Smart Asset Protection & Growth

What is it about?

To be successful in the short and long run, organization need to relentlessly improve, even in times of comparatively stable projections. The learnings from the VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity) world show that nothing shall be taken as granted and stable, and opportunities are quickly foregone.

Specifically, we support clients in identifying chances & risks, defining the target operating model (TOM) with its’ specific measures to take and implementing them.

Interim Management / Staffing

Shortage of skilled workforce is an increasing problem for many organizations.
With our broad network of experienced senior leaders and experts, we are able to offer dedicated profiles in a very short timeframe. Typically, we will be able to come back to you with first qualified profile(s) with very few days or in some cases even hours.

Examples of recent recruitments - Time to First Profile (TTFP)

  • Logistics:
    SAFe® Release Train Engineer (RTE) ⇒ First profile delivered within 12 hours
  • Automotive client:
    System Architects ⇒ First profile delivered within 4 hours
  • Automotive client:
    Project Leader ⇒ First profile delivered within 30 hours

How does this work for me?

In a direct (remote) contact with us, you specify your needs in form of

  • Skills required
  • Specific challenges and expectations
  • Timing & location
  • Cost frame

Our focus is on making sure that the profiles meet your needs and the candidates are truly available (that is what makes a qualified proposal). We will let you know right away, if we do not see any possibility to meet your demand.

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Liquidity Protection

“Cash is King!”

The significance of this statement is particularly evident for medium-sized companies in times of crisis.

Here, fast and custom-fit solutions are in demand.

Maintaining and regaining liquidity is key.
Therefore, developing and communicating a convincing master plan for the way forward is crucial to gain buy-in from stakeholders and to avoid brain-drain.

Examples of our extensive experience in the field are turning around a company successfully that suffered from a revenue drop of more than 40% (due to insolvency of the key customer at the time and the parent company was reluctant continue the financial support).
In another case, an automotive tier 1 supplier was heavily dependent on one high-scale project of one OEM-customer. As this project did not materialize and due to consecutive failures, the investor was not prepared to continue funding for urgently required production materials.
Dedicated negotiation support on various ends help to stabilize the situation within few weeks, while convincing essential knowledgeable employees to support the plan.

Example Recovery & Restructuring

Company size > €100 million sales p.a.
Recovery after breakdown of delivery capability (SCM)

Services
Crisis management after production break-down, Restructuring, Organizational redesign

Activities
Crisis intervention with short-term stabilization after an error in a large ERP project led to the interruption of logistics, product development and significant impairment in sales.
Realignment / restructuring of the units involved, process streamlining, lean-agile optimization of the organization

Result
90% recovery within three weeks.
Realignment of affected departments to double the delivery sequence (in the direction of fast fashion).

How does this work for me?

With our complementary self assessment tool you may get a first idea of your liquidity level and vulnerability towards insolvency.

In a direct (remote and free of charge) INITIATION SESSION, we will draft your needs and frame out how we can support you.

Based thereon, we offer to carry out a DIAGNOSIS WORKSHOP to analyze holistically
1. the economic framework conditions,
2. the revenue and expense areas, and
3. the working capital performance

(The diagnosis workshop may be followed by deep dive sessions as required.)

Based on this input and close interaction with yourself, we will develop the RECOVERY MASTERPLAN
4. develop management options and control instruments,
5. set up a solid financial planning,
6. develop a liquidity-securing action plan
7. support the implementation as required (this can range from coaching to real operational tasks “get our hands dirty”) such as communicating a convincing master plan for the way forward is crucial to gain buy-in from stakeholders and to avoid brain-drain.

For higher efficiency, we suggest an agile working mode with biweekly, client-participating reviews on predefined deliverables and flexible agile contract. This enables quick feedback and adjustments as necessary.

 

In other words, the typical approach is

  • Quick
  • Delivering tangible results continuously
  • Low risk, as the agile contract ensures required skill capacity and allows for adjustments as required.
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Resilience Buildup

“Better to be prepared than sorry”

 

Actively managing crises is better in every phase than relying on the principle of “hope”.

