The Accidental Compliance Person

Your title is Operations Manager. Last week you spent 20 hours on export documentation. Here's why the obvious solutions don't work—and what does.

You're an operations manager at a 60-person deep-tech company. Your job is supposed to be manufacturing, supply chain, facilities, logistics.

Somehow, "logistics" expanded to include export compliance. There was no handover. No training. The previous person who "handled it" left, and the responsibility landed on your desk.

Last week: 20 hours on export documentation for one shipment. This week: Sales closed two more international deals. Your CEO just asked you to "own this going forward."

You need help. But you're not even sure what kind of help exists.

What Help Actually Looks Like

Before:

• 20 hours per shipment on documentation
• Near-misses every quarter
• CTO pulled into logistics issues
• Sales can't quote confident delivery dates

After:

• 3 hours per shipment on oversight
• Systematic process for every shipment type
• CTO focused on product
• Sales quotes timelines that operations delivers

That's the destination. Here's why the obvious paths don't get you there.

The Mid-Market Gap

Companies with 50-500 employees shipping controlled hardware face a structural problem:

Too complex for DIY. Enough destinations, enough product complexity, that figuring it out every time is unsustainable.

Too small for enterprise. Compliance platforms cost €50K+ annually. Built for thousands of transactions. You ship 30-50 per year.

Not what Big Four delivers. They'll write a report. They won't pack the shipment or solve the problem at 10pm.

You're stuck in between.

"You don't need software you can't configure, consultants who write reports, or more work delegated to a CTO who should be building product. You need expertise plus execution."

The Four Alternatives (And Why They Fail)

DIY / CTO handles it.

Medical device company. CTO handling export compliance. Smart, figured it out. Then volume doubled. CTO spending 15 hours/week on export paperwork. Series B due diligence flagged it as key-person risk.

The failure: Opportunity cost. Single point of failure. Doesn't scale.

Generic freight forwarder.

Sensor company. Used their forwarder for a UAE shipment. Forwarder said "no problem." Shipment held at Dubai customs for three weeks—forwarder didn't know the documentation requirements. Demo window closed. (See The Dubai Corridor: Why "Business-Friendly" Isn't Easy)

The failure: Forwarders move boxes. They don't classify products or navigate licensing.

Enterprise compliance software.

Precision equipment company. Bought €55K platform after a scare. Six months to implement. Required dedicated admin they didn't budget for. Two years later: using 10% of features, still calling consultants for complex shipments.

The failure: Built for thousands of transactions. 30/year means enterprise prices for single-digit utilization.

Big consulting firm.

Quantum startup. Engaged Big Four for export compliance. €80K later: beautiful 60-page policy framework. No one to execute shipments. Report sat in a drawer. Still scrambling every international shipment.

The failure: Advisory, not operational. Won't be there at 10pm when the carrier calls.

What You Actually Need

An operating layer—expertise plus execution.

Expertise on tap: Classification, licensing, DG regulations, corridor requirements. Without hiring a full-time specialist.

Execution support: Packer booking. Carrier qualification. Document preparation. Problem-solving when things go wrong.

Knowledge transfer: After 6-12 months, your team handles routine shipments confidently. We stay engaged for complex scenarios, new destinations, edge cases.

Audit-ready documentation: Classification determinations, screening records, decision logs. Defensible from day one.

The Partner Filter

Red Flags:

• Quote without asking about your products
• Describe controlled goods as "standard cargo"
• Can't name a DG specialist on their team
• Promise to "handle everything" without questions

Green Flags:

• Ask for technical specs before quoting
• Ask about export classification before routing
• Want battery watt-hours, not just "yes/no batteries"
• Ask about timeline, end-user, documentation upfront

The test: If they quote before asking for your MSDS, they quoted you for a box of t-shirts.

The Operating Model Decision

ModelWorks If...DIYLow volume, simple products, familiar destinationsEnterprise software100+ transactions/year, budget for adminConsultingNeed audit, policy framework, board defensibilityOperating layerMid-volume, complex products, expertise + execution

If you're 50-200 employees shipping controlled hardware internationally—you're probably in operating layer territory.

Key Takeaways

The mid-market gap is real. Too complex for DIY, too small for enterprise, not what consultants deliver.

You need expertise plus execution. Not software. Not reports. Actual help.

The partner test is simple. No MSDS question? They quoted you for t-shirts.

The transformation is measurable. 20 hours → 3 hours. Near-misses → systematic process.

What To Do Now

If you're the accidental compliance person:

You're not alone. This is how it happens at most mid-market companies. The frustration is valid. Solutions exist.

If you want to talk through your situation:

Schedule a 20-minute discovery call. No pitch. We ask about your products, destinations, volume.

If there's a fit: we scope a pilot—usually 2-3 shipments over 4-6 weeks. You see how we work. We learn your products. Then we decide together what ongoing support looks like. Retainer or per-shipment, depending on what fits your business.

Sometimes the answer is "you can handle this yourself—here's how." Either way, you'll know.

Contact FlowSpex

We were the accidental compliance person. We spent the weekends on export paperwork. We built the operating layer we wished existed. Now we're offering it to you.

FlowSpex: Expertise plus execution.

‍