Operational Assessment Framework

Operational Infrastructure & Process Discipline

• Are manufacturing processes documented, repeatable, and yield learning tracked?

• Is there a functioning pilot line with plans for ramp-to-volume?

• Are suppliers qualified, financially stable, and aligned with quality/reliability goals?

• Are facilities, tools, and IT systems scalable, modular, and compliant with standards?

• Are quality systems (ISO, IATF, CAPA, FMEA) embedded or treated as checkboxes?

• Is risk management formalized (yield, supply chain, CapEx, geopolitical, compliance)?

Leadership, Culture & Cross-Functional Execution

• Has the founder–COO/operations transition been defined and supported?

• Are cross-functional teams (engineering, ops, quality, finance, GTM) aligned on stage-gates?

• Are KPIs shared across functions (yield, cost, delivery, customer metrics)?

• Is hiring stage-appropriate (generalists early, specialists at scale)?

• Is there a culture of quality, accountability, and transparency (not firefighting/blame)?

• Are escalation pathways clear, with structured RCA and corrective actions?

Capital Efficiency, Data & Scaling Readiness

• Is CapEx phased and ROI-driven, tied directly to customer and revenue milestones?

• Are COGS and total product cost transparent, tracked, and benchmarked?

• Is burn-to-progress discipline in place (runway linked to milestones achieved)?

• Are IT and data systems integrated (ERP, PLM, CRM, MES, central data backbone)?

• Is the company leveraging AI/analytics for forecasting, yield learning, and risk management?

• Are business continuity and resilience plans documented and tested (supply, IT, cybersecurity, facilities)?

RSP uses this checklist to assess whether startups are operationally fragile or scale-ready. By scoring each category (At Risk → Developing → Stable → Scalable), we provide investors and founders with a clear roadmap to close execution gaps, protect capital, and accelerate commercialization.