How Interim Management
accelerated complex projects at Rheinmetall
How targeted interim leadership supported SAP integrations, joint ventures, plant relocations and operational excellence across multiple countries. Between April 2022 and November 2023, TF Consult provided interim management support at Rheinmetall. Over a period of 20 months, the engagement covered a broad spectrum of strategic and operational projects in an international industrial environment.
Restructuring
In 2021, Rheinmetall restructured its management organization, dissolving the divisions under Rheinmetall A, i.e. Rheinmetall Defence and Rheinmetall Automotive AG. Henceforth, the Executive Board of Rheinmetall AG will directly manage five divisions:
- Weapon & Ammunition (W&A)
- Electronic Solutions (ES)
- Vehicle Systems (VS)
- Sensors & Actuators (S&A)
- Materials & Trade (M&T)
Our mission at Rheinmetall
“20 Months as Interim Manager at Rheinmetall – From Joint Ventures to Global Plant Relocations”
The projects ranged from integrating new joint ventures into existing SAP landscapes and defining product use cases to setting up a new production site in Hungary and relocating a plant in China. Other key projects included the carve-out of the IT division of a British subsidiary following its sale, comprehensive preparations for replacing an outdated product data management (PDM) system with a modern PLM suite, and the global TISAX recertification of production sites for a major German automotive OEM.
In addition, the mandate covered topics such as the design of a new business model in close coordination with accounting department, the implementation of online worker registration on the German production line, corporate planning processes, IT shopfloor strategy, and various purchasing and logistics initiatives in Germany, the Czech Republic and China.
The projects required close collaboration with plant management, functional heads in the areas of engineering, logistics, purchasing, controlling, quality management and IT, as well as managing directors of joint ventures and international subsidiaries. This cross-functional and cross-border scope underlines the typical profile of interim management in complex industrial companies: rapid onboarding, structured delivery under time pressure, and sustainable handover to the permanent organisation.
Interim leadership
For TF Consult, the Rheinmetall engagement represents a key reference in the filed of interim management, specifically in the areas of digital transformation, post-merger integration (PMI), operational excellence and international project and program management.
Get in touch
“If you are facing a similar situation – whether it’s a major integration, a plant relocation, or just a period during which you need experienced specialists for a limited time – please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. I’d be happy to talk about what such support might look like in practice.” ~ Dr. Thomas Fabula
Testimonials
Sharon Lloyd | Mechadyne international Ltd., Kirtlington / United Kingdom
Hello Dr. Fabula,
Please find attached written confirmation that Mechadyne was sold on December 1, 2022! I would like to thank you and your colleague once again for the extremely good cooperation and open communication! It would be helpful to have more colleagues like you!
Kind regards,
Wolfgang Graul, Managing Director, Mechadyne International Ltd.
Further information
