Co-delivery is the right structure when a client's situation genuinely requires two distinct capabilities running in parallel. Not every engagement needs it. But when the work is complex enough that a single firm cannot cover the whole system, a structured co-delivery arrangement creates clarity for the client and accountability for both partners.
How it is structured
Each party has a clearly defined lane. Fulcrum handles the operational architecture, strategy-to-execution framework, and systems infrastructure. The partner brings their specialty: financial modeling, marketing strategy, HR systems, technology implementation, or whatever their core discipline is. The client knows who is responsible for what.
Billing and client relationship
In most co-delivery arrangements, both parties bill the client directly. The client has two separate agreements. This keeps the financial relationship clean and avoids the complexity of pass-through billing. In some cases, particularly when the partner is the primary client relationship holder, a different structure can be arranged.
Coordination
Co-delivery partners align on the client situation before the engagement begins and check in regularly during it. The cadence varies by engagement complexity. For most arrangements, a monthly sync between delivery partners is sufficient. The goal is to make sure the two workstreams are reinforcing each other, not creating competing priorities for the client.
When co-delivery is the right call
Co-delivery works best when the partner already has a trusted relationship with the client, both parties have genuinely distinct scopes, and the client's situation is complex enough to warrant the investment. It is not the right structure for every referral. A clean introduction and referral fee is often the better choice.