Consulting projects in many sectors and industries
- Automotive (production planning)
- Banking (HR outsourcing, large PMO optimization, optimization of an IT project organization)
- Catalog retail sales (restructuring)
- Domain trading (sales organization optimization)
- Energy sector (large scale restructuring and PMO)
- Energy services (large scale restructuring and project management)
- Healthcare (business development)
- HR (strategic planning)
- IT and telecommunications (research and development optimization, implementation of end-customer project controlling, restructuring, post merger integration)
- Logistics (IT integration)
- Pharmaceuticals (strategic marketing and pricing, post merger integration, organizational setup)
- Semiconductors (fab setup planning)
Projects
Agile project management implementation for cross-border, cross-functional teams [2020]
Client: Leading multinational pharmaceutical company
Objective: Deploy agile project management methods for cross-border, cross-functional teams
- Strategy definition including 2-3 year goals, breakthrough objectives and annual goals.
- Training of agile project management principles and methods.
- Accompanying teams and leadership in prioritizing topics and executing sprints.
Key success factors: Coherent strategy definition, agile methods training and transparency across all initiatives to ensure alignment towards achieving the common goals
Process optimization and platform migration preparation [2019]
Client: Leading multinational pharmaceutical company
Objective: Ensure stable, scalable order management processes and implementation (8 months)
- Process analysis and optimization of order management process for Cell & Gene Therapy treatment.
- Migration planning to move order management platform to new platform.
- Team training for “Large scale Change Management and Implementation”
Key success factors: Low-level process mapping, identification of obstacles, and joint planning between teams to remove them
Set up of a worldwide product launch team for Cell & Gene Therapy treatment [2018]
Client: Leading multinational pharmaceutical company
Objective: Define world-wide roll-out processes to enable country on-boarding for product launch (8 months)
- Responsible for ensuring successful Cell & Gene Therapy product launches in countries worldwide by defining supply chain and system setups and ensuring alignment across all teams.
- Multi-project management setup to enable identification of resource bottlenecks and provide information for decision making across launch and implementation projects.
- Ensuring successful transfer of project activities into the newly built-up line organization.
Key success factors: Leverage experience from past launches to define a launch process and detailed checklists and timelines for successful launching of new countries
Commercial project management for European launch of Cell & Gene Therapy treatment [2017]
Client: Leading multinational pharmaceutical company
Objective: Successful European launch of new Cell & Gene Therapy treatment (14 months)
- Commercial project manager responsible for European launch of new treatment.
- Successful, on-time launch of product and deployment of supply chain and IT systems.
- Defined workstreams and developed high-level and medium-level project plans.
- Ensured coverage of all topics in workstreams and ensured that all tasks and owners were clearly defined.
- Ensured alignment between teams, and networked key stakeholders to ensure good internal project communication and smooth problem resolution.
- Monitored key areas to ensure critical-path issues were resolved quickly and effectively.
- Set up and ran core team meetings to ensure alignment within the project.
Key success factors: “Roles & Goals” mapping across commercial, supply chain and IT organizations to ensure all parts of the program were coordinated. Detailed pre-launch planning, and a high degree of transparency and communication to ensure continuous alignment within the program.
Assessment of competitive landscape in the healthcare sector [2017]
Client: Group of private equity companies, Healthcare sector
Objective:Project analysis to increase and find new sources of revenues (4 months)
The goal was to analyze the competitive landscape, assess the market development needs and define possible strategies. Project portfolios, business impact and customer potential were evaluated. Subsequent implementation planning and salesforce targeting were conducted.
Key success factors: Understanding a changing technology landscape, market development analysis and revenue forecast.
Definition of process to identify and manage mission critical IT systems [2017]
Client: Leading global logistics provider, Logistics sector
Objective: Define a process to identify and manage mission critical IT systems (2 months)
This process involved defining criteria for identifying mission critical systems. Subsequently, software quality levels and service levels were defined to support critical systems. In a team, we conducted a risk assessment and defined risk mitigation strategies, along with KPIs and monitoring tools to minimize and mitigate risk.
Key Success Factor: Develop a framework for a scoring system to assess system criticality.
Evaluation of the Marketing and Sales organization in a publishing company [2016]
Client: Publishing company
Objective: Identify main structural inefficiencies in the marketing and sales department (2 months)
The goal was to analyze the Marketing and Sales organization to determine structural and process issues. Recommendations were developed for organizational changes to future-proof the department. We created process maps, customer clustering and defined product strategies.
Key Success Factor: solid understanding of existing business and definition of customer groups.
Set up of a new CIO function and regional department [2016]
Client: Leading European logistics provider, Logistics sector
Objective: Defining roles and responsibilities and staffing for a new CIO function (2 months)
The challenge was to set up and define a new regional CIO department, including structure, roles and sizing. We defined roles and responsibilities for demand IT as well as conducting planning for a new organizational structure.
Key success factors: solid definition of a demand IT specially aligned with the needs of an international logistics business.
