What an operations advisor should examine, when outside help creates leverage, and how Old Guard approaches facilities, extraction systems, quality, and execution.
Reviewed August 4, 2026 · By Alex Marzec
A cannabis operations consultant diagnoses operational risk and helps turn recommendations into workable systems. The scope may include cultivation and extraction workflows, facility design and commissioning, equipment selection, SOPs, GMP and quality systems, staffing plans, product commercialization, and the records needed to support safe, repeatable production.
See Old Guard's advisory areas →The highest-leverage time is before a costly decision becomes difficult to reverse: before signing off on a facility layout, purchasing major equipment, promising a launch date, entering a new product category, or responding to an audit finding.
An advisor can also help when yield, quality, downtime, documentation, or accountability problems continue without a clear root cause.
A useful GMP readiness assessment follows actual material and records from intake through finished product. It examines batch records, deviations, corrective actions, training, sanitation, document control, traceability, quality ownership, and the gap between written procedures and floor practice.
Findings should be prioritized by risk, business impact, and the team's ability to sustain the fix.
Read the GMP readiness guide →Most delays come from sequencing, not construction alone. Licensing, SOP development, hiring and training, long-lead equipment, utility commissioning, inspections, and the physical build must run as one coordinated schedule. The opening date is controlled by whichever track finishes last.
Use the facility readiness framework →Evaluate reliable production rather than advertised throughput alone. Compare verified uptime, parts availability, service response, solvent recovery, utility and permitting requirements, operator training, safety, cleanability, and five-year operating cost against the actual material, building, and staffing conditions in the facility.
Read the extraction-system guide →Yes. Old Guard supports remote and on-site engagements worldwide. The right delivery model depends on the problem: document and data reviews can often begin remotely, while facility flow, commissioning, training, and equipment issues may require time on site.
The first conversation defines the operating problem, current constraints, decisions already made, desired outcome, and urgency. If Old Guard is a fit, the next step is a focused assessment with a clear scope, evidence request, deliverables, and decision points—not an open-ended consulting engagement.
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