Axel Kurz - Project Manager

Recommended expert

Iserlohn, Germany

Experience

Apr 2023 - Present

2 years 10 months

Regensburg, Germany

Project Manager

ERP selection project at an automotive supplier in Regensburg to choose a successor system for a custom legacy solution
Conducting interviews with specialist departments
Creating a criteria catalog
Organizing and facilitating workshops

Mar 2023 - Present

2 years 11 months

Jena, Germany

Project Manager

ERP selection project at a research institute in Jena to choose a successor system for SAP R/3
Conducting interviews with specialist departments
Creating a criteria catalog
Organizing and facilitating workshops

Aug 2022 - Mar 2023

8 months

Mannheim, Germany

Senior Consultant

Industrial Service Provider

Support with implementing proALPHA 9.0 at an industrial service provider in Mannheim
Replacing the legacy XPPS system
Advising on process mapping and system configuration in proALPHA 9.0

Jan 2022 - Present

4 years 1 month

Project Manager

Roll-out of proALPHA 7.2d at an automotive manufacturer to multiple additional production and service locations in Germany and France
Co-managed the project together with a colleague
Coordinated roll-out activities and aligned with the sites involved

Sep 2021 - Mar 2022

7 months

Germany

Senior Consultant

Manufacturer of aluminum extrusion profiles

Second-level support for users of an ERP system (proALPHA 6.2e) at a manufacturer of aluminum extrusion profiles with multiple sites in Germany
Handling user issues
Designing and customizing forms with List & Label

Aug 2021 - Mar 2022

8 months

Halle, Germany

Senior Consultant

Industrial service provider

Support for an industrial service provider in Halle (Westphalia) in migrating from proALPHA to the SAP ERP group solution
Analysis of existing proALPHA processes
Design of target processes in SAP ERP
Support during migration and data transfer

Jul 2020 - Jul 2021

1 year 1 month

Frankfurt, Germany

Senior Consultant

ERP vendor

Consulting a US ERP software vendor on setting up a presales organization in Europe based in Frankfurt am Main
Supporting the design of presales processes and structures
Contributing to go-to-market strategies for the European market

Jan 2020 - Jun 2020

6 months

Heidelberg, Germany

Interim Project Manager

Writing instruments manufacturer

Project management for the rollout of proALPHA 7.2 at a writing instruments manufacturer in Heidelberg
Steering the implementation project from proALPHA 7.1 to 7.2
Coordinating subprojects and liaising with departments

Jul 2019 - Oct 2019

4 months

Timișoara, Romania

Senior Consultant

Kathrein Broadcast S.R.L.

Go-live support for the ERP rollout of proALPHA 7.1 at a manufacturing company for broadcast antennas in Romania
Change management during the ERP rollout
Supporting key users and end users during the stabilization phase

Apr 2019 - Nov 2019

8 months

Alpen, Germany

Project Manager

LEMKEN GmbH & Co. KG

ERP selection project at an agricultural machinery manufacturer in Alpen to choose a successor system for Oxaion 7.1
Organizing and moderating workshops with the business departments
Creating a detailed criteria catalog for system evaluation
Supporting the structured assessment of vendors

Jun 2018 - Mar 2019

10 months

Alpen, Germany

Senior Consultant

LEMKEN GmbH & Co. KG

Implementation of business process management at an agricultural machinery manufacturer in Alpen as preparation for a new ERP selection
Analysis and modeling of business processes
Use of BPM/BPMN with AENEIS
Creation of clear process documentation as a basis for the later ERP selection

Mar 2017 - Dec 2018

1 year 10 months

Viersen, Germany

Senior Consultant and Specialist for Product Configuration

HUECK Rheinische GmbH

Migration from proALPHA 5.2d to proALPHA 6.2e at a pressed sheet metal manufacturer in Viersen
Reorganization of various business processes during the release change
Specialist for product configuration, analyzer, and lists in proALPHA
Support for departments in mapping complex variant logics

Aug 2016 - Jan 2019

2 years 6 months

Reichshof, Germany

Senior Consultant

Schroedahl GmbH

Replacement of the ERP system AP+ with proALPHA 6.1 at a specialist valve manufacturer in Reichshof
Support during the proALPHA 6.1 implementation
Assistance with process mapping, customizing, and training

Apr 2016 - Feb 2017

11 months

Heilbronn, Germany

Project Manager

Karl Marbach GmbH

ERP selection project at a stamping die manufacturer in Heilbronn to choose a successor system for Oxaion 7.0
Conducting interviews with departments to gather requirements
Preparation of a requirements specification
Creation of a function matrix for structured system evaluation

Nov 2015 - Jul 2016

9 months

Güglingen, Germany

Senior Consultant

AFRISO Euro Index GmbH

Project for analysis and optimization of master data quality at a measurement and control technology company in Güglingen
Preparation for a later SAP implementation through data cleansing
Definition of data quality rules and optimization of master data processes

