Assessment and Re-Engineering--Renaissance consultants

Assessment/Re-Engineering

An assessment by professional management consultants is frequently a good initial starting point before deciding how/if to re-engineer a company; it is one of the best ways to determine priorities and potential savings. The assessment can establish the best way to proceed, frequently establishing the scope and cost of a series of project management initiatives.
Insisting that the same management consultants that make the recommendations be responsible for implementation is an excellent way to assure that performance goals are met.
Taken from our files, the following case history illustrates Renaissance consultants' success with both assessments and re-engineering.

Type of Company:	Manufacturer of high quality metal components and assemblies (job shop environment) sold to large defense, electronics and aerospace companies
Type of Ownership:	Private: Family-Owned Company
Position:	Interim Executive Vice President and Project Manager

Problem:	When founder of this company retired, sales and profits began a continuous decline. Existing management had failed to keep its manufacturing facility and internal systems up-to-date, and permitted plant morale to deteriorate.
Action:	Retained with full P&L responsibility to return the company to its former profitability and chart a course for growth. The first project was to make an assessment of the company. The second project was to institute a five-year business/marketing plan prioritizing mission critical projects, so as to re-engineer the company as rapidly as possible. This was done by focusing on the job costing system for controlling manufacturing labor and material usage; and the product planning and control system. Other projects included modernizing the manufacturing operations, focusing on quality; installing a company-wide computer system; and increasing sales representative performance and effectiveness.
Results:	Within four months, the manufacturing cycle time was decreased by 20%. Within one year, company was made profitable and morale improved. Within three years, sales more than doubled, accelerating growth. Modernization of the manufacturing facility and installation of fully computerized systems were paid for from current earnings.