Production Consulting: Flexibility in a Changing Market 🌐 KBC
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Consulting: Production, illustrated by various components, with a gear in the center

Greater flexibility, lower product costs

Production Consulting

Flexible production—while keeping manufacturing costs under control. In volatile markets, this is a decisive competitive advantage. Those who can quickly switch between product variants, production volumes, and markets can simultaneously ensure quality and delivery reliability without sacrificing profitability. This is precisely where our production consulting comes in: As an international boutique management consulting firm with insights into over 680 production sites, our team of consultants at KBC guides you—from strategy through production optimization to AI-enhanced solutions—in making your production future-proof.

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Portrait photo of Martin Betz, Director at Kemény Boehme Consultants (KBC). A man with a shaved head and distinctive dark rectangular glasses, smiling warmly at the camera. He is wearing a dark blue suit with a matching jacket and pants over a light blue shirt without a tie, a cognac-colored leather belt, and a silver wristwatch on his right wrist; both hands are in his pants pockets, and he has an upright and confident posture.
Portrait photo of Martin Betz, Director at Kemény Boehme Consultants (KBC). A man with a shaved head and distinctive dark rectangular glasses, smiling warmly at the camera. He is wearing a dark blue suit with a matching jacket and pants over a light blue shirt without a tie, a cognac-colored leather belt, and a silver wristwatch on his right wrist; both hands are in his pants pockets, and he has an upright and confident posture.
Martin Betz
Partners
Portrait photo of Martin Betz, Director at Kemény Boehme Consultants (KBC). A man with a shaved head and distinctive dark rectangular glasses, smiling warmly at the camera. He is wearing a dark blue suit with a matching jacket and pants over a light blue shirt without a tie, a cognac-colored leather belt, and a silver wristwatch on his right wrist; both hands are in his pants pockets, and he has an upright and confident posture.
Portrait photo of Martin Betz, Director at Kemény Boehme Consultants (KBC). A man with a shaved head and distinctive dark rectangular glasses, smiling warmly at the camera. He is wearing a dark blue suit with a matching jacket and pants over a light blue shirt without a tie, a cognac-colored leather belt, and a silver wristwatch on his right wrist; both hands are in his pants pockets, and he has an upright and confident posture.

Your Contact

Martin Betz

Partner at KBC and management consultant specializing in manufacturing, with 10 years of experience in supply chain management

Challenges in Production

Today, production systems are caught between cost pressures and an ever-increasing variety of product variants—and those who fail to strike the right balance will see their returns decline. This is precisely where our production consulting comes in: with an approach that supports you from plant setup through to the end of the production run.

KBC combines methodological expertise with experience gained from over 680 production sites optimized worldwide. As co-developers of quality standards, we support you or your suppliers from the initial concept through production strategy to on-site implementation.  Since 2022, AI has been enhancing our consulting team—enabling faster and more in-depth analyses in our consulting services and practical solutions for your ongoing production. This results in high-performance production: efficient, resilient to crises, and delivering a measurably higher return on investment for your company.

More flexible competitors are leaving you in the dust

The wide variety of products, fluctuating order volumes, and new markets are overwhelming established production structures.

Rising costs are eating into your returns

High production costs and sustainability requirements are weighing on your returns. Opportunities for savings remain untapped.

We are unable to deliver the promised quantities

During the initial production phase, plant efficiency is insufficient to meet the contractually agreed production targets.

Quality defects result in significant losses

Scrap and rework result in unnecessary costs and jeopardize the scheduled delivery of the manufactured parts.

There is a lack of targeted AI deployment

AI solutions could reduce manual tasks and errors in production. But where should your team implement them?

Paths to Sustainable Manufacturing

In addition to production strategy, KBC provides consulting services on production optimization, workforce development, and make-or-buy analyses. A key focus is on digitalization and AI in production.

From a production strategy to a manufacturing strategy, illustrated by a manufacturing process
From a production strategy to a manufacturing strategy, illustrated by a manufacturing process

From a production strategy to a manufacturing strategy

Which products are manufactured where, at what level of detail, and with what degree of flexibility? Working closely with your team, we develop a production strategy that accounts for shifting product portfolios and volatile markets. This allows you to strike the right balance between flexibility, cost efficiency, and quality. From there, we derive specific manufacturing strategies for your plants. As a result, your facilities will be optimally prepared for future demands—while maintaining maximum operational stability.

Production optimization and empowerment, illustrated by a robotic arm, an assembly line, and a rocket
Production optimization and empowerment, illustrated by a robotic arm, an assembly line, and a rocket

Production Optimization and Empowerment

Production optimization works on two levels: In the short term, we stabilize your production when acute problems arise; in the medium and long term, we reduce waste and ensure your long-term ability to deliver. As part of our production optimization consulting services, KBC’s team of consultants analyzes your production’s performance, quality, and bottlenecks—and develops concrete measures. To ensure these improvements are sustained, we support your team’s capacity-building efforts.

Digitalization and AI, represented by a computer chip and a brain.
Digitalization and AI, represented by a computer chip and a brain.

Digitalization & AI in Manufacturing

Every production process continuously generates data —most of which goes unused. At KBC, our team of consultants integrates analytics tools and AI agents into your manufacturing operations to help analyze data and thereby reduce the workload on your team. This includes, for example, automated, AI-based defect detection in production. Insights from 8D reports are also fed back into the FMEA in a structured manner thanks to generative AI. In addition, KBC guides your team through the digital transformation until they are confidently using AI solutions in their day-to-day operations.