Oct 2015 - Jun 2016

9 months

Ascheberg, Germany

Senior Consultant

Anlagenbau Ascheberg

Optimized the proALPHA 5.2d system used at a plant engineering company in Ascheberg
Standardized processes and master data
Evaluated the possible use of additional proALPHA modules

Sep 2015 - Feb 2016

6 months

Stadthagen, Germany

Senior Consultant

Anlagenbau Stadthagen

Preliminary project for a release upgrade from proALPHA 5.2f at a plant engineering company in Stadthagen
Process analyses and documentation
Designed the implementation of previously unused modules

May 2015 - Dec 2015

8 months

Viersen, Germany

Senior Consultant

HUECK Rheinische GmbH

Preparations for a new client in proALPHA 5.2d at a manufacturer of pressed metal parts in Viersen
Introduced a project management system
Defined and implemented processes for company-wide project management

Feb 2015 - Apr 2015

3 months

Hamburg, Germany

Senior Consultant

Olympus STE

Project to analyze and improve master data quality in medical technology in Hamburg
Prepared for the SAP rollout by cleaning and structuring master and transaction data
Defined standards and guidelines for master data processes

Mar 2014 - Dec 2014

10 months

Berlin, Germany

Interim IT/ERP Manager

Zett-Group

Prepared the rollout of MS Dynamics NAV 2013R2 in lighting technology (manufacturing and distribution) at four locations in Germany and one in the Czech Republic
Interim management of the IT/ERP function during a restructuring and transformation phase
Coordinated the system rollout until handover to a permanent project manager
Used MS Dynamics NAV 2013R2, MS SharePoint 2013, and MS Project

Oct 2013 - Feb 2014

5 months

Lorsch, Germany

Senior Consultant

Electronics Retailer Lorsch

Optimization and further development of the proALPHA 5.2d ERP system at an electronics retail company in Lorsch
Analysis and optimization of business processes
Design of system adjustments for better process support

Apr 2013 - Sep 2013

6 months

Munich, Germany

Technical Project Manager

ASM Pacific Technology

Technical project management for a project to implement a master data repository at an SMT technology and placement machine manufacturer
Organization and documentation of the project to unify master data and drawings
Support of the sites in Munich, Singapore and Hong Kong
Use of Oracle Agile 6.1, SAP, MS SQL and MS Project

Oct 2012 - Dec 2012

3 months

Dülmen, Germany

Senior Consultant

HAZEMAG & EPR

Creation of queries and reports in controlling at a mechanical engineering company for assembly technology in Dülmen
Consulting on production controlling and cost accounting based on proALPHA 5.2f

Jul 2012 - Jun 2013

1 year

Germany

Project Manager, external consultant for IT topics

Waffel Meyer

Optimization and further development of the proALPHA 5.2d ERP system at a food industry company in Venne
Project management for IT-related topics
Analysis and improvement of business processes in the ERP environment

Jun 2012 - Dec 2019

7 years 7 months

Viersen, Germany

Senior Consultant

HUECK Rheinische GmbH

Long-term support of a production company for pressed sheets in Viersen in the optimization and further development of the proALPHA 5.2d ERP system
Conducting process analyses and optimizations
Definition of system adjustments
Development of configuration rules for the product configurator

Mar 2011 - Jul 2012

1 year 5 months

Germany

Senior Consultant

Siemens Transformers

Roll-out of the PLM system CADIM/Agile from Oracle at Chinese sites of Siemens Transformers
Conducting a gap analysis between existing processes and the PLM solution
Developing functional specifications
Conducting user training
Using Oracle Agile 6.1, SAP R/3 (PP, MM, PS), MS Visio, MS Project, and MS SharePoint

Jan 2010 - Dec 2010

1 year

Siegen, Germany

Project Manager, IT Manager

Bergrohr GmbH

Selection process for an ERP system at a large pipe manufacturing company in Siegen
Needs analysis and running workshops with business units
Creating the requirements specification and a criteria catalog for vendor evaluation
Conducting benchmarks with SAP and other ERP vendors focused on variant configuration
Responsible as IT manager for HP server and storage systems, VMware vSphere 4.0, Windows server environment, and monitoring with Nagios

Jan 2008 - Dec 2009

2 years

Hilchenbach, Germany

Project Manager

Wilhelm Schuhmacher GmbH

ERP implementation at a manufacturing company and auto supplier in Hilchenbach
Replacing the legacy IKIAS system with Sage bäurer industry
Capturing relevant business processes, analyzing them, and implementing them in the new system
Project management for the implementation
Planning and implementing customizations, including integration of a high-bay warehouse and container control
Implementing just-in-time processing with Porsche and LLZ processing with Daimler
EDI handling according to VDA 4905, 4906, 4908, 4913, 4915 (4916) and EDIFACT
MES/BDE integration (Böhme & Weihs CAQ, Schwer & Kopka BDE/MDE, AVENTUM EDI)
Environment using Windows 2003 Server, SLES 10 Linux, VMware ESX 3.5, Oracle 10g

