Every week, someone reaches out to Bill and I with a question that starts like this: “We’re having trouble with production delays, change orders, waste, low sales, high turnover, inspection issues, vendor complaints, cash flow, software, robots, wild deer in the breakroom…”
And then comes the kicker: “Do you guys charge for advice?” (Yes. Yes, we do. But clearly, that’s not the real issue.)
Because when we do give advice—when it’s paid, free, scribbled on a napkin, or wrapped in a LinkedIn article—they nod politely, thank us, and then go do the exact opposite.
So here it is: 17 brutally honest (and ridiculous) reasons offsite factory management won’t listen to consultants:
1. “Because we had a meeting in 2009 that said we’d never need consultants.” That 90-minute PowerPoint still rules the boardroom like a sacred scroll.
2. “Our problems are unique, and no outsider could possibly understand them.” Yes, you’re the only factory with employees, delays, and 6,000 unfiled change orders. Clearly.
3. “We like to learn things the hard way. It’s tradition.” Similar to hazing, but for businesses.
4. “We’re this close to figuring it out ourselves.” Translation: We’ve been 95% of the way there since 2021. Just need one more intern and a miracle.
5. “We can’t afford a consultant, but we can afford another $400,000 software we won’t implement.” We call that ‘strategic confusion investment.’
6. “Our GM read a book once. That’s basically the same thing.” It was Who Moved My Cheese? and he keeps quoting it out of context.
7. “We’re not sure what a consultant even does, but we’re pretty sure we don’t need one.” Mystery breeds confidence.
8. “We’ve got a guy. He used to work for someone who once drove past a modular factory.” You mean Todd? Todd’s got strong opinions and zero experience. Perfect fit.
9. “We’ve been doing it this way for 30 years, and we’ve only been close to bankruptcy 12 times.” Solid track record.
10. “We watched a YouTube video called ‘How to Scale a Factory in 7 Days.’” Posted by someone who’s never held a hammer.
11. “If we listen to a consultant, our employees might think we don’t know everything.” Spoiler alert: they already know.
12. “We’re too busy fixing the mess we made from ignoring the last consultant.” Irony so thick you could trowel it.
13. “The consultant wanted to start by talking to our production crew. That’s not how we do things around here.” Yes, let’s keep decisions in the executive echo chamber where they belong.
14. “We just installed a suggestion box. We’re waiting for magic to happen.” So far, two paperclips and a pizza coupon.
15. “Consultants are just failed factory owners.” That’s true in exactly the same way coaches are failed athletes… oh wait.
16. “We don’t like outsiders with opinions. That’s what the owner’s brother-in-law is for.” Nepotism: the silent factory killer.
17. “We’d rather go out of business on our own terms, thank you very much.” And they will. With pride.
My Final Thought
Consultants don’t have magic wands—but we have seen what works and what doesn’t (including that $12 million framing robotics system you never unpacked). Listening to someone who’s been around the block might just save your factory from becoming the next great off-site “what could have been” story.
Bill Murray, experienced Advisor to the Offsite Construction Industry
Bill and I are here to help. Sign up for a Free 30-minute Video talk about your company’s future options.
