Willi S.-Founder

I Am A Management Consultant, Interim Manager And Leadership Coach For Advanced Production And Organizational Systems. I Help Industrial Companies Lead More Effectively, Work Better Together, And Make Lasting Improvements To Their Processes And Production Systems.

My Focus Is Where Value Is Created: In Plants, Factories And Production-Related Areas. I Combine Lean Management And Operational Excellence With Organizational Development, Leadership Development And Hands-On Work On Site.

As A Graduate Industrial Engineer Specializing In Mechanical Engineering And A Graduate Of An International Lean Master'S Program, I Bring Together Research-Based Knowledge And Many Years Of Industrial Experience. Since 2001, I Have Worked With The Lean Philosophy In Both Academic And Business Settings. My Experience Includes Consulting, Project Leadership, Direct Operational Responsibility And Interim Management—Including As Head Of A Large Production Area And Interim Coo At A 3d Printing Start-Up.

I Have Built Factories, Expanded Production Networks, Led Factory Planning And Optimization Projects, And Implemented Change In Complex Production Systems. I Work At Every Level, From The Shop Floor To Top Management, And Across Different Types Of Organizations, From Start-Ups And Mid-Sized Companies To Large Corporations.

Production Systems, Lean Management And Operational Excellence I Develop Production Systems And Improvement Approaches That Bring Processes, Leadership And Collaboration Together. The Goal Is Not To Introduce Methods In Isolation, But To Achieve Lasting Improvements In Operational Performance.

My Skills Include:

Analyzing, Designing And Developing Production Systems And Operational Management Systems.

Lean Management, Lean Manufacturing, Lean Production And Lean Operations.

Operational Excellence (Opex) And Continuous Improvement.

Continuous Improvement Process (Kvp) And Kaizen.

Value Stream Analysis And Design: Value Stream Mapping And Value Stream Design.

Identifying Waste, Losses, Bottlenecks And Issues Between Teams And Functions.

Designing Stable, Transparent And Simple Processes.

Developing And Introducing Practical Day-To-Day Standards.

Connecting Improvement Goals With Clear Responsibilities And Concrete Actions.

Enabling Leaders And Teams To Improve Their Own Ways Of Working.

Leadership Systems And Shopfloor Management I Design Shopfloor Management As An Effective System For Leadership, Communication And Problem-Solving. Metrics, Meetings And Visual Displays Should Support Decisions And Drive Improvement—Not Create Extra Administrative Work.

My Skills Include:

Introducing And Developing Shopfloor Management And Daily Management.

Designing Operational Leadership Routines And Coordinated Meeting Structures.

Setting Up Clear Communication And Escalation Paths Between The Shop Floor, Middle Management And Plant Management.

Structuring Shift Handovers, Daily Production Meetings And Leadership Walks.

Clarifying Roles, Responsibilities And Decision-Making Authority.

Visual Management And Clear Displays Of Goals, Deviations And Actions.

Setting Up Kpi Dashboards And Aligned Reporting Cascades.

Tracking Actions And Checking Their Effectiveness.

Coaching Leaders In The Practical Use Of Leadership Routines.

My Hands-On Experience Includes Recording Losses By Shift And Machine, Standard Shift Handovers And Shift Leader Walks, And Daily Production Meetings With Clear Roles And Responsibilities.

Process Improvement, Production Optimization And Performance Management I Combine Operational Data Analysis With On-Site Observation And Employees’ Knowledge. This Turns Metrics Into Clear Areas For Action And Actions Into Real Improvements.

My Skills Include:

Process Analysis And Optimization In Production And Production-Related Functions.

Analyzing Production Performance, Process Deviations And Operational Losses.

Building And Developing Performance Measurement Systems: Key Performance Indicators (Kpi).

Operational Performance Management And Operational Performance Control.

Structuring Data Collection And Loss Analysis By Shift, Machine And Process.

Visualizing And Interpreting Operational Data.

Structured Problem-Solving And Root Cause Analysis.

Prioritizing Improvement Actions Based On Impact And Feasibility.

Improving Productivity, Process Stability And Resource Use.

Aligning And Implementing Actions Across Functions.

Organizational Development And Collaboration Lasting Process Improvements Often Also Require Changes To Leadership, Collaboration And Decision-Making. I Help Organizations Recognize These Connections And Develop Their Ways Of Working Accordingly.

My Skills Include:

Organizational Development In Complex Industrial Organizations.

Designing And Developing Leadership And Collaboration Structures.

Clarifying Tasks, Roles, Responsibilities And Interfaces.

Improving Collaboration Across Functions: Cross-Functional Collaboration.

Designing Clear Decision-Making And Coordination Processes.

Supporting Organizational Change And Industrial Transformation.

Change Management That Involves The Leaders And Teams Affected.

Facilitating Workshops, Reflection Sessions And Cross-Functional Work Processes.

Encouraging Ownership, Learning And Continuous Improvement.

Turning Strategic Goals Into Practical Changes In Day-To-Day Work.

Leadership Coaching And Leadership Development I Support Leaders And Teams As They Deal With Real Challenges In Their Day-To-Day Work. My Approach Combines Coaching, Professional Sparring And Joint Implementation—Right Where Decisions Are Made And People Work Together.

