI”), automation, and other technology tools to assist our recruiters and professionals with administrative, research, organizational, analytical, or recruiting-related activities, including assisting with the review and organization of candidate materials.
AI and automated tools are intended to support, rather than replace, professional human judgment.
Work Industries personnel independently review candidate information and exercise professional judgment when making recruiting recommendations, candidate assessments, referrals, or other decisions within Work Industries’ control. Work Industries does not rely solely on AI to make final candidate recommendations or final hiring decisions.
For direct-hire searches, the applicable client ultimately determines whether to interview, hire, or employ a candidate.
We seek to use technology in a manner consistent with applicable privacy, employment, and anti-discrimination laws.
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Information shared may include resumes, professional qualifications, employment history, compensation expectations, interview information, and other information relevant to evaluating a candidate.
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These providers may process information on our behalf or provide services related to our business operations.
Where appropriate, we may share information with affiliates, strategic partners, subcontractors, or other professional service providers in connection with recruiting, search, consulting, or other legitimate business activities.
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Personal information may be disclosed or transferred in connection with a merger, acquisition, financing, restructuring, sale of assets, bankruptcy, or similar corporate transaction.
We may disclose information when you request, direct, or authorize us to do so.
Work Industries does not operate as a data broker and does not sell personal information as part of its ordinary business model.
Information may be shared with clients, prospective clients, service providers, and business partners as described in this Privacy Policy in connection with recruiting, executive search, consulting, interim and fractional leadership, and related services.
Work Industries maintains administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect personal information against unauthorized access, acquisition, use, alteration, disclosure, or destruction.
We also use third-party technology and service providers to store or process certain information and seek to use providers with security practices appropriate to the nature of the services they provide.
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If you believe information relating to Work Industries has been subject to unauthorized access, misuse, impersonation, or fraudulent activity, please contact us using the information provided below.
We retain personal information for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected and for legitimate business and legal purposes.
Because Work Industries provides recruiting and executive search services, professional information about candidates and prospective candidates may be retained so that individuals can be considered for future opportunities, even when there is no current search, active application, or ongoing communication with that individual.
Retention periods may vary depending on:
When information is no longer reasonably necessary, we may delete, anonymize, aggregate, or securely dispose of it in accordance with our practices and applicable law.
Depending upon where you reside and applicable law, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information.
These may include rights to:
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To submit a privacy request, contact us at info@workindustries.us.
We may take reasonable steps to verify your identity before processing a request.
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Such rights may include rights to request information regarding the collection, use, or disclosure of personal information; request correction or deletion; and exercise other rights provided by applicable California law.
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Requests may be submitted using the contact information provided below.
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Information collected by Work Industries may be transferred to, stored in, or processed in the United States or other jurisdictions where our service providers operate.
Individuals located in certain jurisdictions may have additional rights under applicable privacy laws. Where applicable, Work Industries will address privacy requests and other obligations in accordance with applicable law.
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When we update this Policy, we will revise the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page. We may provide additional notice when appropriate or required by law.
Questions, concerns, or privacy requests regarding this Privacy Policy or Work Industries’ handling of personal information may be directed to:
Work Industries USA LLC
Attn: Privacy
4900 O’Hear Avenue, Suite 100
Charleston, SC 29405
Email: info@workindustries.us
