Gerhard K. - Director Operations

Karlsruhe, Germany

Experience

Karlsruhe, Germany

Director Operations

Angiomed GmbH

Managed 160 production and 60 administration employees
Oversaw production in Karlsruhe (interventional and endourological catheter systems) and Bruchsal (laser-cut implants, NiTi-stents)
Handled facility management for both plants
Directed logistics (strategic purchasing, forecast and planning (S&OP), production planning and layout, lean management)
Managed engineering (validation, process development, automation, pilot series)
Led product management including development and marketing of urological and OEM products; primary contact for opinion leaders
Coordinated exhibitions and tradeshows
Executed lean management projects for the German plant and global initiatives.

Karlsruhe, Germany

Purchasing Manager

Angiomed GmbH

Managed all materials and services (import and domestic)
Planned and controlled three plant enhancements
Responsible for all hirings for production and sales
Set up and supervised a planning department and implemented the first LAN with PCs
Set up a warehouse organization and transitioned from customer-driven order manufacturing to serial production.

Karlsruhe, Germany

Technical Director

Angiomed GmbH

Responsible for production, planning, purchasing, and product management
Planned and set up an office and warehouse in Vienna, Austria
Planned, set up, and supervised a subsidiary in Singapore
Planned a production facility in Texas, USA
Managed acquisition by C.R. Bard, Inc., NJ, USA.

Consultant

GWK - Consulting

Consulting, seminars, workshops, and various projects for the Lean-Institute
Kaizen-workshops (print company, chemical industry, metal company)
5-S workshops and implementation
JIT-workshops
Lean assessments and support (fitting industry – metal company)
Value stream analysis (metal industry)
Logistic and material flow analysis and workshop (food industry)
TPM analysis and TPM workshop (chemical industry)
Consulting for small cap companies (organization and processes)
Advisory service for start-up companies
Hired by an English recruiting company to improve the productivity and triple the output of the key supplier to an English client. The entire organization was changed, process improvements and installation of workspace and a reorganization of the logistic system were implemented alongside 5-S, CIP, KPI and Kanban systems. Continuous coaching of the general manager. The output increased by 200% within eight months.
Introduction of lean techniques in an SME medical equipment company. Reorganization of the warehouse to set up an assembly line and create a one-piece-flow line for individual wheelchairs. Implementation of CIP and 5-S.
Process analysis and implementation of lean techniques in a laser cutting company. Creation of a CE-9001-2015 environment and certification within nine months.
Coaching and reorganization of a materials management department to change from day-to-day handling to a more strategic role in a medical device company. Implementation of CIP and parallel analysis of parameters and installed processes.
Re-setup of a medical device company in Italy to achieve DIN ISO 9001 / EN 13485 certification (certified October 2019).
Interim management assignment in a pharmaceutical company to run the logistic department: reduced space by 30%, introduced 5-S and CIP, set up a visual Kanban system.
Process analysis at a pharmaceutical company of intralogistics (incoming, warehouse, shipping, external warehouses). Restructured department workload and set up a lean department.
SME project for material flow and layout analysis and new building setup at a medical apparatus manufacturer.
SME project for process flow improvement and installation of one-piece flow, change of planning mode, installation of KPI, and implementation of CIP in a hydraulic hoses company.
SME project in Beijing, China at a medical device manufacturer (process flow analysis and improvement – 5-S, CIP, installation of KPIs, change of planning mode).
Externalization of sterilization and process analysis of packaging department at a medical device manufacturer.