„It is time for "interim" management“

from Norbert Hendricks, journalist

ever more medium-size enterprises work with interim managers.
Thomas Dory is one of them - one of the best in this country. His clients certify it and its United Experts successful project guidance and high profitability. For example they improved the purchase conditions in a project of around 600.000 Euro. By simultaneously setting up a purchasing company in Switzerland they saved durably taxes in millions of Euro for the client. Contrary to the academic oriented management consulting Dory and his United Experts are hands on managers. They set realistic objectives, select optimal project steps and focus on final economic success.

n particular a strict return on investment view is important for medium-size companies. Thomas Dory brings along a variety of interesting industry experiences.
After studying at the European Business School (EBS) in Europe he finished with a Master in international Management (MIM) from "Thunderbird" in Phoenix, AZ USA. Among other things he worked five years as managing directors in the food industry, five years in a leading positions in the pharmaceutical industries, thereafter he prepared the introduction of a deposit system for beverage cans and PET bottles in Germany. He worked also as MD in the packaging industry. In its team are only managers, who worked at least 15 years in responsible positions (e.g. MD's), and acknowledgement of Dorys 5 obligatory guidance principles. All experts have to prove their past successes.
„Important is a balanced mix of of generalists and specialists. We constantly supplemented our global team of experts to extend the know-how basis and increase capacities.“

Classical tasks of the interim management

only occasionally United Experts must eliminate reservations in relation to the external temporally limited interim management with medium size company owners.
Also in Germany the advantages of a interim managers convinced many skeptics. Abroad it is routine to use external resources to achieve more effective project goals and gain implementation power and competency reinforcement. Examples of classical tasks of the interim management are:
Restructuring jobs, increase liquidity, optimize purchase and procurement management, new markets, new products, the competitive ability, the future ability of an enterprise to sustainably generate profits, foundations of a firm abroad etc.

Actually United Experts are mainly asked to improve competitiveness and economic efficiency. At the beginning of an interim manager project, projects goals and economic efficiency will be discussed and determined with owners, management and frequently also banks.

Win Win through profit sharing

Depending upon tasks interim managers projects run between 6 to 12 months, in exceptional cases up to 24 months. To reach the desired success, 2 things are above all crucial according to Dory:
- long lasting experience of the interim and
- secondly a strong trusty relationship between clients and interim manager - "on this basis we steer projects rapidly and efficiently to the agreed upon result."
Since the United Experts can show extensive experiences, they offer to the customers to receive a part of the fee only in the case of success. Thus a "Win-Win" situation for all develops.

Crisis management - "open heart surgery"

crisis management is very common to United Experts . There seams to some demand at the moment for interim management in crisis situations which demands specially experienced interim managers. The fact in such situations usually only few days or weeks are available, in order, to negotiations with owners, banks, creditors and if necessary new investors to give the company a new prospective.

Here applies that there is absolutely no margin for error: "it is fatal if the management says yes and means no or vice versa.

Crisis management in this sense is like an operation at the open heart. It is necessary to work précis and fast, cuts can not be reversed, usually there is only one attempt to reach success; the concepts must be correct from the beginning.

Experiments or false compromises one cannot afford in this situation. " Interim management fruits are seldom harvested by United Experts directly but much later when their work is long terminated".
But Thomas Dory, head of the team means: "we always see the projects successfully run off with a crying and a laughing eye, but the next exciting project finally already waits for us. Because in many companies it is time for interim management!"