A European market leader for hygiene solutions was planning the launch of a new product line and associated chemical products. The interim manager was hired as Head of Product Management & Marketing to strategically plan the new launch. She was also tasked with analyzing and streamlining the company's portfolio. Other tasks included introducing new software solutions for product marketing and developing the business model for the hygiene products.
The company develops hygiene solutions for the B2B sector, which are sold as complete solutions or components. It is part of a holding company with a turnover of several billion euros - and one of the most profitable within the group. The project was therefore provided with above-average financing, the use of which the interim manager was to track comprehensively and present transparently.
Properties and design of the new product line developed
The market leader's current product lines had already been established on the market for many years. The new CEO called for a new product line to bring a breath of fresh air to the portfolio - and brought the interim manager, who was experienced in FMCG product development and marketing, on board.
The interim manager began the assignment by quickly forming a cross-functional team from production, development, product management and marketing. Together with the team, she evaluated numerous internal and external suggestions for innovations. One design institute that was already working as a development partner for the market leader stood out. Together with this company, the team developed the features and technical details of the new product line as well as a new design language.
Excessive product portfolio evaluated and thinned out
During product development, it became clear to all stakeholders that the company's product portfolio was in urgent need of a review. The product range had expanded in the recent past, mainly due to numerous company acquisitions, and had become confusing.
The interim manager was tasked with thinning out the range of several hundred products in a sensible way. Together with the teams, she first identified top and bottom performers - and adjusted the product portfolio in consultation with the management. In close coordination between product management and development with key partners such as purchasing, sales, operations, controlling, external suppliers and selected key accounts, the portfolio was narrowed down to 75 of the top sellers.
Introduced a powerful process for product development
During the course of the mandate, it became increasingly clear that the company lacked clear structures and processes for product line development. This made the efficient development of individual products considerably more difficult, while the development of complex product lines seemed almost impossible.
In consultation with the management, the interim manager took the opportunity to quickly develop a strategic product development and approval process together with internal and external teams, which involved top management as well as internal and external suppliers. The new process makes it possible to track progress in transparent checkpoints on a daily basis and creates the basis for clear structures for internal and external stakeholders. The two most important projects of the new product line were based on this new process.
Innovation management and market observation
In addition, the interim manager developed processes for market observation and innovation management in order to capture innovative impulses from internal (e.g. sales) and external (suppliers or design product developers) in clear, strategic portfolio generations and keep them up to date with regard to the development and launch status of the products.
Quickly bringing complete hygiene solutions to market with the coronavirus task force
The coronavirus pandemic presented the company with major challenges at the start of 2020. The market urgently demanded new hygiene products and solutions. Fortunately, cross-divisional collaboration with internal and external stakeholders had now become well established. To further accelerate the pace of development, the interim manager formed a coronavirus task force, which was based in top management. Thanks to intensive external support, the task force succeeded in developing numerous hygiene solutions that met with great interest from major key customers.
New product line and efficient processes drive company growth
The new product line and efficient processes already proved to be growth drivers during the mandate. The streamlining of the product portfolio to remove low performers made a further significant contribution to earnings.
The product line received the "red dot award", a prestigious international design prize, in the year of its market launch. The award further increased awareness of the new product line - and thus also the demand and turnover of the hygiene company.
The new product development and approval process very quickly aroused interest in other areas of the company, which adapted the process to their needs with the help of the interim manager.
The client was very satisfied with the results of the mandate and assigned the interim manager further tasks in product development and innovation management as well as for digital and data management. The aim of this expansion of tasks is to enable even more efficient coordination within the matrix structure and with external partners.