My Skills Include:

Leadership Coaching And Leadership Development In Industrial Settings.

On-The-Job Coaching And Learning As Part Of Daily Work.

Sparring For Executives, Operations Leaders, Plant Managers And Production Leaders.

Supporting Middle Managers, Shift Leaders And Operational Teams.

Developing A Clear Understanding Of Leadership Roles And Responsibilities.

Reflecting On And Improving Leadership Behavior, Communication And Collaboration.

Enabling People To Solve Problems In A Structured Way And Respond Effectively To Deviations.

Designing Practical Employee Development Around Real Business Tasks.

Designing And Facilitating Workshops And Learning Sessions.

Helping Apply New Insights In Daily Leadership And Work Routines.

My Goal Is To Help Leaders And Teams Become More Effective: Understand Complex Situations Better, Clarify Priorities, Take Responsibility And Work Together To Put Effective Next Steps Into Action.

Interim Management And Operational Leadership I Know Industrial Challenges Not Only From Consulting But Also From My Own Line Management And Accountability For Results. In Interim Assignments, I Take Responsibility And Combine Operational Leadership With The Development Of Processes And The Organization.

My Skills Include:

Interim Management In Production And Operations.

Operations Management And Operational Leadership Responsibility.

Experience As Head Of A Large Production Area And As Interim Coo.

Structuring And Prioritizing Operational Challenges.

Leading And Coordinating Cross-Functional Teams.

Clarifying Decisions Needed, Responsibilities And Next Steps.

Implementing Improvements And Change While Operations Continue.

Combining The Ability To Act In The Short Term With Structures That Last Over Time.

Building The Capabilities Of Internal Leaders And Ensuring A Structured Handover.

Factory Planning, Factory Optimization And Production Networks I Combine Experience In Factory Planning And Setup With An Understanding Of The Demands Of Ongoing Production. This Means I Consider Not Only Technical And Spatial Questions But Also How The Operation Will Be Organized, Led And Run In The Future.

My Skills Include:

Factory Planning And Factory Optimization.

Leading And Coordinating Factory Planning And Change Projects.

Planning And Developing Production Structures.

Designing And Optimizing Layouts And Material Flows.

Aligning Production And Logistics Around Value Streams.

Supporting Factory Construction And The Expansion Of Production Networks.

Coordinating Across Production, Logistics, Engineering And Management.

Assessing Whether Planning Concepts Will Work In Day-To-Day Operations.

Connecting Factory Structure, Processes, Organization And Leadership.

Project Leadership And Delivery Of Complex Initiatives I Structure Complex Tasks, Bring Different Perspectives Together And Clarify Goals, Responsibilities And Decisions. I Stay Close To The Operational Work.

My Skills Include:

Project Leadership And Project Management In Industrial Settings.

Managing Planning, Optimization And Transformation Projects.

Defining Goals, Work Packages, Responsibilities And Milestones.

Stakeholder Management From The Shop Floor To Top Management.

Cross-Functional Coordination And Facilitation.

Preparing And Supporting Management Decisions.

Clearly Communicating Progress, Risks And Issues That Need Action.

Embedding Project Results In The Operational Organization.

Industrial And Technology Experience My Experience Includes Automotive And Plant Logistics, Industrial Consumer Goods And Food Production, As Well As Mechanical Engineering And Additive Manufacturing, Or 3d Printing. My Career Includes Roles At Volkswagen And Jde, Among Others.

My Technology Focus Is On Industrial Production Processes And How They Work Together With Material Flow, Operational Data, Organization And Leadership. I Particularly Support The Development Of Performance Measurement Systems, Loss Analyses, Operational Reporting And Data-Based Leadership Processes.

Alongside This, Under The Brand “Mitten Ins Werk,” I Develop Practical Learning Resources For Leadership, Collaboration And Process Improvement. These Include A Podcast And Ai-Powered Learning Bots That Offer Accessible Support In Day-To-Day Work. My Focus Is On Subject Matter, Learning Design And Practical Application.

How I Work And What I Do Well I Work As A Player-Coach: Not Commenting From The Sidelines, But On Site, Involved And Sharing Responsibility. Depending On The Task, I Work As A Consultant, Interim Manager, Project Leader, Coach Or Sparring Partner.

What Sets Me Apart:

Combining Direct Industrial Leadership Responsibility With Consulting And Coaching.

Strong Lean Experience Since 2001—In Both Academic And Business Settings.

Developing Processes, Leadership And Collaboration Together.

Broad Factory Experience, From Planning And Setup To Optimizing Ongoing Production.

Ability To Work Effectively At Every Level, From The Shop Floor To Top Management.

Experience In Start-Ups, Mid-Sized Companies And Large Corporations.

Ability To Make Complex Issues Easy To Understand And Focus On What Matters Most.

Direct Communication, Practical Implementation And Respect For People.

Supporting Individual Development And Organizational Learning.

Working With Experienced Partners In My Network On Larger Assignments.

The Assignments That Best Suit Me Include Developing And Improving Production And Organizational Systems, Lean And Operational Excellence Initiatives, Shopfloor Management, Production And Factory Optimization, Industrial Organizational Development, Leadership Coaching, Operational Interim Assignments And Leading Cross-Functional Change Initiatives.