Service process migration to central site [2016]
2015-09 – 2016-05
Objective: Migrate service processes to shared service center (9 months)
Client: Services Sector- confidential
My team and I were tasked to standardize service processes and move work to shared service center. Subsequently, we established quality management processes to ensure company-wide uniform standards. We implemented prioritization and release management processes for key service processes.
Key success factors: Focus on underlying support processes in the IT and services organizations to be able to implement the migration.
Non-headcount savings and pricing improvements [2015]
Client: Telecommunications Industry- Worldwide leading telecom HW provider
Objective: Identify and achieve non-headcount cost savings in product development, supply chain and services organizations (7 months)
Validated pricing model across hardware, software and services product ranges. Analyzed product and development portfolio to streamline for cost.
Key success factors: Analysis and aggregation of low-level data to provide new insights into process and pricing issues.
Post-merger integration for software and content producer [2015]
Client: Leading software and content producer
Objective: Prepare post-merger integration (7 months)
Prepared the integration scope, and execution of the post merger integration project. Supported the integration workstreams and overall coordination.
Key success factors: Working with senior management to develop coordinated integration strategy including leadership development to adapt to the new situation
Transformation of IT systems for regional restructuring [2014]
Client: Leading energy services provider
Objective: Transform central IT systems to support regional restructuring of field and sales forces (7 months)
The goal was to transform the central IT systems to support the regional restructuring of the sales and field forces. This includes defining goals, detailed planning, accompanying the transformation, and ensuring smooth operations throughout the transformation process.
Close cooperation with all stakeholders to determine possible migration scenarios was necessary to define a viable project plan. Frequent update meetings during execution helped the project stay on track, identify possible issues and prevented surprises for the affected departments.
Key success factors: Stakeholder management, generating transparency for system interdependencies, detailed transformation planning.
Large-scale transformation from regional to functional organization [2014]
Client: Leading power and gas provider
Objective: Transform regional commercial functions into central functional units (14 months)
The project consisted of three main parts: managing the PMO for transformation of a regional to a functional organization, leading the reintegration of a facility services subsidiary into the fleet organization, and supporting the HR transformation and harmonization projects including negotiations with the works council.
The main PMO defined and managed four project phases: 1) generating transparency between the goals of the central organization and the setup and operations of the regional organizations, 2) supporting the planning of the transformation itself, 3) accompanying the transformation and ensuring a good flow of communication, and 4) solving operational problems during and after the transformation. Regular meetings with the C-Level team, new divisional heads, regional heads, and the production fleet allowed an open and constructive flow of communication and provided a forum to quickly address any problems that surfaced.
The reintegration of the facility services subsidiary involved identifying all services that were provided to the parent, ensuring purchasing specifications were present and up to date, and subsequently analyzing demand, defining and agreeing on the necessary budgets, and placing orders for the needed services to ensure smooth service during and after the reintegration. Key personnel was also identified and transferred to the parent company.
The HR transformation had the task of migrating all personnel processes into a shared service center, and simplifying the current works agreements (Betriebsvereinbarungen) to ease the transition. We supported the planning of the transition for one part of the organization, analyzed and simplified several works agreements, and supported discussions and negotiations with the works council.
Key success factors: Extensive stakeholder management; generating transparency for all parties involved in all aspects of the transformation
Strategy for online HR service [2012]
Client: Online HR Industry- Leading HR posting service in Berlin, Germany
Objective: Develop 3-year strategic and operative business plan (3 months)
As a basis for the development of a 3-year business plan we performed a market analysis to determine the demographic trends that would shape the job market over the course of the next 10-20 years. After also evaluating the competitive landscape, we developed a set of strategic options and evaluation criteria to help select the most attractive one. Through several workshops with management we narrowed down the possible options and developed a phased implementation plan. A business plan based on these phases and the current company situation was developed and agreed upon with the management and ownership.
Key success factors: Solid analysis of market forces and expected market development over a 5, 10 and 20 year horizon; concrete recommendations for operational implementation.
Business development for healthcare technology provider [2012]
Client: Technology development company in the healthcare industry
Objective: Identify further business areas and opportunities for existing technology base (18 months, part time)
The client was looking to expand his strategic focus into new business areas. We analyzed the current technology base to identify key technologies, and compared these to the current state of technology in various healthcare industry segments. After identifying several possible segments for entry, we evaluated the currently used technologies and solutions to find possibilities for integration of the clients technologies. One concept that was developed, a method of monitoring of movement of mentally handicapped patients, won the European Satellite Navigation Competition special topics prize from T-Systems.
Key success factors: Obtaining a solid understanding of the new potential market segments and evaluating the value added by the clients technology base and its integration potential.
Sales process improvement for domain trader [2012]
Client: Domain Trading Industry- Worldwide leading domain trading platform
Objective: Improve the sales process and organizational structure (2 months)
The sales process was analysed by interviewing close to half of the salesforce to understand the current products, sales process and market, both in Germany and international locations. In workshops with the management team we agreed on several key areas of improvement, and developed detailed implementation plans. A subsequent project implemented the recommended actions.