Our structured approach helps organizations to manage difficult times for effective and efficient recovery.

The root cause of an acute crisis very often emerges from an evolution of problems that originates from normative positioning of the organization in every changing business environment.

The need to act may not be seen in such an early phase but only when problems cannot be managed with alternative means. In such phase, the degree of freedom to act is quite restricted.

In an urgent crisis, we help our clients with hands-on measures e.g., to stabilize liquidity in a restructuring situation incl. stopping liquidity drain, with setting-up self-determined pre-insolvency recovery programs (e.g. ESUG procedures (Germany), chapter 11 voluntary petition (U.S.), Division I Proposal / CCAA filing (CA)).

A structured approach comprises of

  1. Prevention
  2. Early detection
  3. Intervention
  4. Retrospective

Not only structural measures are important (e.g., compliance management systems, Enterprise Risk Management System, Information System Management Systems (ISMS)), but at the end it is about the people affected and with that the corporate culture.

How does this work out for me?

In a direct (remote and free of charge) INITIATION SESSION we will discuss your objectives, scope, and context.

As it may be helpful for your, we offer a Self-Assessment Tool (SAT) to allow you to identify your current state regarding digitization and sustainability.

Based on those findings and depending on your needs, we will provide you a support concept that fit neatly into your approach. It may comprise just specific change management interventions or up to full delivery of an implementation program

  1. Baselining
  2. Scoping
  3. Definition of communication plan
  4. Definition of the Target Operating Model
  5. Implementation steps
  6. Validation check
  7. … all accompanied by careful communication and change management interventions, so that your key stakeholders seconding the change and to avoid brain-drain.

For higher efficiency, we suggest an agile working mode with biweekly client-participating reviews on predefined deliverables and flexible agile contract. This enables quick feedback and adjustments as necessary.

 

In other words, the typical approach is

  • Scaled to your real needs
  • Delivering tangible results continuously
  • Low risk, as the agile contract ensures required skill capacity and allows for adjustments as required.
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Supervisory / Advisory Board / Non-Exec Directors

The professionalization of the Supervisory / Non-Executive / Advisory Board is crucial for the quality of its work.

Increasingly, supervisory board members and management board members are also held personally liable if, for example, corporate structures do not allow timely risk identification and compliance assurance.

One Example is the implementation of a Compliance Management System in line with ISO 37301:2021: this international standard is applicable to “… all types of organizations regardless of the type, size and nature of the activity, as well as whether the organization is from the public, private or non-profit sector.” (see ISO 37301:2021)

Conversely, it is precisely the establishment of timely structures and operationalization, e.g. in the implementation of effective compliance and corporate governance, that can have a penalty-reducing effect for board members and CxOs.

Various new regulations on ESG matters, data protection, whistleblowing and supply chain (scope 3) labor conditions, to name a few, need to be tackled either directly or at least indirectly in B2B settings upon corporate customers’ compliance demand. Further more to come in the near future, as can be seen e.g. from current discussion on implementing SOX-like accountability structures for Cyber Security and IT-Systems: As this is discussed e.g. within ISACA, it shows that (personal) accountabilities are likely to increase for those in charge of a company.

Being member of various boards in North America and Europe throughout the last 25 years and as Director of the Institute of Compliance & Corporate Governance, Stefan Vieweg himself has an extensive practical and research knowledge concerning coping with new regulatory requirements and their proper implementation.

In own research (the “Compliance On Board Index” CoBI), we have shown that while large corporations are fairly good at setting up compliance structures, in particularly the operationalization (e.g. building an aware “compliance”-culture) is extremely hard. Though, the effort is sustainable and pays off economically as well.

