INTERIM MANAGEMENT
Interim managers are problem-solvers and can support companies in special situations at short notice.
Interim managers are problem-solvers who can support enterprises at short notice with their experience and expertise in project tasks or vacancies.
Interim managers used to only be used in emergencies; at present, one in five companies uses flexible external expertise. According to the INIMA 2024 survey, 80% of companies believe that independent specialists and managers are essential to cope with complex and volatile market requirements.
In addition to speed, the crucial factor conditioning success is the fit for the individual task. Specialised service providers have a long-standing network of hand-picked experts at their disposal and often also have a wealth of expertise all their own that facilitates their understanding of the client’s situation.
According to the DDIM – Dachgesellschaft Deutsches Interim Management e.V. – companies are increasingly making use of this option to temporarily fill important specialist and management positions and are earmarking more and more financial resources for this purpose. In 2002, the volume of fees in interim management was still hovering at around EUR 80 million. DDIM is forecasting this figure to surge to EUR 2.9 billion by 2024.
Interim management originated in the Netherlands in the 1970s, helping make the regional labour market more flexible. At that time, periods of notice for employees were very long and enterprises were often unable to react to a changing market without incurring considerable costs.
In Germany, the notion of temporary placements of specialists and managers in companies slowly disseminated in the 1980s. The reunification of East and West Germany from 1990 onwards fuelled stronger growth, resulting in a high demand for personnel capacity, including specialists and managers. A recent comparison with countries such as the Netherlands, the UK and the USA indicates that the German labour market is currently undergoing a process of catching up and flexibilisation. In the UK, 20 per cent of all managers are already employed as temporary managers, while the “gig economy” is growing by leaps and bounds in the USA.
The range of interim functions has expanded significantly, however, with practically all functional areas at companies now being occupied by interim managers. The assortment of interim functions has been multiplying. In Germany, on top of some “blue chip sectors” such as automotive, other industries are increasingly opting for temporary solutions, like the healthcare industry, mechanical and plant engineering or the energy industry. Nor is this trend restricted to big corporate groups; more and more interim managers are also working at owner-managed SMEs.
Companies are having a tough time retaining people over the long term who are motivated by challenges like shaping processes and carrying out interesting projects. We witness quite often that such individuals tend to venture into freelance work at some point in the course of their career. They want to contribute their expertise and experience to the execution of challenging projects with different clients instead of being tied to a single employer. These professionals are searching for a partner who appreciates their changing life circumstances, is keenly aware of their needs and requirements, stays in regular contact and offers them exciting and qualified projects. We view it as our daily task to ensure that both parties are optimally matched.
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PUBLICATIONS ON THIS TOPIC
Partner for ERP selection and project management
Partner for ERP selection and project management
The CIO decided to outsource moderation of the software selection process and partner integration in order to ensure that procedural skills were taken into account in future.
It was decided to replace the existing accounting system with a cloud-native solution. To ensure that methodological skillsets were taken into account in the future, it was necessary to moderate the software selection process and integration partners. The CIO decided to outsource this function, with a particular focus on stakeholder management and partner management. By supporting requirements management, understanding standard software processes and collaborative project planning, the aim and objective was to secure a functional implementation that would remain viable over time and which came as close as possible to the standard.
Harmonisation of the IT infrastructure at a multinational manufacturing enterprise
Harmonisation of the IT infrastructure at a multinational manufacturing enterprise
A multinational mechanical engineering company was standardising its IT systems to meet global challenges and cope with technological diversity. The CIO wanted to bring in external expertise to help overcome cultural differences and ensure a smooth transition. The objective was to train employees effectively and smoothly integrate the new systems in order to optimise operational processes.
The management decided to standardise the IT systems. Due to acquisitions in various countries, the mechanical engineering company had grown considerably. Internal company communication and numerous operational processes were becoming increasingly challenging due to the variety of IT systems being used globally. Due to cultural differences and a lack of expertise in the systems used abroad, the CIO decided to hire an external expert to manage the project. The requirements profile included the creation of an IT landscape and a project plan; moreover, the company’s own employees were to be involved in the implementation. In addition, human resources working in IT at sites in other countries were to be trained in the new systems.
Interim manager shores up situation following short-term departure of the CIO
Interim manager shores up situation following short-term departure of the CIO
A medium-sized automotive supplier from the Sauerland region was looking for an interim CIO to serve for a period of nine months. The focus was not only on managing current IT requirements, but also on strategic development and enabling a smooth transition for the next CIO.
The previous CIO left the company at short notice due to personal circumstances. In order to ensure the day-to-day management of the business, the company management decided to develop an internal candidate to be able to take over as successor. It was important to the company for the interim manager not only to manage the 15 staff members working in the IT department, but also play an active role training the future CIO.
Keeping the centralisation course project on track
Keeping the centralisation course project on track
Municipal IT service provider with 20 customers and approximately 12,000 end users hires interim project manager
A highly reputed IT service provider was migrating from SAP R/3 to S/4 and thus centralising its IT infrastructure. But that is not all – the project team had bigger things in mind. Their aim was to make IT operations more efficient and relieve employees of time-consuming everyday tasks. With planned savings estimated at 7% of total IT operating costs, it was evident that expert know-how was needed. Staff members were also being asked to tackle additional day-to-day tasks. The challenges had not yet been fully surmounted, however. The management recognised the urgent need to bring in external support to make up for lost time. A search commenced for an experienced project manager who not only had expertise in migration and centralisation projects, but also had the talent to communicate and motivate across departments.
In view of impending changes in employees’ work routines, it was crucial to find someone who not only had technical expertise, but was also able to guide the teams through these changes.
