Pollard Consulting Services — Operations Advisory

Operations that
hold up when
you actually
start to scale.

Senior ops expertise for fast-growing businesses — without the full-time hire. From fulfilment and logistics to cold-chain compliance, 3PL onboarding, and carrier strategy.

Start a conversation View services →
15+
Years in ops
4
Industries
UK
Cardiff-based
The operations that got you here probably won't get you there. The question is how long before it breaks.
Numan — Operations, Supply Chain & Logistics — scaling DTC and omnichannel ops including cold-chain pharmaceutical logistics
Getir — Operations, Supply Chain & Logistics — 65 micro-fulfilment sites, 1,300+ staff, 50% reduction in Cost Per Order across the UK network
Multiverse — Operations — operational leadership in a high-growth EdTech scale-up; saved 78,000 admin hours annually through process automation
Deliveroo — Operations & Commercial — launched across Wales and South of England, 20 locations in 12 months
Lidl & Tesco — Operations — large-scale retail, multi-site P&L, 1,300+ workforce
Derek Pollard — Pollard Consulting Services
About

A practitioner,
not a theorist.

I'm Derek Pollard — an Operations Leader with 15 years of experience building and fixing operations across retail, platform logistics, and regulated healthcare. Every recommendation I make comes from having actually done the work, not a frameworks deck.

My background spans Tesco and Lidl (large-scale retail, multi-site P&L), Deliveroo (rapid market expansion), Getir (quick commerce at scale — 65 sites, 50% CPO reduction), Multiverse (EdTech scale-up operations), and Numan (DTC health brand with cold-chain pharmaceutical fulfilment). That breadth across sectors is unusual, and it's where I add the most value.

I work with founders and ops teams who know something needs to change but don't have the time — or the right frame of reference — to fix it themselves.

Operations, Supply Chain & Logistics — Numan
Consumer Health & DTC · 2025–present
Operations — Multiverse
EdTech · Apr 2024–Jul 2025
Operations, Supply Chain & Logistics — Getir
Quick Commerce · May 2021–Oct 2023
Operations & Commercial — Deliveroo
Platform Logistics · 2018–2020
Operations — Tesco & Lidl
Retail · 2008–2018
Services

Some of the
ways to work
together.

The engagements below are the most commonly requested — but they're a starting point, not a full list. If your challenge doesn't fit neatly into a category, get in touch anyway. It probably fits somewhere.

01
Operational Efficiency Audit
End-to-end review of your operations — fulfilment, carriers, unit economics, team structure, packaging, supplier relationships. One day on-site, a clear written report, a prioritised 90-day roadmap.
From £4,500
Circa 2 weeks end-to-end
02
Cold-Chain & Compliance Review
For businesses shipping temperature-sensitive or regulated products. Review of packaging spec, carrier SLAs, transit protocols and compliance requirements — with a gap analysis and remediation plan.
From £3,500
1–2 weeks
03
3PL Selection & Onboarding
From scoping and RFP through provider shortlisting, commercial negotiation, and managed onboarding to go-live. For businesses outgrowing their current setup or moving to a 3PL for the first time.
£7,500–£12,000
6–10 weeks
04
Carrier Strategy Review
Cost benchmarking, SLA performance analysis by zone, and a diversification strategy for businesses over-reliant on a single carrier. Negotiation support included where needed.
From £2,500
1–2 weeks
05
DTC & eCommerce Ops Blueprint
End-to-end operational design for businesses launching or restructuring a DTC channel — fulfilment model, carrier selection, returns process, customer care SLAs, KPI framework, and an implementation roadmap.
£9,000–£14,000
4–6 weeks
06
Fractional Director of Operations
Part-time senior ops leadership for scale-ups that need strategic thinking without the full-time headcount. 2 days per week, minimum 3-month engagement. All the input of a Director of Ops, none of the fixed cost.
£3,200/month
Min. 3 months · 2 days/week
These six represent the most common starting points — but PCS works across the full range of operational challenges. Returns strategy, operations due diligence, quick commerce advisory, interim cover, supply chain risk, team training — if it's an ops problem, get in touch.
Discuss your situation
Who this is for

You're probably a fit if…

→
You're a scale-up with physical operations
DTC, omnichannel, marketplace, or a brand launching into new channels — and the ops is straining under growth.
→
You ship complex or regulated products
Temperature-sensitive goods, pharmaceuticals, or anything where getting logistics wrong has consequences beyond a delivery complaint.
→
You're changing or choosing a 3PL
It's a bigger decision than most founders realise. Getting it wrong is expensive and disruptive. Getting it right takes experience.
→
You need senior ops thinking, not a contractor
You want someone who'll tell you what's actually wrong and how to fix it — not just execute tasks and invoice hours.
Industries worked across
How it works

Simple.
Practical.
No nonsense.

1
30-minute discovery call
Tell me where things stand and what you need to solve. No charge, no commitment. I'll tell you honestly whether I think I can help and roughly how.
2
Scoping and fixed-fee proposal
I'll put a clear scope of work in writing — what I'll do, what you'll get, a fixed price, and a timeline. No day-rate surprises. You know what you're paying before anything starts.
3
The work
50% upfront, 50% on delivery. You're never left wondering what's happening — I keep you informed throughout. Slack access is included on all engagements.
4
Delivery and handover
Every engagement ends with a clear deliverable — a report, a roadmap, a recommendation, or a go-live. I'll walk you through it and make sure you can act on it without me in the room.
Get in touch

Something in your ops keeping you up at night?

Let's talk. Thirty minutes, no hard sell. If I think I can help, I'll tell you how. If I can't, I'll tell you that too.

Send an email Connect on LinkedIn Book a call
derek@pollardconsulting.co.uk  ·  Book time in my calendar  ·  Cardiff, Wales