The manager was selected by the Chairman of the Group to restructure the logistics function at an e-commerce company operating in Germany. Original quote: "In addition to the specialist, we need leadership in the short term - and then a fundamental overhaul of the current set-up".
The initial situation was characterized by a combination of individual projects and ad hoc measures
The manager responsible to date was on long-term sick leave, other managers in key positions had resigned or the positions were vacant. The remaining team was working hard, but the mood was poor and the operating results were unsatisfactory. Daily delivery capacity was limited. It was doubtful that the upcoming seasonal business could be managed at all. Individual discussions quickly revealed that there was neither a systematic approach nor an overall plan. Instead, there was a patchwork of individual projects and ad hoc measures.
Creating a common vision and reorganizing the team
The current interim manager - who was in a permanent position at the e-commerce company at the time - immediately set about creating a structure that was suitable for success. First, he developed a "target setting" with selected key players. This was discussed in several meetings with the management and finally confirmed. For the first time, this created a reliable basis for tackling further optimizations. At the same time, the manager ensured that the necessary positions were advertised immediately. He was able to bring additional resources on board for the project from his network at short notice.
The interim manager then set about "capturing" the scattered projects and aligning them with the new target image. In workshops with all logistics managers - across all functions and levels - he developed a common understanding of how logistics should be set up for the future and which topics needed to be addressed. The initial aim was not to find solutions, but to fully identify the relevant fields of action and then assign each individual a part of this as an optimization project. This allowed the two relevant main areas of transport logistics and warehouse logistics in particular to be worked on in parallel.
New logistics controlling initiated and roadmap derived for the projects
In the next step, the interim manager initiated new logistics controlling. This made it possible to estimate the EBIT contribution for each project over the next few years - and to prioritize the individual projects on this basis. The result was a roadmap in which the activities were interlinked.
The "New Logistics" program (anonymized name) was thus launched, had the necessary visibility and, above all, everyone was equally involved in its success.
The role of the manager now changed: from mastermind and doer to coach for the project managers involved. This created space for these managers and everyone was able to make their contribution - well above and beyond their normal daily output. Initial successes became measurable in the unit costs and "refinanced" the next steps.
A scattered bunch quickly became a powerful team
With the target image of the new logistics, the company has a common, binding basis for action for the first time. In a short space of time, a scattered bunch became a powerful team in which everyone was involved. The program forms the framework for systematically integrating all activities and aligning them with the objectives.
