Guidance for Decision-Makers.
Questions & Answers
On this page, I address key questions about my work as an interim manager, the services I offer, the types of assignments I typically take on, and my approach to operations transformation, supply chain management, materials management, and interim management.
1. Person & Positioning
My name is Richard Porstmann. I am an interim manager specializing in operations transformation, materials management, and the stabilization of international supply chain management in manufacturing companies.
I step in when delivery capacity, material flow, inventory levels, lead times, or operational organization are under pressure. My background is in procurement and supply chain management. Today, I consistently apply that experience to the realm of operations.
I am committed to operational stabilization, international implementation, and measurable performance improvements. My focus is on aligning operations, SCM, procurement, logistics, planning, production, and supplier management in a way that reliably restores performance.
I'm not interested in concepts that just sit on the shelf; rather, I'm concerned with leadership and the responsibility to implement them in day-to-day operations.
I take on leadership roles at the C-suite or senior management level. Typical roles include Interim COO, Head of Operations, Head of Operations Transformation, Program Director of Operations, Head of SCM, Head of Material Management, or Head of Supply Chain & Logistics.
I also continue to accept CPO or Head of Procurement roles when procurement is clearly leveraged to drive operations, delivery capability, material availability, costs, cash flow, and operational performance.
From Challenge to Best-in-Class Performance
The solutions are always individual, the principle “one size fits all” is unfortunately not purposeful. Many clients experience this, especially in turbulent times, where fast and secure action is required.
Whether you are a global corporation or a local manufacturer with an international supply chain, I will lead your purchasing team and thus your company to “Best in Class”.
2. Product Line & Typical Applications
My involvement is most effective when a company’s operational performance is at risk or needs to be significantly improved. Typical situations include compromised delivery capabilities, a lack of material availability, an increase in customer complaints, high backlogs, excessively long lead times, or unstable production planning.
Assignments involving concrete implementation pressures are particularly well-suited: supply chain crises, task forces, ramp-ups, greenfield projects, site development, production relocations, reorganizations, turnarounds, interim leadership, or international operations transformation.
I resolve issues related to at-risk delivery capabilities, material shortages, increasing customer escalations, excess inventory, shortages of critical parts, long lead times, unstable production planning, unclear priorities, and a lack of transparency regarding bottlenecks and key performance indicators.
Other areas of expertise include the reorganization of operations and SCM structures, building local teams, greenfield or ramp-up projects, production relocations, international site development, and filling temporary vacancies in key positions.
I don’t come in as a consultant, nor to present concepts; rather, I come in as an interim manager with responsibility for leadership and implementation. Consulting may be part of an assignment, but what matters most is the implementation within the company.
I take on operational responsibility, lead teams, realign structures, stabilize performance, and ensure that measures are not just outlined but actually implemented.
I am particularly well-suited for assignments involving operational pressure, international complexity, and a clear need for tangible results. These include supply crises, task force situations, operations transformation, SCM stabilization, materials management, ramp-up, greenfield projects, site establishment, and reorganization.
My strength lies in situations where short-term stabilization and structural improvement must go hand in hand.
A project begins with a quick assessment of the current situation: What is the status of delivery capacity, material flow, inventory, backlogs, planning, production supply, organization, and key metrics? Which bottlenecks are critical? What decisions need to be made? Which teams and interfaces need to be brought on board immediately?
Based on this, I define priorities, actions, responsibilities, and management procedures. The goal is to be able to take action quickly while simultaneously addressing the structural causes of operational problems.
3. Operations, SCM & Materials Management
To me, operational transformation means aligning operational structures, processes, roles, responsibilities, key performance indicators, and management routines in such a way that performance is reliably restored.
The focus is on material flow, delivery capability, production supply, inventory, lead times, planning, scheduling, logistics performance, supplier management, and collaboration between Operations, SCM, Purchasing, Logistics, Production, and Engineering.
SCM stabilization means making supply chain management controllable, transparent, and efficient once again. This includes stable material availability, clear bottleneck management, robust planning routines, effective supplier communication, and a reliable supply to production.
My goal is to help companies move away from reactive, day-to-day firefighting and toward a robust management system: one with clear priorities, key metrics, escalation procedures, and defined responsibilities.
For me, materials management is a key driver of operational performance. It encompasses the management of material flow, inventory, planning, procurement, warehousing, logistics, and production supply.
