Fractional & Interim Supply Chain Leadership

From firefighting to smooth execution.

Most manufacturers are stuck chasing supplier failures, scrambling on inventory, reacting to problems that should never have happened. We fix the operating system behind the chaos so performance becomes repeatable, not heroic.

86% → 94%
On-Time Delivery
$2.6M
Backlog Eliminated
$100M+
Dual-Source Transition
The Problem

Most companies don't fail because they lack data. They fail because execution breaks down.

The loop looks the same in every plant we walk into.

A supplier misses a shipment. The team scrambles. The customer gets an excuse. Repeat.

Most companies have the data they need. What they're missing is the operating discipline between internal teams and external suppliers. That's where we focus.

  • 01Unreliable suppliers you're afraid to confront.
  • 02Inventory that's simultaneously too high and too low.
  • 03A planning process that nobody trusts.
  • 04Tariff exposure with no backup plan.
  • 05A team burning out from heroic recoveries.
How We Work

Senior supply chain leadership, without the overhead.

Three ways to engage based on what your business actually needs right now.

Fractional

Ongoing Leadership

Part-time supply chain leadership for companies that need senior expertise but aren't ready to hire a full-time VP or Director.

  • Typically 2–3 days per week
  • Monthly retainer
  • Long-term partnership
Interim

Gap Coverage

Full-time leadership stepping in when you're between hires, managing a crisis, or navigating a critical transition.

  • Full-time engagement
  • 3–12 month typical range
  • Day rate or project fee
Project

Targeted Engagements

Defined scope work on specific problems. Supplier stabilization, dual-sourcing strategy, S&OP rebuild, ERP readiness.

  • 4–12 week sprints
  • Fixed deliverables
  • Clear success metrics
Results from the field
86→94%
On-time delivery improvement through SIOP rebuild
$2.6M
Past-due backlog eliminated at a major filtration business
20%
Site inventory reduction via lean supply chain strategy
$100M+
Product line successfully dual-sourced in tariff market
Sarah White
Founder & Principal
About

20+ years fixing supply chains that others had written off.

Sarah founded Step Change Supply Chain to give mid-market manufacturers access to senior supply chain expertise without the overhead of a large consulting firm.

Her career spans automotive, aerospace, construction, filtration, and food manufacturing. She's been on the plant floor during ERP cutovers, in the conference room rebuilding S&OP from scratch, and in the executive suite when the numbers finally started moving in the right direction.

Built on nearly a decade of independent consulting experience, Step Change engagements are hands-on and practical. We find what's broken, fix the operating system behind it, and build the discipline to keep it working.

Let's Talk

Ready to make a step change?

If your team is spending more time expediting than executing, it's time for a conversation. Discovery calls are free and typically 30 minutes.

sarah@stepchangesupplychain.com