On your website, you depict your consultants in oil- and paint-smeared business suits. What message are you trying to convey?
We want to indicate that we are at home in both worlds: not only at top management level, the problems of which we understand, but also wherever a white collar is bound to get dirty. In the technology sector, and especially in automotive engineering, it does usually not suffice to have a consultant only look at figures, diagrams and sectional drawings in order to grasp a problem holistically and to find the right solution. We are also intensely involved in every vehicle component and will install and remove it in a car ourselves if need be. Or we will stand next to the production staff at the belt in order to gain a better understanding of the work situation in practice. This lets us discover potentials that stay hidden from other management consultancies or even from internal members of staff, because we cooperate with all company levels. One thing we want to emphasise is that hardly any other consultancy has this bandwidth from A to Z at its disposal.
They promise their clients “potential realisation”. But what does that mean?
The realisation of potential is all about more quality, more efficiency and more customer value for the company. Even if things seem to go well for our clients, there are always a few hidden challenges: such as optimising the quality even more or significantly increasing efficiency. And then there is the question of whether the company has really exploited its current potential to the full. We find and realise potentials that stay hidden from others because we look carefully, adopt a structured approach and always apply intelligent creative thinking. This may sound self-assured because it is. Because those wanting to work effectively will have to lead the way themselves and with assurance.
What exactly do you understand by the “competence dynamics” between R&D, quality and production?
These days the companies – especially automotive manufacturers and their suppliers – find themselves in an enormous field of conflict. On the one hand, new developments require savings in time and costs in order to market competitive products as quickly as possible. On the other hand, quality standards must be met, the implementation of which is not always easy to reconcile with both the the savings factors time and costs, and with the product properties. This is where our competence dynamics come into play. This means that our clients profit from the expertise of our key consultancy competences across all processes, starting with R&D and ending at the supply chain. Premium quality without expensive rework, caused by recalls for example, inevitably has to start in product development. The early integration of the procurement and production departments is therefore sufficiently important. This is why we focus on all corporate departments and apply successful cost-reducing measures through better quality.
The automotive industry has frequently made the headlines with its recalls. How can you help companies to prevent or manage these recalls?
Although manufacturers and suppliers do a lot to prevent recalls., we and our holistic approach frequently encounter critical interfaces such as coordination problems. Meanwhile, because of the large number of recalls, everyone is now aware of the challenges faced in the prevention or management of technical recalls such as these. Causes may be rooted internally but also in the interaction with suppliers. Thanks to our long-term experience in quality management along the entire value-adding chain, and due to our verifiable competence in supplier management, we are able to deliver the optimal solutions, permitting us to support our clients even before a recall has occurred. In this regard, an optimised repair process could serve to avoid major expenses and additional loss of image within the dealer network. This is where the specific know-how of our consultants comes into play.
Why do you operate a “competence network” and what is its benefit for the customers?
With the most varied of specialisations, from business economics to engineering, our consultants are able to process the majority of our projects independently as part of a team and have acquired extensive interdisciplinary know-how over the years. In a highly complex world of technology however, even we utilise additional expertise for very specific issues, if necessary. For example, uniform standards across all products – but also benchmark solutions – play a major role for the best possible implementation in a manufacturer’s production processes. This is where we work together with network partners from technology centres and universities to develop cross-sector solutions.
Kemény Boehme & Company
The mid-sized, internationally operating management consultancy Kemény Boehme & Company, founded in Munich in 2007, supports technology companies in optimising and efficiently structuring their complete bandwidth from development to procurement all the way to production. This is accomplished by Kemény Boehme & Company’s development of cross-sectoral, innovative solutions in active dialogue with network partners from technology centres and universities.
Press contact
E-Mail: pr@kbc-consultants.loc
5 Fragen an Felix Feuerbach