Effective materials management ensures that the right materials are available in the right quantities at the right time. This improves delivery capability, on-time delivery, cash flow, costs, lead times, and customer satisfaction.
I improve delivery capability by ensuring transparency regarding bottlenecks, critical materials, backlogs, priorities, and delivery dates. I then establish clear management procedures, responsibilities, and actions.
These include task force structures, supplier management, bottleneck management, production supply, inventory analysis, prioritization of critical parts, and close coordination between Operations, SCM, Purchasing, Logistics, Production, and Sales.
Using procurement as an operational lever means that supplier management, global procurement strategies, and cost and cash implications are always linked to supply capability, inventory levels, material flow, and operational performance.
I will align purchasing and supplier management in such a way that they measurably improve material availability, production supply, inventory levels, and contributions to operating profit.
4. Cost Pressure, Cost Reduction, and Transformation
Cost pressures rarely arise from a single source. Often, material costs, process costs, inventory levels, lead times, inefficient workflows, unstable planning, and a lack of transparency all interact. That is why I do not view costs in isolation, but rather within the context of operational value creation.
My goal is to identify cost drivers, set priorities, and implement measures that provide short-term relief while simultaneously improving operational performance.
No. Material costs are an important factor, but not the only one. My clients’ projects also address process costs, inventory, tied-up cash, inefficiencies in planning and scheduling, friction between departments, logistics costs, extraordinary expenses, and costs resulting from poor delivery performance.
I integrate procurement, SCM, materials management, logistics, and production in such a way that cost reduction does not come at the expense of delivery capability, but rather makes operational performance more stable and efficient.
Process costs decrease when workflows become clearer, simpler, and more reliable. This includes clearly defined responsibilities, consistent planning routines, accurate master data, less manual rework, better interfaces, and clear escalation procedures.
I analyze where time, resources, and management attention are being wasted, and that’s where I start: with unnecessary process loops, media breaks, unclear roles, inefficient coordination, and a lack of transparency in operational management.
Effective materials management ensures that the right materials are available in the right quantities at the right time. This improves delivery capability, on-time delivery, cash flow, costs, lead times, and customer satisfaction.
Sustainable cost reduction is usually not a one-off procurement project, but rather part of an operational transformation. When structures, processes, roles, KPIs, and management routines are not aligned, costs keep cropping up again and again: due to firefighting, inventory, backlogs, special trips, escalations, delays, and poor predictability.
That is why I link cost reduction to operational transformation. The goal is an organization that manages more effectively, makes decisions more quickly, collaborates more effectively, and thereby becomes more productive and cost-efficient in the long term.
These include task force structures, supplier management, bottleneck management, production supply, inventory analysis, prioritization of critical parts, and close coordination between Operations, SCM, Purchasing, Logistics, Production, and Sales.
Cost reduction must not be carried out blindly. Simply reducing inventory, switching suppliers, or cutting budgets without understanding material flow, risks, and production supply can quickly jeopardize operational stability.
That is why I focus on striking a balance between costs, cash, inventory, delivery capacity, and performance. What matters is not short-term cost-cutting, but a robust operational solution: lower costs, greater transparency, a stable supply, and clear accountability.
I will align purchasing and supplier management in such a way that they measurably improve material availability, production supply, inventory levels, and contributions to operating profit.
5. Target Audiences, Industries, and International Experience
I primarily work with internationally active small and medium-sized businesses, larger corporate groups, family-owned businesses, and international manufacturing companies.
Typical clients have revenue ranging from approximately 100 million to 2 billion EUR and employ between 500 and 10,000 people. What matters most is not the exact size but the operational situation: The company should have a specific problem in operations, SCM, materials management, delivery capability, material flow, planning, logistics, or procurement.
I primarily work with manufacturing companies that produce complex products, have sophisticated supply chains, and generate value on an international scale.
Typical industries include mechanical and plant engineering, the automotive and supplier industries, high-tech manufacturing, aerospace, the packaging industry, industrial goods, and international manufacturing companies.
Typical points of contact include CEOs, COOs, CFOs, CROs, managing directors, shareholders, advisory board members, private equity representatives, family offices, plant managers, operations managers, SCM managers, and those responsible for transformation, turnaround, or restructuring.
Interim management providers, advisory boards, restructuring consultants, auditors, banks, law firms, and ERP and SCM consultants are also key influencers.