Clear evidence shows that “candorship” i.e., openness, transparency and “no FOG” (FOG – Facts Obfuscating Generalities) really pays off:

(Source: Vieweg, S. (2019): Nachhaltige und effiziente Unternehmensführung durch Candorship und koordiniertes Empowerment. in: Groß, M., Müller-Wiegand, M., Pinnow, D.: Zukunftsfähige Unternehmensführung, SpringerGabler)

We provide support such that utilizing digitalization and systemic change management, a healthy and sustainable implementation of relevant Compliance, ESG / CSR, Finance and IT measures can be made.

How does this work out for me?

In a direct (remote and free of charge) INITIATION SESSION (1h) we will check your current board composition, potential improvement areas or advisory needs and concrete risks.

Based thereon, we typically offer to carry out context-specific FACT FINDINGS (similar to internal audits, extended with independent, external advise).

For higher efficiency, we suggest an agile working mode with biweekly client-participating reviews on predefined deliverables and flexible agile contract. This enables quick feedback and adjustments as necessary.

In other words, the typical approach is

  • Quick
  • Delivering tangible results continuously
  • Low risk, as the agile contract ensures required skill capacity and allows for adjustments as required.
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CFO Advisory

“Finance division‘s versatile role in the digital age is far more than pure financial.”

Very often, CFOs are even leading the digital transformation….

By driving the (digital) business agenda, CFO position themselves are potential CEOs: As an example, more than a quarter of the DAX-listed corporations in Germany and other large companies are run by former CFOs. This underscores the expanded range of tasks.

Our model very clearly shows the pioneering role in the digital age – digital empowerment is as much a duty as financial excellence.

Example Digital Transformation of Finance

Financial Institution Total asset > € 100 billion

Services
SAP 4 HANA Readiness

Activities
Analysis of the organizationally and procedurally hermetically separated areas FI and CO of the financial institution.
Due to the changed logic (“universal ledger”) of the SAP4HANA technology, both the data structures and the responsibilities (data management) will change drastically.
In order to prepare for a successful implementation, corresponding improvement potentials were identified so that, in addition to the purely technical implementation, an increase in efficiency and thus significant cost optimization can be achieved.

Result
79 concrete improvement potentials identified, implementation WIP

We support you with sound experience, underpinned by our own scientific research and decade-long operational CFO-experience. 

How does this work out for me?

In a direct (remote and free of charge) INITIATION SESSION we will check your advisory needs, and concrete risks and opportunities.

Based thereon, we typically offer to carry out context-specific DISCOVERY WORKSHOP with relevant stakeholder for the transformation challenge.

Based on the findings, we suggest for the consecutive implementation an agile working mode for higher efficiency with biweekly client-participating reviews on predefined deliverables and flexible agile contract. This enables quick feedback and adjustments as necessary.

 

In other words, the typical approach is

  • Quick
  • Delivering tangible results continuously
  • Low risk, as the agile contract ensures required skill capacity and allows for adjustments as required.
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Digitization and automation

Realizing the need to transform in the digital age is not the issue, it is using models from the past.

The new technologies such as Robot Process Automation (RPA), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain etc. can only develop their full potential if the context is right. We help you to quickly find these “sweet spots”.

The expectations in digital (automation) technologies are manifold, though they need to be orchestrated in the right way!

“If you digitize shitty processes,
then you have shitty digitized processes at the end.”

(Former CEO of a telecommunications company and now CEO of an airline).


Typically, the driving forces around digitization (and automation) hoovers around the four aspects cost reduction (paramount), efficiency, quality and stakeholder satisfaction:

As a low tier entry, we offer specific trainings (open and inhouse – onsite and remote) on digitization of core processes, e.g. in finance, receivables management, controlling, HRM, SCM. We are vendor independent, though have decent first hand experience of what these these process automation can and cannot achieve.

“A fool with a tool is still a fool.”

We have been in the enterprise software business for more than 20 years. The recurring learning is, that proper deployment including correct master data management is really, really hard.

Therefore, we support our clients in their digital transformation journey in pragmatic and proven steps.

“Get it right first time!”

