01 APPROACH

Stabilising the business is only the beginning. Restoring sustainable success is the goal.

I take on operational leadership roles in mid-sized industrial companies when business as usual is no longer an option, during transformation, restructuring and crisis situations.

My starting point is a clear understanding of the situation: Where is the company losing performance, profitability and speed? What are the underlying causes? And which decisions need to be made now?

My objective is not to manage a crisis. It is to work with the people in the organisation to rebuild sustainable performance and competitiveness from within.

MID-SIZED INDUSTRIAL COMPANIES · AUTOMOTIVE · MACHINERY & PLANT ENGINEERING
FAMILY-OWNED COMPANIES · PE PORTFOLIOS · RESTRUCTURING / INSOLVENCY
Klaus Fischer
“Responsibility means understanding complex situations, making clear decisions and creating measurable impact together with the people in the organisation.” KLAUS FISCHER
02 ASSESSMENT

A clear picture
from the outset.

Before action is taken, there must be clarity about where the company actually stands. I therefore begin with a focused operational assessment, not as a months-long analysis, but as the foundation for fast and sound decisions.

Market & Customers

Understand order intake, customer structure, pricing, competitive position and future demand.

Profitability & Liquidity

Create transparency around earnings quality, cash, working capital, cost structures and performance levers.

Operations

Assess delivery performance, capacity, productivity, quality, scrap and OEE across the value chain.

Materials & Supply Chain

Evaluate inventories, material flow, procurement, planning and bottlenecks in terms of operational impact.

Organisation & Leadership

Assess responsibilities, decision-making structures, the leadership team and organisational effectiveness.

Strategy & Portfolio

Review products, customers, sites, make-or-buy decisions and strategic options for future viability.

03 METHOD

From analysis
to leadership.

An assessment is not an end in itself. What matters is translating the findings into a small number of clear priorities and turning them into effective action across the organisation.

01

Understand

Establish facts. Identify root causes. Understand interdependencies.

02

Prioritise

Define performance levers. Make decisions. Clarify responsibilities.

03

Stabilise

Secure delivery performance, quality, cash and operational control.

04

Transform

Systematically reshape structures, processes, organisation and leadership.

05

Embed

Return responsibility to the organisation and build sustainable performance.

04 THE FIRST WEEKS

Fast clarity.
Focused action.

Critical situations require rapid clarity, but not blind action. I combine operational presence with a structured assessment and translate the findings directly into decisions and execution.

01

Orientation

Understand the situation.

Discussions with management, employees, customers and relevant stakeholders. Direct presence in production and across the value chain.

02

Assessment

Identify root causes and key levers.

Systematically assess performance, profitability, cash, organisation and market position.

03

Execution

Turn priorities into impact.

Prioritise measures, assign responsibilities, define targets and follow through consistently.

Do not analyse first and act later. Understanding and action move forward in parallel.
05 IMPACT

What changes
afterwards.

  • Delivery performance restored.
  • Production and quality stabilised.
  • Productivity and operational performance improved.
  • Material flow, inventory and planning brought back under control.
  • Profitability and cash actively managed.
  • Root causes addressed instead of symptoms.
  • Responsibility and decision-making restored within the organisation.
  • Leadership team aligned around shared priorities.
  • Employees engaged in the required transformation.
  • Sustainable performance and competitiveness strengthened.