
Critical Situations
As the dangers of a globalized, labor-sharing, widely digitized world become more apparent and the ever faster changing business environment necessitates hitting the market as quickly as possible, companies are increasingly faced with critical situations.
While you cannot prepare an organization for every eventuality, with the correct guidelines and procedures in place for every business area, you can establish effective management without compounding the problem during the search for the right solutions.
Problems often manifest during critical situations that cause a significant distraction from creating value elsewhere. That is why skills and practical experience in resolving critical situations effectively are a key success factor for entrepreneurs and companies.
Given the multitude of risks, even an exceedingly low probability of occurrence per risk is sufficient to significantly increase the probability of failure. Should a customer project experience complications, the future viability of the company is compromised.
Mastering critical situations is not about sophisticated plans and detailed analyzes. The focus is on acting quickly and pragmatically, making and implementing decisions within a short time.
As external project and company renovators, we offer the expertise and experience necessary to manage the possible ramifications of critical situations hands-on and with care. We focus on the essentials, analyze influencing factors pragmatically according to "pareto" and implement them pragmatically.
If the need arises, we will restructure the teams, supplement meaningfully with our resources - if necessary, and put a stringent control mechanism in place that ensures the success of the project and company with more transparency and timely escalation.
We examine the necessary decisions and thus enable management to make them with a high level of quality. Actions are taking thoughtfully and not merely for the sake of it. Crucial issues are prioritized. Goals and expectations are made transparent to all members of the team and the organization.
We have the right mindset, the necessary tenacity, and plenty of discipline, both for consistent management (mostly interim “CFO”, “COO”, “CEO”, “CRO”) and as “troubleshooters” on the shop floor, in projects and programs.
The management of critical projects does not only require the special challenges of project management, such as determining objectives, plan implementation, close team control, and documentation. It also demands the analysis and understanding of commercial interdependencies, as well as extensive experience in prioritizing scarce resources.
A professional and de-escalating communication of the circumstances and the measures taken to the client is an essential success factor in this context to regain their trust in the company's performance.
Our references in the field of Critical Situations
Client: Medium-sized group of companies; private equity; metal foundry
Task: Analysis of business processes; evaluation of future viability; preparation of an optimization concept
Project success: Submission of a well-founded analysis as a basis for decision-making for further activities, preparation of a concept for customer presentation
Client: Medium-sized group of companies; private equity; toy industry
Task: Analysis of business processes; evaluation of future viability
Project success: Submission of well-founded analysis as a basis for decision-making for further activities
Client: SME; Group shareholding; Innovative company in the field of autonomous driving
Task: Interim management; provision of an experienced CFO to support the local management team
Project success: Definition, planning and support of necessary measures to secure future growth
Client: German subsidiary; Korean group
Task: Realize efficiency increase in production process of injection molding. Ensure start-up of new products/processes in thermoforming and assembly process
Project success: Increase OEE from below 60% to well above 80%. Verification of master data, work plans and calculation bases for successful price renegotiation with OEM
Client: Medium-sized group of companies; private equity
Task: Process optimization and reduction of absenteeism
Project success: Situation analysis carried out on the store floor. Definition of measures to improve procurement processes in the stamping shop and optimization of production processes to increase employee satisfaction. Implementation support and significant reduction in absenteeism. Avoidance of investment due to increase in OUTPUT (effectiveness/efficiency)
Client: Concern; Top 3 suppliers
Task: Supplier management - process assurance at JV partner in India
Project success: Situation analysis on site in India. Definition of measures for sustainable improvement and stabilization of the quality situation
Client: Concern; Top 3 suppliers
Task: Ensure ERP / SAP roll out in a business unit in the production area
Project success: Turnaround of the implementation situation from "red" to "green" by the set roll out date
Client: Concern; Top 3 suppliers
Task: Process optimization and reduction of absenteeism
Project success: Situation analysis carried out on the store floor. Definition of measures to improve procurement processes in the stamping shop and optimization of production processes to increase employee satisfaction. Implementation support and significant reduction in absenteeism rate