Project
Duration: 9 months
Role in the project: Project Manager / Managing Director
Geographic scope: Brazil / Latin America
Company
Industry: Manufacturing / Industry
Revenue: 40 million euros
Number of employees: 160
Description
An international manufacturing company planned to establish a new production and distribution facility in Brazil. The goal was to establish a robust local organization, launch on-site production, supply customers in Brazil and Latin America more quickly, flexibly, and closer to the market, acquire new customers, and expand international value creation regionally.
The mandate encompassed the operational and commercial development of the site, from the planning and setup phase through to the go-live. The focus was on production capacity, local organization, infrastructure, material supply, supplier base, staffing, process implementation, customer acquisition, market development, sales force development, bidding processes, customer service, and a stable integration into the global corporate structure.
The focus was on operations with overall managerial responsibility: establishing a fully functional facility, ensuring production readiness, implementing operational processes, building a local customer base, ensuring delivery capability, and transitioning to stable, routine operations.
Measures
- Establishment of the New Production and Sales Facility in Brazil
- Planning and Implementation of the Operational Site Structure
- Structure of the local organization, including roles, responsibilities, and management structures
- Ensuring production readiness through the go-live
- Coordination of infrastructure, machinery, equipment, material supply, and internal processes
- Establishing Local Supplier and Service Provider Networks
- Implementation of operational processes for production, supply chain, logistics, procurement, sales, customer service, and administration
- Establishment of a local sales and customer service structure
- Customer Acquisition and Systematic Market Development in Brazil and Latin America
- Development of processes for quotations, order fulfillment, and customer communication
- Aligning the local operational structure with the needs of existing and new customers
- Ensuring the ability to fulfill orders for local and regional customers starting at go-live
- Recruiting, building, and leading the local team
- Motivation and development of the local team, with a focus on personal responsibility, customer focus, and sustainable success for the location
- Alignment with the global corporate organization and integration of the new location into existing structures
- Management of operational and commercial risks during the setup, ramp-up, and transition to regular operations
Team
Establishing and leading a local, intercultural team in Brazil, as well as coordinating with international departments in production, supply chain management, procurement, logistics, engineering, sales, customer service, finance, HR, and executive management.
The focus was on building a new team, integrating it culturally, enabling it to function effectively from both an operational and commercial standpoint, and aligning it with shared goals: launching production, acquiring customers, serving customers, ensuring process stability, and achieving sustainable success at the site.
Reporting
Regular reporting to senior management or global management.
The reporting focused on project progress, site development, production readiness, staffing, sales and customer development, investments, risks, go-live status, and the operational performance of the new site.
Interfaces
- Management in Germany
- Operations Management, Development, Sales, Finance & Controlling, IT and Logistics in Germany
- Authorities (city administration, trade unions, tax office, etc.) in Brazil
- Law firm, tax office, logistics provider in Brazil
- All construction and installation trades in Brazil
- Local employees in Brazil
Success
- Successful establishment of a new production and sales facility in Brazil
- Preparation for Production and Successful Go-Live
- Establishment of a local operations, sales, customer service, and support organization
- Implementation of core operational and commercial processes for production, SCM, logistics, procurement, sales, customer service, and administration
- Establishing a local network of suppliers and service providers
- Building and developing the local customer base in Brazil and Latin America
- Improved local customer service through regional production, shorter response times, and closer customer relationships
- Establishment of a regional platform for market development, customer acquisition, customer service, and further growth
- Integration of the new location into the global corporate structure
- Motivating and Building a High-Performing Local Team for Sustainable Success at the Location
- Creating a Solid Foundation for Sustainable Growth in Latin America
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