Fractional CFO for manufacturing and construction
We take over the finance function of your manufacturing or construction business: margin by product, project and contract, working capital and cash under control, and budgets and forecasts that reflect real production schedules and payment terms. Monthly retainer – no full-time CFO hire, no long contracts.
30 min · No pitch · A real CFO, not a chatbot
Who it's for
- You run several projects, products or sites at once, but only see the final margin after the work is complete.
- Supplier deposits, materials, payroll, VAT and client payment stages make cash difficult to predict.
- Revenue is growing, but overruns, idle capacity or slow-paying contracts are quietly consuming profit and working capital.
Symptoms you need this
If more than two of these sound familiar, this is the service to start with.
What you get
Revenue, labour, materials, subcontractors, overhead allocation and change orders tracked against the original budget.
A 13-week view of customer receipts, supplier commitments, payroll, VAT and financing needs.
Monthly P&L, cash, balance sheet and operational KPIs, with a review focused on the decisions ahead.
- Project, contract and product profitability
- Budget versus actual cost control
- 13-week cash flow forecast
- Working capital, WIP and inventory visibility
- Capacity, hiring and equipment scenarios
- Monthly CFO review call
- Bookkeeping and tax filing
- Site, production or procurement management
- Replacing your accounting or project-management software unless it blocks correct numbers
How it runs
We map your projects, production cycle, payment terms and the decisions that currently lack reliable numbers.
Accounting, estimates, timesheets, purchasing and project data are connected and reconciled.
The first margin view, management pack and cash forecast are delivered within 30 days of starting.
Weekly cash and project exceptions, monthly performance and scenario updates – month-to-month renewal.
Artifacts we deliver
Budget, committed cost, actual cost and expected margin for every active project.
Receipts and payments timed to milestones, supplier terms, payroll and VAT.
P&L, cash, working capital and operational KPIs in one decision-ready view.
The financial effect of new hires, equipment, capacity changes and expansion plans.
Related answers and services
The questions founders ask about this work, and the neighbouring services.
- Servicefractional CFO serviceSenior CFO leadership on a monthly retainer, month to month.
- Servicemanagement reporting serviceMonthly accounts you can read and act on.
- GuideP&L vs cash flow vs balance sheetWhat each statement shows, how they connect and the order to read them in.
- GuideCFO versus accountantWho records, who files and who decides.
Fractional CFO for manufacturing and construction: questions founders ask
Why do we only see project margins after the work is finished?+
Because estimates, timesheets, purchasing and project data sit in different places and margin spreadsheets arrive too late. We reconcile accounting, estimates, timesheets, purchasing and project data into a margin dashboard that shows profitability by project, contract and product while the work is still running, with budget against actual cost control.
How do you predict cash when supplier deposits and client payment stages are uneven?+
We build a 13-week cash flow forecast that includes supplier payments, materials, payroll, VAT and client milestones. We review it weekly, together with project exceptions, so cash gaps show up before they hit.
What do we get each month?+
A monthly management pack with P&L, cash, balance sheet and KPIs, a project margin dashboard, a scenario model for capacity, hiring and equipment decisions, WIP and inventory visibility, and a monthly CFO review call.
How quickly will we be set up?+
The engagement starts with a free 30-minute diagnostic call. Weeks 1–2 cover the data and margin review, and within 30 days of the start your margin view, management pack and cash forecast are live.
Do you manage production or replace our accounting software?+
No. We do not manage sites, production or procurement, and we do not do bookkeeping or tax filing. We replace accounting or project software only if it blocks correct numbers. It is a monthly retainer with month-to-month renewal and no long contracts.
What our clients actually say.
Stop guessing. Start deciding on facts.
A free 30-minute call with a senior CFO. No sales pitch – just a clear read on where your money is and what to do next.
30 min · No pitch · A real CFO, not a chatbot