Jan 2005 - Dec 2008

4 years

Detroit, United States

ERP Team Manager

Purem Abgassysteme GmbH (heute Eberspächer Unna GmbH)

Maintaining and enhancing the in-house ERP system based on proALPHA 4.3 at the Unna and Detroit sites
Developing extensive customizations in collaboration with proALPHA, especially for EDI processing according to VDA 4905, 4906, 4908, 4913, and 4915
Optimizing logistics control (KANBAN)
Preparing the intercompany connection between Unna and Detroit
MES/BDE integration with tisoware BDE and AMC MES
Using Diamant FiBu, Babtec CAQ, Seeburger BIS, Intrexx, as well as Progress 9 DB, Windows 2003 Server, and SLES 9 Linux

Jan 2002 - Dec 2005

4 years

Marl, Germany

Ass. Product Manager, Business Development Consultant (PreSales)

Maxdata Computer GmbH

Selling server and storage systems from Maxdata and Hitachi Data Systems to ERP users (SAP R/3 SD, MM, PP)
Building a channel market for storage products
Supporting existing and new customers
Preparing offers and technical solution concepts
Maintaining configuration data in the SAP variant configurator
Conducting training sessions and presentations for resellers and end customers

Jan 2001 - Dec 2002

2 years

Aachen, Germany

Project Manager

Impella Cardiotechnik AG

Introduction of the infor.nt 5.3 ERP system at a medical technology company in Aachen
Integration of CAQ (Babtec), BDE/MDE (infor.time), and financial accounting (varial)
Project leadership for the implementation, customization, and integration of the subsystems

Jan 2000 - Dec 2001

2 years

Hagen, Germany

System Administrator

Westfa GmbH

Infrastructure projects at Westfa GmbH in Hagen
Designing structured building cabling for two sites
Modernization of the server farm
Administration of Windows NT Server, Solaris and SuSE Linux
Use of MEGA, Time Navigator, and AEINEIS

Jan 1996 - Dec 1999

4 years

Project Manager

Infor AG

Project management and sub-project management in over 20 customer projects on behalf of Infor AG (subcontractor)
Focus in several projects on variant configuration for customers including those in automotive supply, cable assembly, and awning manufacturing
Use of Novell Netware 3.x, Windows NT Server, BTrieve and Oracle databases
Work with VPPS 4.5, Infor.NT and Seeburger WinElke

Jan 1995 - Dec 2000

6 years

Wuppertal, Germany

System Administrator / IT Manager

H. Spelleken Nachf. Lufttechnik GmbH

ERP implementation at an air technology company in Wuppertal
Replacement of the old PPS system Comet (System 8870) with Infor's VPPS 4.3/4.5
Module-based implementation of the new system over several years
Development of configurator logic for industrial fans (variant configurator)
Operation of the IT infrastructure based on Novell Netware 3.12 and BTrieve database

Summary

Born 1966
Professional experience since 1992
Self-employed since 2011
International experience in the USA, France, China, Romania, and Singapore
Experienced, resilient, and motivated

Skills

Consulting On Business Solutions (Erp), For Companies With Discrete And Process Manufacturing
Business Process Analysis, Optimization, And Visualization
Product Data Management / Product Lifecycle Management
Erp Systems (Proalpha, Infor.com, Ms Dynamics Nav, Ifs Applications, Sap R/3)
Caq Systems (Babtec)
Edi (Vda, Edifact)
Bde/mde/mes Systems (Tisoware)
Business Intelligence Systems (Bi)
Database Systems (Oracle, Informix, Db/400, ...)
It Infrastructures (Networks, Servers, Storage, Backup, ...)
Selection, Implementation, And Optimization Of Erp Systems
Erp Project Recovery
Erp Migration
Project Management In Large Erp/it Projects, Including International
Implementation Of Pdm/plm Systems
Variant And Configuration Management, Master Data Management
Mechanical And Plant Engineering
Automotive Suppliers
Medical Technology
Trade
Process Industry (Chemicals/pharma/biotech, Food, ...)
Quick Learner: I Can Get Up To Speed Fast On New Topics And Software Products, Identify The Main Challenges, And Creatively Develop Solutions.
Consulting Skills: I Can Quickly And Clearly Explain Complex Issues To Clients, Colleagues, Or Superiors. I Speak At The Level Of My Audience And 'Speak Their Language'. With Strong Empathy, I Can Understand Their Concerns And Present Proposed Solutions Convincingly.
Communication Skills: I Can Express Myself Clearly In Writing And Speaking, And I Have Strengthened This Skill In Several Rhetoric And Presentation Seminars. I Am A Good Listener And Always Aim For Open And Respectful Communication.