When two companies merge or one company is bought by another, it is essential to coordinate their reporting standards with uniform key figures and the corporate and management culture as soon as possible. This is extremely demanding and, for various reasons, does not always work right away. An interim manager can provide accelerating support and provide good placement services, as a current mandate shows.
Inconsistent numbers and an exhausted team
Our customer, a medium-sized Swiss SME, was bought by a European group a few years ago. Unfortunately, the integration of the Swiss company into the parent company did not work particularly well: The satisfaction of the employees fell, there were many departures and thus too much loss of knowledge. Among the main problems surely was accounting, as the SME was not able to deliver the key figures required by the parent company. The fact that the SME was virtually without management due to the numerous departures contributed to the precarious situation as well. It was only after years that the deadlock was recognized and the decision was made to hire an interim manager from Top Fifty to support the CFO Switzerland in setting up a standardized system of key figures in order to be able to meet the parent company's demands for figures that could be integrated into the group's finances.
Sober analysis and human support
The interim manager encountered management that hardly communicated. Managers were on the verge of their performance limits and employees had completely lost confidence. The interim manager realized that this was not just about developing a key figure system. He therefore decided to actively act as an intermediary and buffer between the parent company and the finance department for the duration of his mandate. In addition, he coached the CFO as a sparring partner.
He systematically approached the task of setting up a uniform system of key figures: When analyzing the current situation, he found three different reporting systems that were coherent but could not be coordinated with one another. He therefore supported the team in developing a uniform system and in processing the large amounts of data. In addition, he analyzed prices, discount systems, warehousing and the flow of goods, showed potential for improvement and ensured that the newly acquired knowledge was available in the whole team and not just with individual people as before.
Expertise and empathy
The extensive specialist knowledge of our interim manager in bookkeeping and the development of reporting systems was of course a prerequisite for the successful implementation of the order. Empathy was at least as important here: Thanks to extensive management experience, our interim manager immediately recognized interpersonal problems and the exhaustion of individual people and was able to react quickly. Thanks to open communication and benevolent cooperation at all levels, he succeeded in getting the employees on board and motivated them to work within the scope of their capabilities.
The fusion of two companies or groups after a purchase or merger is extremely demanding and therefore does not always succeed immediately. Interim managers from Top Fifty have a lot of experience and therefore rapidly recognize the most pressing problems. We provide you with experts quickly and easily. Contact us at office@top50interim.com or +41 (0)41 412 02 02.
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