Fit for the Future – Clever entrepreneurs take precautions in good times – HANSE Interim Manager Sascha Hammer is the right interim manager for process optimization in the poultry industry.
The Task in the Company
Moorgut Kartzfehn von Kameke GmbH & Co. KG (in short: Moorgut Kartzfehn) is a medium-sized poultry multiplier that produces more than 35 million hatching eggs per year. With approx. 500 employees, annual sales of around EUR 70 million are generated with stable growth and healthy economic development. The business model is characterized by long production cycles in connection with only short-term planning reliability for delivery quantities and dates and therefore requires a high degree of planning and control competence. In addition, customers expect the quality leader to have consulting expertise in all technical matters relating to poultry rearing. The reason for the assignment of an interim manager was not the economic situation, but rather the interim manager was to ensure process optimization in production.
Existing operational key figures were discussed only irregularly with the sites. A process of continuous improvement in production did not take place. The divisional structures were not adapted to the growth of recent years. This manifested itself, among other things, in the fact that the management team was increasingly occupied with administrative activities and lacked time for leadership (on site). Measures to increase the efficiency of production were sometimes implemented only sluggishly.
The Challenge for the Interim Manager in the Field of Process Optimization
The company knew the consulting firm HANSE Consulting from a successful yield increase project. So, it was obvious for the management to ask for an interim manager via the sister company HANSE Interim.
The task was initially defined by the management as follows:
- Introduction of benchmarking and performance dialog of the sites
- Establishment of an innovation management
- Optimization of personnel requirements planning and personnel management
- Reorganization of divisional structures
- In addition, the interim manager was also to identify potential for increasing earnings, set up appropriate measures and support their implementation. In the course of the mandate, further “construction sites” were identified in the organization, which the interim manager was able to work on due to a lack of available capacities in the company.
Our interim manager Sascha Hammer reports below on the optimized processes.
The Interim Manager’s Process Optimization Solution
First, I established a SMARTe project organization in which the goals and procedures for working on the action areas were described in detail. The management team was made responsible for the project work and was thus able to set its own priorities for the future design of the area.
At the same time, I visited all 40 production sites. This provided an “unvarnished” picture of the mood and ideas for improvement from the 220 production employees.
The status of individual projects was discussed in detail at weekly management meetings. In addition, there was regular communication with the (very cooperative) works council. Together with the management and the works council, the pressure to implement was kept high in production.
In addition to the lack of experience in structured project work, the adherence to familiar structures and processes in some parts of the workforce proved to be a challenge in the future orientation of the production area. In coordination with the management, regular communication and close coaching were used to increase the willingness to change and to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of project work. After about 12 months, a permanent successor was found for the position of Production Division Manager. The new division manager first had to familiarize himself with the day-to-day business, whereby close coordination took place with me as interim manager. After successful familiarization, the new position holder was gradually given more responsibility, so that the mandate could be successfully concluded after a total project duration of 18 months.
The Result
As interim manager, I introduced in a short time with the “Team Production”, among other things, an indicator-based site benchmarking including performance dialog with managers and employees.
In addition, the structures and IT support along selected processes were optimized with the aim of ensuring that the right person in the right position deals with the right issues.
A process coordinated with all interfaces, including clearly defined responsibilities and templates for idea documentation and evaluation, was introduced to ensure the seamless recording and optimum utilization of improvement ideas from production.
An Excel-based model, in which hourly requirements were calculated on the basis of animal quantities, work steps and process times, created transparency regarding personnel requirements in relation to production planning. The planned capacities also served as a target for the site managers. Achievement of this target was relevant to bonuses. Training concepts were revised, and a comprehensive training initiative launched to increase flexibility in personnel deployment.
Based on the findings of the site benchmarking, yield enhancement projects were set up and ultimately best practices were transferred to all sites.
Conclusion
In addition to a structured approach involving all relevant process participants, the right team composition is critical to success.
The strengths of the individual team members must be used in a targeted manner and weaknesses eliminated through individual coaching. In this way, performance orientation and implementation strength can be sustainably improved in the company.
Forward-looking Entrepreneurs therefore make their company Fit for the Future during good times!