Reference Example

Healthcare (Revenue > EUR 10 Bn), 15% Cost savings delivered

Services
Cost optimization, Process optimization

Activities
Weakness analysis,
Process harmonization,
Process realignment,
Vendor re-negotiation preparation

Results 
15% Cost Savings p.a.

How does this work out for me?

In a direct (remote and free of charge) INITIATION SESSION we will discuss your objectives, context and advisory needs.

Based thereon, we typically offer to carry out context-specific DISCOVERY WORKSHOP with an individual baselining of your organization to identify those “sweet spots”:

The proven and very efficient approach comprises:

  1. Delimitation of the application area
  2. Self-assessment by those responsible for the process
  3. Challenging based on best practice
  4. Validation and prioritization of the optimization potential
  5. Detailed recording of the prioritized processes, systems and data structures
  6. Elaboration of the need for adaptation using automation technology
  7. Feasibility check
  8. Cost-benefit analysis, business case with aggregated financial and qualitative effects.

 

For higher efficiency, we suggest an agile working mode with biweekly client-participating reviews on predefined deliverables and flexible agile contract. This enables quick feedback and adjustments as necessary.

 

In other words, the typical approach is

  • Quick
  • Delivering tangible results continuously
  • Low risk, as the agile contract ensures required skill capacity and allows for adjustments as required.
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Business Process Outsourcing / Shared Services Center / Carve-Ins / Carve-Ins / M&A

“Right sourcing” is an increasing challenge, especially for medium-sized companies with established structures. Here, it is important to find the right balance in order to be able to achieve corporate goals with and not against the organization’s own workforce. Reservations must be countered by targeted change management and those affected must be made participants. Our systemic approach (the only TÜV-certified change approach) has proven itself with many clients.

Reference Example

Company size > € 1 billion p.a. sales

Services
Business Process Outsourcing / Shared Services Center / Carve Outs /-Ins

Activities
Establishment of regional shared service centers with business process outsourcing options. To do this:
1.Separation of administrative functions from operating units and bundling of administrative activities (finance, controlling, human resources, IT) of local plants in shared service centers in order to bundle know-how, increase quality and raise efficiencies.
2.development of a target structure and a strategy to achieve this target structure.
3.Recording and critical reflection of possible process standardization.
4.Tendering of services for business process outsourcing providers.
BPO process: RfQ process, short listing, BPO fact finding, contract negotiations, development of service level agreements.
5.business case development in different scenarios (BPO, in-house).
6. execution of change management measures for implementation

Result
39% IRR (base case)

How does this work for me?

In a direct (remote and free of charge) INITIATION SESSION we will discuss your objectives, scope, and context.

Typically, the scope ranges from “just” the consolidation or dismantling of individual existing units, the integration of newly acquired ones, the setup of an internal shared service center (greenfield or brownfield) or end-to-end orchestration of a full-blown outsourcing program.

Depending on your needs and your own capabilities, we will provide you a support concept that fit neatly into your approach. It may comprise just specific change management interventions or up to full delivery of an outsourcing program including

  1. Baselining
  2. Scoping
  3. Definition of communication plan
  4. Definition of the Target Operating Model
  5. Request for Proposal (RfP) process
  6. Vendor interaction
  7. Shortlisting vendors,
  8. Fact finding
  9. Contract negotiation (in particular: service level agreement (SLA))
  10. Day one readiness preparation
  11. … all accompanied by careful communication and change management interventions, so that your key stakeholders seconding the change and to avoid brain-drain.

For higher efficiency, we suggest an agile working mode with biweekly client-participating reviews on predefined deliverables and flexible agile contract. This enables quick feedback and adjustments as necessary.

In other words, the typical approach is

  • Scaled to your real needs
  • Delivering tangible results continuously
  • Low risk, as the agile contract ensures required skill capacity and allows for adjustments as required.
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Cyber Security / IT-Security

Cyber Security has been increasingly THE leading risks for businesses around the globe. There is hardly any business that is not dependent on information and communication technologies: neither in high-volume industrial manufacturing environment, where IoT (Internet of Things) digitization is becoming more and more the new standard, nor in health care where digitized patient data are prerequisite for surgeries and proper therapy treatment.

