Project Manager (Consultant Contract)

Assignment at the European distribution center Micro-Tech Europe GmbH, Düsseldorf

• Improvement of MS Dynamics NAV 2017
• Direct reporting to executive management
• Intensive stakeholder management with department heads, works council and selected user groups
• Collection, evaluation and prioritization of all open issues
• Management of the system partner, mediation with internal stakeholders
• Creation of a task force to clean up and improve data quality, especially master data, open processes and bills of materials
• Assessment of readiness of individual departments
• Planning and organization of training sessions
• Final report with status update and recommendations for next steps

• Setting up structures in finance, administration and logistics in/after startup phase

• Follow-up project after SAP S/4 Hana rollout – overseeing relocation of warehouse, picking and shipping: project planning, staff compensation model, redesign of warehouse layout, definition of storage types and codes, improved picking paths, changes and updates in WM module

• Follow-up project after SAP S/4 Hana rollout – building a controlling and management information system with Qlik Sense: export, harmonization and upload of historical data from legacy systems, programming cross-site KPI queries via custom reports and multidimensional database analyses with role-based permissions

• Complete changeover to chaotic warehousing, building warehouse architecture and systematizing storage locations

• Introduction of fully digital order entry, inventory planning, picking, packing and shipping

• Development of a KPI system with regular reviews for logistics

• Setup, execution and regular review of strategic and operational planning with actual vs. target comparisons and variance analysis

• Preparation and ongoing monitoring of annual budgets

• Creation of liquidity plans and cash management monitoring

• Implementation of cost center accounting

• Reorganization of purchasing planning, optimization of order parameters and custom ERP programming

• Building an integrated competitive database

• Concept for organizational structure

• Introduction and post GoLive support of SAP S/4 HANA

• Direct reporting to the global lead in China and local MDs in Germany

• Selection and management of the national SAP consulting firm

• Responsibility for key users and project IT

• Connecting users in Germany and a site in the Netherlands

• Managing all technical, administrative and organizational issues between sites and headquarters in Nanjing

• Ensuring a complete and accurate data migration

• Responsibility for creating the blueprint

• Fit and gap analysis, identifying and prioritizing blocking points, evaluating and selecting best practice solutions

• Balancing custom developments vs. change management processes

• Conducting user acceptance tests, recommending readiness to the board in China and local management

• Planning and conducting training

• Leading a live simulation and hypercare

• Leading national decision-making bodies

• Weekly coordination with headquarters in Nanjing and the Chinese SAP consultancy

• Post GoLive support: benchmark analysis old vs. new, recommendations for further optimizations to headquarters in China and local management

• Recording, reviewing, defining, contracting, testing and implementing subsequent adjustments and custom developments

• Identifying and recommending follow-up projects: e.g. CRM tool, integrated financial planning, EDI, key account integration, warehouse expansion

• Troubleshooting and improvement of SAP ECC 6.0
• Support for new subsidiary due to ongoing issues and dissatisfaction of local management after go-live and hypercare
• Formation of a task force, replacement of some consultants (external vs. HQ)
• Organization of intensive workshops for selected areas and processes
• Improvement of resource availability and employment terms for key users
• Recording, prioritizing and managing blocking points and high-effort processes
• Collecting and formulating change requests to HQ
• Testing and acceptance of custom developments
• Cleaning and improvement of master and legacy data
• Organizing follow-up user training outside regular operations
• Introduction and acceptance of user licenses
• Final report to management and HQ

• Restructuring and reorganization

• Implementation of a comprehensive cost reduction program including 35% headcount adjustment

• Drastic working capital management: €12M reduction including 30% inventory cut

• Establishment of strategic purchasing while maintaining material use rate despite restructuring and rising market prices

• Elimination of low-margin business areas

• Redefinition of cost and profit centers and implementation of cost center accounting

• Company sale to an investor

• Consolidation of logistics sites

• Ensuring investment financing of €4.3M

• Planning, construction and equipping (including IT and ERP) of a new high-bay warehouse with 54,000 storage locations

• Process optimization and organizational changes

• Logistics headcount reduction from 110 to 70 employees

• Overall efficiency increase of 40%

• Rescue, rollback and further development of MS Dynamics Navision 5.1* (* after faulty implementation and go-live before joining)

• Drastic reduction of system house responsibilities, legal review and contract adjustment

• Assembling a team of freelance Navision developers

• Replacing custom developments with enhanced use of standard functions plus new useful adjustments

• Significant performance and reliability boost (approx. factor 4)

• Valid mid-year valuation of inventory and work in progress

• Introduction of digital picking, inventory management and location control via terminals and mobile data entry devices

• Custom programming and integration of a new logistics control center

• Introduction of the CRM module

• Building a management information system with KPIs for finance, sales and logistics via web-based real-time access (Visual Studio / Crystal Reports)

• Administration and development of Navision XAL – MS Business Solutions
• Navision XAL administration up to second level support
• Preparation and monitoring of the IT applications budget with ongoing actual vs. target comparisons
• Collection, evaluation and definition of change requests
• Interface to solution provider: commissioning, briefing, testing and acceptance of custom developments
• Introduction of PPP module in multi-stage production
• Organization and delivery of training
• Introduction of a management information system for finance, sales and production
• Custom programming of multidimensional database queries and custom-fitted reports with Crystal Reports