Interdisciplinary cooperation in consulting: a practical example of corporate success
Many cooks spoil the broth? No. A professional consultant (and interim manager) seeks to collaborate with other experts when necessary. For the benefit of your company.
Every professional consultant and interim manager knows their skills and, depending on the situation, seeks cooperation with other professionals to master the challenges in your company. Using an example from my consulting practice, I would like to show you how this can lead to your company’s success.
The initial situation
A bookstore with a small publishing house in the DACH region of Germany, Switzerland, and Austria has been facing an increasingly difficult market situation for years. In addition, important steps towards digitalization and optimization of corporate structures have been taken too hesitantly in recent years. Some employees seemed to be in a state of “quiet quitting”. The aim was to rekindle the enthusiasm and passion for the book trade, the written word, and publishing and to adapt sales and the entire company to today’s customer needs to make it fit for the future.
„A management consultant (and also an interim manager) is not an all-knowing miracle wizard – even if some would have you believe that.”
Interdisciplinary teams in consulting: the key to holistic solutions
Therefore, many areas require further expertise in digitalization and HR, in addition to processes, sales, management, marketing, and business planning. Together with digital and HR experts, we developed a comprehensive and, above all, IMPLEMENTABLE strategy with corresponding measures.
„Changes in a company are never easy – they can be very painful under certain circumstances.”
The first step was introducing a clear, transparent, and structured concept based on key performance indicators (KPIs). After just a few weeks, the company was able to make initial progress.
With the help of SMART goals (specific, measurable, attractive, realistic, time-bound), we worked together with the management and all employees on numerous topics in the following areas:
- Customer friendliness
- Necessary digitalization externally and internally
- Marketing and visibility of the company
- Personnel development
- Product range, sales, and warehouse
- marketing
- and much more
So what does this mean for the management and the entire company?
Focus, focus, focus! The roadmap is set. To achieve the corporate goals that have been set, the measures must be implemented, continuously reviewed, and adjusted if necessary. The first step towards a new, successful future for the bookshop and the publishing house has been taken.
Finding new paths together.
Think boldly – dare to change
Alexander d‘Huc
