Advisory Services / Pillar 03

Workforce & Operating Model Consulting

Given where you're headed—S&OP, network redesign, ESG, digital, AI—what skills do you need to hire, build, or borrow?

The Challenge

Transformation initiatives require new capabilities. But should you hire data scientists or upskill existing planners? Staff ESG internally or partner externally? Centralize S&OP or federate it?

We use our market view and supply chain expertise to advise on how to deploy talent against strategy.

Sound Familiar?

  • "We're launching a digital transformation; do we hire data scientists or upskill existing PMs?"
  • "ESG is mandatory but we don't know how to staff it—internal, external, or partnership?"
  • "We're centralizing S&OP; what roles do we need at the hub vs. the spokes?"
  • "We're implementing AI in demand planning; how many planners can transition?"
  • "We want to focus on strategy; what functions should we outsource?"

What We Deliver

A comprehensive approach to aligning your workforce with your strategic direction.

Current vs. Future-State Skills Mapping

Document current workforce and define future-state needs based on strategy. Identify gaps: surplus, shortage, and mismatch. Quantify urgency for strategy execution.

Build/Buy/Borrow Strategy

Build: Reskilling curriculum and timelines. Buy: External hire JDs and search strategy. Borrow: Fractional experts, RPO partnerships, project-based talent.

Operating Model Options

Centralized hub, federated, or hybrid shared services models. Role out options for each: headcount, cost, capability, and risk analysis.

Total Cost of Talent Analysis

Calculate fully-loaded cost (salary, benefits, onboarding, training, turnover). Compare to outsourcing or fractional options. Create business case for decisions.

Talent Sourcing & Vendor Strategies

Beyond the build/buy/borrow decision, we help you execute:

  • Map external talent markets: availability, cost, lead time for different roles
  • Recommend sourcing channels: direct hire, RPO, interim executives, contractor platforms
  • Build vendor scorecard: recruitment partner, training provider, interim exec firm
  • Design recruitment SLAs and KPIs

Make or Break Decisions

We help you determine what's core to your value chain and what's commoditized:

  • Which capabilities are strategic differentiators?
  • Which can be safely outsourced or shared?
  • Where does institutional knowledge matter most?
  • What's the risk profile of each option?

Typical Engagement

Workforce consulting engagements typically run 8–14 weeks.

  • Weeks 1–2: Strategy alignment, current state assessment
  • Weeks 3–5: Future-state design, skills gap mapping
  • Weeks 6–8: Build/buy/borrow analysis, vendor assessment
  • Weeks 9–12: Sourcing strategy, cost modeling, operating model options
  • Weeks 13–14: Implementation roadmap and communication plan

Deliverables: Workforce roadmap, build/buy/borrow strategy, sourcing plan, total cost model

Ready to align workforce with strategy?

Let's discuss how workforce consulting can accelerate your transformation.

Schedule a Conversation

Related Services

Workforce consulting often connects to these complementary services.

01

Organization Design

Design the structure before determining the workforce to fill it.

Learn more →
05

Fractional Services

Execute the "borrow" strategy with fractional leadership.

Learn more →