Based on findings from the Allianz Global Risk Barometer 2022, which is based on 2,650 risk management experts from 89 countries and territories, own analysis shows that during the last 7 years, cyber incidents have increased by annually 4% (CAGR), followed by natural catastrophes (3% CAGR) (Vieweg, S. (2022): Resilience Best Practice.

“It is not the question whether a cyber-attack will happen. The key question is on the impact such an attack will have upon an organization. Preventive measures are crucial on the latency of reaction and recovery. Such latency is merely defining the effectiveness of any organizational resilience and its way to recover.” (Vieweg, S. (2022): Resilience best practice.)

Cyber risk is a very broad field, though reasonable frameworks and recommended procedures exist. e.g., from ISO 2700x, NIST, and many other frameworks. The challenge though is to pick and implement measures in a consistent and effective way. Here, many organizations struggle, as own cyber case research demonstrates.

There is a long list of cyber threats, with a clear pattern of focus on most effective ones. ENISA, the European Union’s Agency for Cybersecurity, sees the Cyber Threat Landscape (CTL) in decreasing priorities:

  • Ransomware
  • Malware
  • Cryptojacking
  • E-mail related Threats
  • Threat against data
  • Threats against availability and integrity
  • Disinformation – misinformation
  • Non-malicious threats
  • Supply-chain attacks

An ever more “industrialization” and professionalization of cyber-attacks has to be acknowledged: The damage is increasing (e.g., the year ending June 2022, the novel LEDS matrix (Lock-Encrypt-Delete-Steal) uses consequently capabilities of ransomware attacks, resulting in somewhat 10 terabytes of stolen data per month. The full vulnerability becomes obvious, as more than 95% of the incidents do not have a known attack vector (i.e., the way how unauthorized network access to launch cyber-attack is being achieved).

Although with the Russian invasion in the Ukraine and the reservists’ mobilization, a slight decline in specific attacks could be observed in some areas, the cyber risk increase is prevailing.

Hence, it is paramount that managers understand their organization’s vulnerability as a first step and then to take perventive measures that fit to the risk appetite of the organization: don’t forget, there will never be a 100% risk-free situation. Building a Information Security Management System (ISMS) with proper structure AND operationalization will help minimzing such residual risk.

Unlike many trainings aiming for specific certifications in a dedicated area, we offer holistic trainings on Cyber Security / IT Security for managers to enable understanding and taking the effective measures for their organization. This is particularly important in Cyber Security, because:

Knowledge ≠ Understanding

Based on the own research, leading a dedicated Master-program Compliance & Corporate Security LL.M., as well as directing the Institute of Compliance & Corporate Governance, member of the world leading independent audit institution ISACA and FAIR Institute on quantitative risk measurement, Prof. Vieweg offers – based on best expertise – diligent assessment of our clients organizational risk pattern and help them on a relentless cyber security journey.

How does this work out for me?

In a direct (remote and free of charge) INITIATION SESSION we will discuss your objectives, scope, and context.

Depending on your needs and your own capabilities, we will provide you a support concept that fit neatly into your approach. It may comprise just specific change management interventions or up to full implementation of organizational cyber security implementation which typically comprises

  1. Baselining of specific issues (e.g., how well are IT-Security policies implemented) right up to a full IT audit
  2. Identifying improvement measures (may include trainings, coachings)
  3. Implementing improvement measures
  4. Coaching
  5. Effectiveness check

For higher efficiency, we suggest an agile working mode with biweekly client-participating reviews on predefined deliverables and flexible agile contract. This enables quick feedback and adjustments as necessary.

 

In other words, the typical approach is

  • Scaled to your real needs
  • Delivering tangible results continuously
  • Low risk, as the agile contract ensures required skill capacity and allows for adjustments as required.
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