Kathrin M.
Interim Manager / Project Manager
Experience
Interim Manager / Project Manager
Self-employed
Production**
Temporary operations and production management
Optimization of production planning
Planning, organizing and executing process improvements at existing sites
Planning, organizing and setting up new production sites or lines
Introducing and extending digitization and transformation processes at operational sites
Strategic investment planning
Building and energy management – ESG
Restructuring and process optimization of products, lines and divisions across the value chain
Project management/integration of new modules: LEAN, KVP, MES
Production controlling, performance optimization, cost savings, in- vs. outsourcing analysis
Technical and organizational introduction of new products
Planning of manufacturing processes, single and group workstations, lines, complex sequential processes
Purchasing / Materials Management**
Temporary head of purchasing
Value-chain analysis and optimization
Inventory management – LEAN, KVP, purchasing success KPIs
Supplier selection, evaluation and negotiations
Contract and price negotiations
Complaint management
Leadership**
Staff management
Team development
Change Management & Organizational Development**
Supporting technical, organizational and personnel changes
Transition management
Consulting & coaching
Facilitation and Coaching: Regular leadership meetings
Self-employed
Project for a client in the food industry during an interim assignment.
Goal:
- Strengthen leaders in their roles during the interim phase.
Activities:
- Monthly 2-hour meetings covering:
- Site and department goal setting
- Clarity in leadership roles
- Psychological safety in leadership
- Dealing with mistakes – error culture
- Implementing lean methods and KVP cross-departmentally
- Communication and conversations (hiring, probation, feedback, criticism, conflicts, development)
- Implementing sustainable onboarding and offboarding processes (intro plan, mentoring, knowledge management, “graceful” exit)
- Leaders’ questions and challenges
Company benefits:
- Role clarity and confidence support leaders’ autonomy and positive leadership
- Acceptance of new shared solutions for efficient, self-directed team work
- Future-ready structure and digital support
- Flat hierarchy development
- Preserving existing knowledge
- Better use of staffing capacity
- Personnel cost optimization
Deputy Operations Manager (Interim)
Self-employed
Project for a client in the food industry.
Goal: Develop operational business and future-proof the site.
Activities:
- General and production-specific process optimizations
- Establish preventive maintenance and spare parts management
- Resolve investment backlog and drive sustainable reinvestments
- Promote cross-department collaboration and launch initial agile projects
- Cost controlling
- Staff management and development
- Analysis, planning and implementation of building and energy management
Company benefits:
- Increased machine performance and output
- Reduced waste in materials, capacity and downtime
- Cost and performance optimizations – revenue increase
- Efficiency gains through digitization, technology and semi-automation
- Long-term staff retention through inclusion in processes and ongoing training
Deputy Operations Manager (Interim)
Self-employed
Project for a client in the food industry.
Goal: Develop strategic business and future-proof the site.
Activities:
- Structural and organizational site analysis along the value chain
- Create a 3-year plan for technical, organizational and personnel development
- Set dates/milestones for implementation
- Building management with replacements and new investments
- Replacements and new investments in machinery and equipment
- Expand production from two-shift to three-shift operations
- Staffing plan for three-shift setup
- Staff training and development
- Improve and optimize IFS, HACCP, GMP, audits, safety measures
- Strengthen relations with authorities
- Implement ESG projects on sustainability, energy and waste management
Company benefits:
- Optimized, sustainable site setup for a successful, profitable future
- Process and cost optimization across the value chain
- Performance and revenue increase
- Better capacity utilization
- Efficiency gains via digitization, technology and semi-automation
- Secure future jobs and retain staff
Deputy Operations Manager (Interim)
Self-employed
Project for a client in the food industry.
Goal: Develop and implement recyclable primary packaging at the site.
Activities:
- Create project plan with suppliers
- Upgrade machines for flexible operation with different packaging materials
- Run tests on machines with documentation and iterations
- Parallel QA testing of materials and products for quality, shelf life and compliance
- Gradual rollout into live production in iterative stages to maintain and improve performance
Company benefits:
- Save materials and raw materials – reduce costs
- Improve recycling loop – less waste, lower costs
- Meet EU sustainability standards and DSD requirements – better climate footprint and societal impact
- Positive signal for marketing (no greenwashing)
Production Manager
Dr. Grandel GmbH
Projects – strategic alignment.
Purchasing, Supply Chain
Dr. Grandel GmbH
Technical Purchasing
Landert GmbH
Project Manager: Inventory Management KPI Implementation
Self-employed
Project for a client in cosmetics & healthcare. Goal: reduce total inventory by 10% within one year (achieved in 14 months).
Activities:
- Cross-functional project team
- Step 1: Optimize operations for inventory reduction:
- Adjust lot sizes and lead times
- Regular forecast review and adjustment by sales – monitor top 100 SKUs
- Optimize new and promotional products with ERP product sheets
- Define sensible purchase groups, quantities, lead and delivery times
- Create call-off contracts
- Identify and write off obsolete stock
- Step 2: Review product families to simplify the range strategically:
- Update KPIs for A, B, C classification by margin, revenue and sales
- Review product life cycles and relaunches
- Develop strategic portfolio optimization concepts
Company benefits:
- Inventory reduction target met in 14 months
- Simultaneous increase in inventory turnover and liquidity
- Raised awareness of focusing on high-margin, high-revenue items
Project Manager: Change Management HR
Self-employed
Project for a client in cosmetics & healthcare over 18 months.
Goal:
- Restructure HR planning leadership.