Production Consulting by the Numbers

Cost of goods manufactured
Overall Plant Effectiveness
On-schedule ramp-up of production

Real-World Examples from Production Consulting

Portrait photo of Martin Betz, Director at Kemény Boehme Consultants (KBC). A bald man wearing square dark glasses, smiling warmly at the camera. He is wearing a navy blue jacket over a white shirt, along with a brown leather belt and a silver wristwatch; both hands are in his pants pockets.
Portrait photo of Martin Betz, Director at Kemény Boehme Consultants (KBC). A bald man wearing square dark glasses, smiling warmly at the camera. He is wearing a navy blue jacket over a white shirt, along with a brown leather belt and a silver wristwatch; both hands are in his pants pockets.

This is how we view management consulting for manufacturing

Ultimately, it’s always about identifying the root cause and resolving it. This can only be done with production experience—you have to know where to look.

Martin Betz, Partner at KBC

Industries we advise on manufacturing

The automotive industry, represented by a wireframe-style car

Automotive

The manufacturing and mechanical engineering industry, represented by a wireframe-style gear

Industry & Mechanical Engineering

The technology industry is represented by a computer chip

Technology

Topics that strengthen your business

Supply chain consulting illustrated by the globe, with boxes and gears flying around it

Supply Chain

Logistics Consulting

Logistics

Management consulting for procurement, illustrated by a shopping cart with square balls flying toward it

Shopping

Answers that drive your production forward 

What can we do to ensure that production starts on schedule?

Often, when the deadline is fast approaching, the question is no longer “how,” but rather an honest “whether.” Many companies sense that the deadline is in jeopardy but lack an objective factual basis for making a decision.
KBC provides exactly this transparency: We assess the maturity of your processes and systems and, if necessary, immediately implement countermeasures to ensure a successful start-up. This way, you don’t just start “somehow”—production runs smoothly from day one and meets the required quality standards.

Where is AI worth using in manufacturing?

AI is most beneficial in areas where your team manually reviews large amounts of data. A preliminary analysis will identify which areas these are. During this process, KBC’s team of consultants will objectively and comprehensively evaluate your data structures. This will quickly provide you with clear priorities for your first AI projects.

How can sustainable production remain affordable?

Anyone seeking to implement sustainability in production quickly faces the practical question: Is it even worth the investment?
At our BOLD Center for Innovation, we use a radically different approach to address the very areas where your production is currently wasting costs and resources: energy, materials, and inefficient processes. The funds freed up are directed toward sustainable measures—from more energy-efficient systems and secondary raw materials to closed-loop material cycles.
This way, sustainability in production becomes not an additional cost burden, but an economic lever.

How can KBC help during acute supply shortages?

If your production is facing a shutdown and every minute costs money, traditional planning tools are too slow to react: they require hundreds of inputs and approvals before they can take action. In this situation, KBC immediately goes where the action is:
We identify the root cause right on the factory floor and stabilize the process to ensure your ability to deliver as quickly as possible. To do this, we work with your team to assess the gap between demand and available capacity while simultaneously prioritizing all effective measures—from alternative equipment or additional shifts to material substitution with separate approval, as well as changes in transportation and operational escalation with the carrier or customs. 
Thanks to our experience at hundreds of production sites, we immediately recognize which measures will get your production back on track—and which issues you can address later at your leisure.

Our processes are already optimized—where does KBC still see potential for savings?

On paper, across-the-board cost reduction is simple—but implementing it in reality without sacrificing quality is the real challenge. To address this, KBC looks not only at the numbers but also at the workflows: Where do unnecessary steps, poor timing, or unstable processes hinder profitability?
In addition, the consulting team compares drawings and bill of materials using AI. This reveals, for example, unnecessary variations in screws used in similar assemblies. Every variant eliminated reduces purchasing and inventory costs.
As an international boutique consulting firm with many years of experience in supply chain management and production, we identify the levers that will sustainably reduce your production costs—and support your team in maintaining this efficiency in their day-to-day operations. 

When necessary, we draw on the Disruptive Cost Optimization approach of our BOLD Center for Innovation to fundamentally reexamine and redesign cost structures. This turns blanket promises into real savings on your balance sheet.

Portrait photo of Martin Betz, Director at Kemény Boehme Consultants (KBC). A man with a shaved head and distinctive dark rectangular glasses, smiling warmly at the camera. He is wearing a dark blue suit with a matching jacket and pants over a light blue shirt without a tie, a cognac-colored leather belt, and a silver wristwatch on his right wrist; both hands are in his pants pockets, and he has an upright and confident posture.
Portrait photo of Martin Betz, Director at Kemény Boehme Consultants (KBC). A man with a shaved head and distinctive dark rectangular glasses, smiling warmly at the camera. He is wearing a dark blue suit with a matching jacket and pants over a light blue shirt without a tie, a cognac-colored leather belt, and a silver wristwatch on his right wrist; both hands are in his pants pockets, and he has an upright and confident posture.
Martin Betz
Partners

Let's start with a conversation

Whether it’s production strategy, production optimization, or the use of AI: In a brief discussion, we’ll determine which steps make sense and how KBC— an international, AI-powered boutique consulting firm based in Munich —can help you move forward. We’ll get back to you shortly.

Discuss your project