Situation: Small medium-sized company as a unit of a large organisation
The client of Dr. Maier + Partner Interim Management GmbH was a small and very medium-sized unit in a large, internationally operating mechanical engineering group. The company was integrated into the group several years ago as part of an acquisition and produces special parts and customised products for the other group units. Since the entire unit is extremely project-driven, it was decided not to integrate it into the Group's purchasing organisation, which is very much characterised by series purchasing. The unit has a relatively small purchasing volume and, with a total of 50 employees, a low organisational depth. Purchasing is headed by the Head* Supply Chain with comparatively little practical experience in purchasing and consists of two buyers.
Objective: Three main objectives were defined for the interim management mandate
- Development of a purchasing strategy
- Professionalisation of purchasing processes in project purchasing
- Coaching of the Head of Supply Chain with regard to modern project purchasing
Results and outlook
In addition to professional requirements, the objective also resulted in some personal requirements for a suitable interim manager. Not only an operationally strong manager was needed, but also a consultant and coach who is able to develop the organisation with a certain empathy.
From our database of over 300 certified interim managers, we were able to present our client with four managers who, on the one hand, had sufficient professional experience in strategic purchasing and the development of purchasing organisations and, on the other hand, also combined a cultural understanding of small organisations and a "consultant gene".
All four interim managers had already successfully implemented similar projects in different constellations. The client then decided on a manager who had already mastered the same project mission with a larger purchasing volume in another company and had also already gained experience with the parent company. In the following six months, this manager, together with the Head of Supply Chain, on the one hand made the purchasing organisation fit for the growth course and on the other hand developed the entire department professionally and personally through very practice-oriented coaching.
*In this text, only the masculine form is used for better readability. The chosen masculine formulations also apply without restriction to all genders.