I bring many years of international experience from Europe, Brazil, India, Asia, and Latin America. I am familiar with international production sites, global supply chains, intercultural teams, and matrix organizations.
This experience is particularly relevant for international operational assignments, greenfield projects, ramp-up situations, site establishment, supplier development, and leading teams across national, functional, and cultural boundaries.
In ramp-up or greenfield projects, I support the establishment of local operations, SCM, procurement, and materials management structures. This includes processes, organization, the supplier base, team building, control procedures, and go-live readiness.
My goal is to ensure that a new or relocated facility not only gets off the ground, but also operates in a resilient, manageable, and efficient manner.
Relevant influencers include interim management providers, DDIM and AIMP networks, former clients, advisory board members, private equity partners, restructuring consultants, auditors, banks, law firms, and ERP and SCM consultants.
These key players are important because operational crises, transformation initiatives, and vacancies are often brought to the attention of experienced interim managers through networks, referrals, or specialized providers.
6. Leadership, Work Methods, and Results
I work across functions and am closely involved in day-to-day operations. I coordinate between management, operations, SCM, purchasing, logistics, planning, warehousing, production, engineering, and supplier management.
My leadership approach is clear, structured, fact-based, and focused on implementation. I break down silos, clarify responsibilities, highlight priorities, and align teams with shared operational goals.
In critical operational situations, leadership requires clarity, presence, and the ability to prioritize. I create transparency, identify bottlenecks, organize issues, and ensure that teams are able to take action again.
In doing so, I combine C-level communication with a close connection to the shop floor. I can present operational issues in a way that is accessible to management while simultaneously working with on-site teams to develop concrete actions.
The focus is on measurable improvements in operational performance: increased delivery capability, improved material availability, reduced backlogs, a more stable supply to production, optimized inventory levels, shorter lead times, improved logistics performance, and clearer management control.
Equally important to me is an organization that continues to operate smoothly even after my term ends—with clear roles, processes, KPIs, management routines, and responsibilities.
I bridge the strategic perspective of senior management with the operational realities in the plant, SCM, logistics, purchasing, supplier management, and production.
This means: I prepare operational issues in a way that enables decision-making, set priorities, establish management routines, and work with the teams to implement them. This creates a link between management objectives and operational results.
Sustainability does not result from individual measures, but rather from clear accountability, effective routines, and an organization that has learned to manage itself more effectively.
That is why I make sure that roles, processes, key metrics, management routines, and escalation procedures are not only implemented but also embedded in our day-to-day operations.
7. Interim Management, Professionalism, and the Market Environment
Interim management quickly places an experienced executive in a critical situation. Time is often of the essence, especially in operations and SCM: delivery capacity, material availability, customer escalations, production supply, or backlogs cannot wait months for a permanent appointment.
As an interim manager, I immediately take on responsibility, stabilize the situation, set priorities, lead teams, and create structures that have a long-term impact.
Traditional consulting analyzes, develops strategies, and makes recommendations. Professional interim management goes one step further: It assumes responsibility within the organization and ensures implementation.
In my assignments, this means that I not only analyze bottlenecks, but also lead teams, make decisions, establish management procedures, and ensure that Operations, SCM, Purchasing, Logistics, and Production work together effectively once again.
The DDIM is an important platform for professional interim management in Germany. It promotes knowledge sharing, visibility, a focus on quality, and networking within the interim management market.
For clients, service providers, and interim managers, the DDIM serves as a key reference point when it comes to professional standards, market insight, and access to experienced interim managers. This market environment is also important for my positioning as an interim manager because it highlights professionalism, experience, and clear specialization.
Specialization is important because, in critical situations, clients need to quickly recognize what an interim manager stands for and what specific problems he or she can solve.
My areas of expertise include operational transformation, materials management, and international SCM stabilization. This makes it clear in which situations Richard Porstmann is particularly well-suited: delivery capability, material availability, material flow, ramp-up, greenfield projects, reorganization, and operational performance improvement.
Key search terms include Richard Porstmann, Interim COO, Head of Operations, Operations Transformation, Program Director of Operations, Head of SCM, Material Management, SCM Stabilization, Supply Chain Performance, Delivery Capability, Material Availability, OTD, production planning, scheduling, logistics, inventory optimization, bottleneck management, ramp-up, greenfield, operational excellence, KPI management, international operations experience, and procurement as a lever for operations.
These terms describe the situations, roles, and topics for which I am engaged as an interim manager.