Activities:
- Previous planning lead out on long-term sick leave
- Interim lead took over and trained a new planning lead internally – handover as team lead in 6 months
- Coaching of new lead
- Team building since other two members were also new
- Reassign tasks and coverage responsibilities
- Workshops to foster autonomy and take on additional safety and documentation tasks
Company benefits:
- Preserved existing knowledge
- Coaching and team building created acceptance and new efficient solutions in an equal team
- Future-proof structure with digital support
- Flat hierarchy
- Personnel cost optimization
Project Manager: Purchasing Contract Manufacturing
Self-employed
Project for a client in cosmetics & healthcare over 6 months.
Goal:
- Evaluate in-house vs. external manual processes
- Secure supply with multiple contract manufacturers
Activities:
- Review manual packaging items in ERP for cost and lead time
- Group similar packaging items
- Set internal/external planning and lead times
- Source, inspect and assess new contract manufacturers
- Obtain quotes, negotiate processes, quality, prices
- Run initial orders, oversee onsite adjustments
- Feedback and optimization discussions after 6 months
Company benefits:
- Reduced costs and lead times
- Optimized capacity for high-load periods to ensure supply
- Secured contract manufacturing at equal quality by multiple vendors
- Use spare capacity for short-term orders
Project Manager: Production Relocation
Self-employed
Project for a client in cosmetics & healthcare over 6 months.
Goal:
- Move cosmetic production while maintaining supply for six lines.
Activities:
- Form project group
- Sub-teams in tech responsible for each machine
- Detailed schedule with monitoring
- Technical and organizational step-by-step plan
- Use sprints to meet deadlines
- Pre-produce and stock products to maintain supply
- Dismantle, deep-clean, service and upgrade machines
- Reinstall and recommission in new area
- Review and optimize processes with staff
Company benefits:
- Three months of pre-production ensured supply
- Downtime used for maintenance and upgrades
- Production resumed on schedule without technical issues
- Process optimization cut cycle times from 5 to 3–4 days
- Sales activities met deadlines without disruption
- Supply and revenue secured
Project Manager: Production Process Optimization
Self-employed
Project for a client in cosmetics & healthcare over 3 months.
Goal:
- Create logical setup sequences and reduce setup times on filling machines with ERP integration.
Activities:
- Review active items in ERP on machines
- Form setup groups with tech team
- Define setup group names for ERP integration
- Verify setup times from ERP controlling with operations and tech on site
- Adjust setup times and optimize groups
- Upload groups and times per item in ERP
- Test in planning environment
- Go live
Company benefits:
- Reduced setup times and costs by 20% with better planning
- Clear overview of items by setup group and sequence
- Plan vs. actual setup time tracking enabled further optimization and less downtime
Project Manager: Electronic Planning Board Implementation
Self-employed
Project for a client in cosmetics & healthcare.
Goal:
- Replace manual magnetic board with electronic planning board.
Activities:
- Project group: operations planning & IT
- Align with standard ERP GUS and specific planning needs
- Review and assign items to capacities with setup groups and sequences
- Check production times from controlling
- Set target planning times
- Run planning tests on test system with adjustments
Issue: Full roll-out not possible yet – ERP visualization not ready.
Adjustment:
- Transfer planning from ERP to Excel to keep planning capability
- Update ERP visualization in next release (~4 months)
- Resume full digital implementation
Company benefits:
- 20% time savings in detailed weekly planning
- Greater flexibility and transparency during adjustments
- Clear visibility of item details at all workstations
- Optimized operations planning workstations
- Drag & drop planning simplified the process
- Knowledge and usage documented in the system
Team Coach
Self-employed
Project for a client in cosmetics & healthcare. Two workshops three months apart.
Goal:
- Turn negative stress factors from the psychological risk assessment into positive actions.
Activities:
- Low perceived development, design and action opportunities
- High externally imposed work interruptions
- Low communication, cooperation and mutual support
- Tense work climate and a conflict between colleagues
- 1st coaching: headstand method, scale work for current vs. desired state, World Café for solutions and action planning, assign responsibilities
- 2nd coaching: review progress, discuss remaining issues, identify solutions and responsibilities
Team benefits:
- Team felt heard, appreciated and conflict resolution created relaxation, motivation, autonomy and support
Company benefits:
- Flat hierarchy
- Inclusive process optimization
- Improved processes and workflows
- Satisfied, loyal staff retaining commitment
- Reduced sickness rates
Team Coach / Facilitator
Self-employed
Project for a client in the optics industry. Two workshop days with outdoor activities.
Goal:
- Team building for two groups doubling in size over 12 months.
Activities:
- Define goals: getting to know each other, goal setting, expectations, values, collaboration model
- Day 1: icebreakers, indoor trust exercises, work on expectations and team values
- Day 2: outdoor activities, highlight expertise, define team DNA and spirit in joint work
Team benefits:
- Personal interaction after long digital period
- Discover personal values and team roles
- Build trust and cohesion
Company benefits:
- Strengthened team spirit
- Acceptance of each other
- Clear goals, collaboration model and roles
- Stronger relationships
Summary
Interim & project management for sustainable transformation
You want to take your operational processes to the next level? It takes time and expertise. To move into action quickly, temporary external support can be the ideal solution.
What to expect:
- Balanced control of output, costs and investments
- Activation of unused resources
- Promotion of employee development and growth potential
As an independent expert with technical know-how, clear communication and a strong results focus, I act confidently – even in male-dominated industries. I take on plant, operations or production management roles, mainly in the food and cosmetics industries. I also implement optimization projects focused on planning and process design.
Your benefit – my mission: I bring your site and teams into strategic, operational and cultural balance – for measurable progress and lasting success.
Interim. Project. Results. I make change possible – with substance and impact.
Languages
Education
VWA Augsburg
Business Administrator · Augsburg, Germany
Certifications & licenses
8S Strength Profile Coach
DIN ISO 22761
DIN ISO 9001:2000
IFS
Systemic Business Coach and Consultant
dvct
Team Coach
HR Academy
e-Trainer
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