Practical thinking on
operational risk
Straightforward writing on the patterns that hold scaling businesses back, and how to address them. Based on real work with UK engineering and manufacturing businesses.
Most operational risk is not obvious until it starts slowing the business down. These articles cover the patterns that show up most often across growing businesses, and what can be done about them.
Two Years Without a Proper Week Off Is a System Problem, Not a Dedication Problem
You haven't had a proper week off in two years. That is a system problem. Turn one recurring decision into a written rule and start to take it back. ...more
Operational Risk ,Friday Fix
August 10, 2026•2 min read
One Person Runs Your Month-End Close
One person owns your month-end close. If they are unavailable, the process stops. Here is how to document it and dry-run it this month. ...more
Operational Risk ,Friday Fix
August 07, 2026•1 min read
Replace the Verbal Handoff from Sales to Delivery with a Structured Form
When the handoff from sales to delivery keeps losing key details, converting it to a structured form fixes the problem at source. ...more
Operational Risk ,Friday Fix
August 06, 2026•2 min read
Write Down What Your Team Is Authorised to Decide
When your team keeps waiting for your approval on routine decisions, writing down what they can decide removes you from the loop. ...more
Operational Risk ,Friday Fix
August 05, 2026•2 min read
Two Teams, One Task, No Owner
When two teams disagree about a recurring task's owner, a short "who owns what" session and a written record fixes it permanently. ...more
Operational Risk ,Friday Fix
August 04, 2026•2 min read
Map What Your Operations Director Carries Before You Need To
When your operations director carries too much and no backup exists, mapping the work reveals the key person risk before it strikes. ...more
Operational Risk ,Friday Fix
August 03, 2026•2 min read
The Exception That Became the Rule
A small exception quietly became how you always do it. Here's how to decide whether to formalise it or close it out. ...more
Operational Risk ,Friday Fix
July 31, 2026•2 min read
A Customer Complaint Revealed a Process Variant You Did Not Know Existed
A customer complaint revealed a process variant no one knew existed. Find it, fix the standard, and retrain the team before it happens again. ...more
Operational Risk ,Friday Fix
July 30, 2026•3 min read
Three People Asked. Three Different Answers. That Is Your Onboarding Problem.
A new starter asked three different people the same question today. Capture the answer once, put it somewhere findable, and link to it. ...more
Operational Risk ,Friday Fix
July 29, 2026•3 min read
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