Roland Berger supports clients in maximizing corporate performance and helps them to improve profitability and corporate value.
Interim management solutions
Navigating businesses through complex change processes
Related Expertise
Many companies lack sufficient internal management capabilities to handle exceptional situations outside of normal business operations – this applies to challenging realignments and transactions, as well as threatening revenue and liquidity crises. To safely navigate these companies through uncharted waters and temporarily replace the missing competencies, the IMPEX team at Roland Berger takes full management responsibility during a transitional phase. In addition to traditional management consulting, experienced interim managers take on responsibilities, supported by crisis-experienced expert teams. The unique combination of transformation expertise and implementation capability as long-standing C-level managers allows for a support offering that goes well beyond the industry standard.
The challenges of change
In recent years, more and more companies are realizing that they lack both the quantitative and qualitative capacities to manage demanding transformations on their own and with their own expertise. The challenges are diverse and require implementation certainty. The crisis management agenda includes tasks such as securing liquidity, financing or refinancing, stakeholder management, specific sales and purchasing initiatives, as well as relocations and cost reduction projects. Often, fundamental issues such as overloaded leadership teams, fragile supply chains, and tight profit margins also come into play. In other cases, comprehensive and proactive external support may be necessary – whether for value enhancement programs during the holding period of portfolio companies, or for structural adjustments in the context of carve-outs , mergers, acquisitions ( M&A ), or restructurings .
Exceptional situations like these are not part of a company's normal operations and are not "practiced," which means that internal capacities and resources are usually lacking. To remain operational, interim management becomes a success factor: company management engages external specialists with crisis-tested management expertise, an unbiased outside perspective, and access to any additional resources that may be needed. Interim managers, with or without accompanying expert teams, navigate the company safely and swiftly through the challenges of upheaval.
"Roland Berger's IMPEX team delivers not just recommendations, but measurable results."
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Our solution and promise
Our IMPEX interim managers take full responsibility for the day-to-day operations of a struggling company for a limited time – committed, competent, and goal-oriented. This professional and personnel strength, along with clarity in presentation, enables rapid change and creates sustainable added value. Typically, we support with a responsible interim manager, along with other highly qualified experts and the necessary project management office (PMO). Our comprehensive operational know-how and practical approach lead to solutions that effectively support the company from day one.
What makes the IMPEX team at Roland Berger so unique? Above all, our commitment to quality: Our interim management operates according to the high-quality standards for which Roland Berger is known as a globally active strategy consultancy, utilizing proven methods. We provide our clients with a complete team, not lone warriors, because well-coordinated teams achieve more than any individual. We work results-oriented: Roland Berger is recognized as a market leader in restructuring and value creation expertise. This capability also characterizes our IMPEX team, which boasts extensive management experience at the first and second levels and focuses on measurable, sustainable results in implementation.
Crucially, the Roland Berger offering is that we take full responsibility for interim management for the entire duration of the project, depending on the task profile. While consulting competitors typically only recommend or moderate, our interim executives take daily responsibility for results within their agreed decision-making authority and act as temporary, fully accountable managing directors or board members when necessary. For us, interim management is a management task, not a consulting task. The entrepreneurial spirit is reflected in our performance-oriented, variable pricing model, where we have a strong vested interest in success, aligned with the company's goals.
Interim Management in Hospitals
Interim management can play a crucial role in change processes. Our interim management offers tailored solutions for hospitals that need leadership on short notice. We understand the unique challenges in healthcare and ensure that our interim managers have extensive experience in hospital management. Our experienced interim managers and specialized consulting teams support you in successfully navigating complex transformations and restructurings. They temporarily take on management responsibilities as CRO, CFO, or CEO and work closely with your internal leaders and external stakeholders to develop and implement effective solutions.
Our interim management experts bring extensive experience and an unbiased outside perspective to guide your hospital through the challenges of change. Our goal is to deliver measurable results for your hospital and create long-term value.
The collaboration between IMPEX and our healthcare team provides you with a unique combination of solid consulting services and implementation strength. This combination helps your hospital respond even better to market changes and sustainably improve your profitability.
Roland Berger remains committed to its mission of supporting companies in complex special situations and helping them successfully navigate through changes. With this expansion, we solidify our leading position in the field of consulting for hospitals.
Case studies
Transformation management for a machinery and plant engineering company
Situation: Our client was a machinery and plant engineering firm whose organic and inorganic growth over recent years had led to increased complexity and poor integration of acquisitions. Due to margin erosion and market overcapacity in the industry, the business was suffering from a negative EBIT margin of around ten percent and its order intake was down 40 percent. The company's owners and top management lacked clarity over its future corporate strategy.
Solution: During the 18-month turnaround phase, we provided a Chief Restructuring Officer (CRO) and a mixed team of internal and external experts, reporting directly to the CEO. After a quick scan phase, review of strategy and definition of a value creation program, we designed a target operating model and reorganized the company on a global business unit basis rather than a functional basis. We also provided a detailed communications strategy covering the entire period.
Impact: With our support, the company's service business was able to achieve double-digit growth. Today, the company enjoys an EBIT margin of nine percent. Our communications strategy ensured full stakeholder buy-in from both rank-and-file employees and executives throughout the assignment.
Restructuring a hydraulic engineering company and preparing it for sale
Situation: A hydraulic engineering company was suffering from inadequate leadership at top management level, which had led to talent and resources being lost. Cash flow was severely constrained and the company's main financiers lacked confidence in the management. In addition, poor-quality services had damaged the relationship with customers.
Solution: We provided the company with a Chief Restructuring Officer (CRO) who successfully restructured the firm and implemented a new business strategy. This included divesting non-strategic and loss-making business units, securing key customer relationships, identifying new business opportunities and optimizing efficiency by focusing on products with intellectual property rights. At the same time, we made new strategic hires, motivated existing staff and insourced core processes.
Impact: We achieved a 20 percent overall increase in business, secured regional and international growth and transformed the company's organization, focus and employee mindset. Under our guidance the company also developed new products and solutions in the areas of digitalization, the Internet of Things and Industry 4.0. Our interim management during the restructuring period helped prepare the company for sale to a strategic investor.
Interested in our services?
To find out how your organization can benefit from our expertise in interim management, contact Stefan Treiber or Alexander Müller from the Roland Berger IMPEX team.
Further Readings