Key success factors: Analysis of sales processes and structures in combination with the overall company structure itself
Project controlling system for a telecommunications equipment provider [2012]
Client: Telecommunications Industry- Worldwide leading telecom HW provider
Objective: Design and implement customer project controlling system for sales controlling (4 months)
The challenge was to design and implement a sales controlling system for large scale international customer projects. These projects deployed telecommunications hardware worldwide and were tracked in a variety of SAP systems, making the consolidation of controlling data difficult. Accessing the basic financial accounting information from the various systems provided a basis for tracking working capital requirements (WCR) and evaluating project progress and performance.
Key success factors: Focusing on low-level financial data from the system to ensure consistency and enable a fast implementation.
Set up of an indirect purchasing organization [2010]
Client: Worldwide leading generics company
Objective: Set up central indirect purchasing organisation by consolidating decentral purchasing offices (10 months)
We accompanied the set up of the central purchasing organization from scratch. We planned and coordinated all parts of the setup process, including coordination and recruiting of nine management positions via three different headhunters (including selection, briefing, and candidate filtering), establishing interview guidelines, conducting preliminary interviews, defining roles and responsibilities, developing onboarding plans, and providing support for the candidates once they were on board.
Key success factors: Stakeholder management at all levels of the company, good recruiting and onboarding processes for new employees
Post-merger integration of acquired company [2009]
Client: Worldwide leading generics company
Objective: Integrate the product portfolio and back office organizations of the two companies
We accompanied the post merger integration (PMI) of an acquired company. The main focus was on identifying and achieving cost and market synergy effects. We analyzed the revenue potential and product launch planning in white spot countries where the newly acquired product portfolio had the potential to complement the existing product portfolio. A market launch plan was developed on the basis of this analysis. To reduce costs, redundancies in the back-office and sales parts of the organization were identified and recommendations for integration provided.
Key success factors: Detailed, country-by-country analysis of product portfolios and sales structure
Leadership workshop for trade fair and congress organization [2009]
Client: Trade fair and Congress organization, Germany
Objective: Multi-day leadership workshop for top leadership
Led breakout sessions in two-day leadership seminar and workshop for top leadership team of the company.
Topics covered leadership in general as well as the the introduction of an employee competence model and the employee evaluation process.
HR-Outsourcing preparation for a retail bank [2008]
Client: Retail bank in Frankfurt, Germany
Objective: Preparation for outsourcing of parts of the HR function into a shared service center (5 months)
Prepared outsourcing into a shared service center (SSC). Coached managers in outsourcing process.
Collected and compiled information for a Request for Proposal (RFP). Performed vendor pre-selection process through two of three phases before project freeze.
Planned, drove and supported part of HR post merger integration (PMI) activities.
Key success factors: Analyses of processes and legal issues surrounding the outsourcing.
Strategic marketing for a Pharmaceutical company [2007]
Client: Pharmaceutical company in Nürnberg, Germany
Objective: Support strategic marketing organization with project leadership and analytical tasks (3 months)
Developed evaluation and decision model for health political issues involving game theoretical analysis of health insurance rebate models.
Analyzed visit and sales data and refined Sales Force targeting.
Helped set up Closed Loop Promotion pilot project for sales force including vendor evaluation for hardware and software platforms.
Key success factors: Methodical approach to analysis, and thorough verification of all input data.
Restructuring of catalog sales company in France [2007]
Client: Holding company in Munich, Germany
Objective: Restructured newly acquired company (revenue EUR 300m, 750 employees) in France (6 months)
Company was in the catalog sales business for retail clothing and other items.
Focused on Logistics, IT (outsourced) and Customer Relations departments (550 employees).
Worked on externalization of logistics and customer relations departments.
Closed new major telecom contract. Partially renegotiated IT Outsourcing contract with major IT provider. Negotiated sea and air transport contract (SLA) with previous owner.
Changed project evaluation perspective to cash point of view. Drove and monitored subsequent budget reductions.
Key success factors: Quick and consequent execution of post-acquisition plan.
Pre- and post-merger support for holding company [2006]
Client: Holding company in Munich, Germany
Objective: Support for pre- and post-merger activities in portfolio companies (8 months)
- Restructured newly acquired company and integrated with another company within holding group.
- Work included implementing financial controlling system, developing a roadmap for End Of Life of several applications, personnel reduction and related communication and management.
- Used Balanced Scorecard to identify key issues in the company and develop action plan to address high priority issues.
- Wrote business plan for pharmaceutical development software company to seek investments. Presented to several venture capital companies.
- Worked on M&A deal flow, including analysis of potential targets, evaluation of synergy potential and due diligence at acquisition targets. Focused on 3-4 deals in the document and content management software industry in the EUR 3-12m revenue range.
- Worked in Business Development for next generation knowledge management technology and document management system integration at previously acquired company.
Key success factors: Relationships with key players at holding companies, rapid analysis of situation.