WHO I AM
I’m Michael J. Anderson, a fractional Chief Operating Officer specializing in service operations within industrial companies—particularly MRO facilities, aftermarket divisions, installation and commissioning teams, and planned maintenance programs.
My background spans both manufacturing and service operations. Early in my career, I owned and operated a sheet metal fabrication company, gaining direct experience with production workflows, vendor coordination, and the realities of industrial environments.
For over 20 years, I’ve built and led a multi-location service business—developing the systems, processes, and operational discipline required to scale while maintaining strong margins.
That combination—hands-on manufacturing experience and deep service operations leadership—allows me to help industrial companies strengthen service divisions that are often operationally complex, under-optimized, and critical to long-term performance.
WHY FRACTIONAL COO
I do fractional COO work because I want to operate, not advise.
I embed into the business, make operational decisions, and drive execution alongside your team. After 20+ years as an operator, my focus is on building systems, improving performance, and ensuring the business runs predictably.
The fractional model delivers C-suite operational expertise at 60-65% less cost than a full-time COO hire—giving you strategic leadership without the $250K+ salary, benefits, bonuses, and equity commitments.
I’ve built and scaled a multi-location service company to industry-leading performance, achieving 61.9% gross margins and 32.2% net operating income by implementing systems that enabled the business to run efficiently without constant executive involvement.
That experience—building scalable operations from the ground up—is what I bring to each engagement.
Engagements are structured around your needs: embedded leadership where hands-on involvement drives results, and flexibility where it doesn’t.
WHAT DRIVES ME
What drives me isn’t just operational improvement—it’s the analysis behind it.
I focus on using data to uncover what’s actually happening inside the business and where performance can be improved. That includes identifying cost drivers, analyzing operational constraints, and building systems that make results measurable and repeatable.
Examples of that work include:
- Analyzing workers’ compensation data to identify root causes and reduce costs by 60%
- Building KPI systems that identify client churn trends before they impact revenue
- Using price elasticity analysis to implement increases without affecting retention
- Applying constraint analysis to isolate the small number of issues driving the majority of operational drag
This approach comes from my engineering background and has been reinforced through two decades of operational leadership. Decisions are grounded in data, and systems are built to track performance over time.
WHERE I ADD VALUE
My primary expertise is service operations—the often-overlooked divisions of industrial companies that have massive revenue potential but underperform due to lack of operational rigor.
What I’ve Mastered:
- Multi-site service coordination and scheduling
- Technician and field team retention and development
- Customer retention and lifetime value optimization
- Process standardization and delivery excellence
- Margin optimization
- Data analytics and KPI-driven decision frameworks
Where These Capabilities Transfer Directly:
- MRO (Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul) facilities
- Installation and commissioning teams
- Planned maintenance programs
- Aftermarket service divisions
- Field service operations
Where most manufacturing-focused COOs see service operations as a necessary cost center, I see them as high-margin growth engines—because I’ve built one. I understand the unique challenges: the scheduling complexity, the technician retention issues, the customer relationship dynamics, the margin pressures. And I know how to solve them systematically.
Beyond Service Operations
That said, operational excellence principles transfer across functions. Whether optimizing service operations, manufacturing workflows, or strategic execution systems, I apply the same analytical rigor: data-driven decision making, process standardization, and systematic improvement frameworks (Theory of Constraints, Lean, OKRs). My depth is in service operations, but my capabilities extend to any operational challenge that benefits from disciplined systems thinking.
MY APPROACH
I don’t consult from the sidelines—I embed into your team as a working executive, making operational decisions and driving execution.
My operational philosophy centers on three principles:
Build Systems That Last
I don’t create consulting dependencies. I build analytics infrastructure, operational processes, and decision frameworks that become permanent assets your team owns and uses long after the engagement. Every system I implement is designed for your team to maintain and scale independently.
Empower Teams, Don’t Micromanage
I believe in adhocracy-based culture—empowering capable people to make decisions and own outcomes. I invest heavily in training and mentoring (I’ve developed six general managers to full operational independence), then step back and let teams execute. My role is to build capability, not create dependency.
Let Data Drive Decisions
Every recommendation I make is backed by rigorous analysis. I approach operations with an engineer’s precision and a CEO’s accountability—building the measurement systems first, then optimizing based on what the data reveals. Gut instinct has its place, but sustainable operational improvement requires numbers.
INDUSTRY FOCUS
My fascination with industrial operations has deep roots. Early exposure to railroad switching yards shaped a lasting interest in large-scale industrial systems and the precision required to keep them operating. Later, owning and operating a sheet metal fabrication company gave me hands-on experience with the realities of industrial production.
Today I’m drawn to industries where operational excellence directly supports complex, high-value systems: aerospace, railroad infrastructure, heavy equipment, and advanced manufacturing.
The service delivery fundamentals I’ve spent two decades mastering apply directly to industrial service environments—MRO operations, installation and commissioning teams, planned maintenance programs, and aftermarket divisions.
The industry changes. The operational fundamentals don’t.
BACKGROUND & CREDENTIALS
Professional Experience:
- 20+ years as President & CEO, multi-location service company
- Built and maintained operations that delivered 61.9% gross margin and 32.2% net operating income
- Structural engineering background with project leadership on international projects, including contributing to the world’s largest wastewater treatment facility at the time
- Early-career manufacturing operations experience (sheet metal fabrication, heavy equipment)
Core Competencies:
- Multi-site operations coordination and scaling
- Service delivery systems and scheduled operations
- Financial performance optimization and cost reduction
- Process standardization and operational excellence
- Data analytics and KPI-driven decision frameworks
- Leadership development and team building
- Custom systems design and implementation
- Strategic execution and process optimization across manufacturing and service operations
TARGET COMPANIES
I work with mid-market companies building the operational infrastructure needed for their next phase of growth—typically where service operations are becoming more complex and critical to performance.
I’m most often brought in when companies have:
- Service divisions requiring operational optimization
- MRO operations needing margin improvement
- Installation/commissioning teams lacking coordination
- Aftermarket divisions with untapped revenue potential
- Multi-site service operations facing complexity
LET’S TALK
If your service operations, MRO, or aftermarket divisions need experienced leadership without full-time overhead—let’s talk.
Michael J. Anderson
MichaelJ@AndersonCOO.com