Case 1: Service provider with CHF2.3bn sales; 7,000 employees (completed)

Initial position:

Legal form: Swiss joint-stock company

Role: initially consulting team of 20, then 1 project manager (subsequently interim manager)

Operating results well in the red, slight balance-sheet loss (but only because of financial investments)

Brief: financial and operational turn-around

Action:

Instant task-force measures to reduce costs and create liquidity

Legal separation of the two business areas

Significant reduction of administrative costs and cutting of 200 ongoing projects to 7 important ones

Closure of unprofitable locations

Standardisation of processes at remaining locations

Internal benchmarking and ranking of locations

Results within first 24 months:

Elimination of two-thirds of operating loss (= CHF60m) within 6 months, thanks to success of instant task-force measures

Savings of CHF300m within 24 months, by reduction and standardisation of locations

Boosting of performance by organisational separation of business areas

TOTAL: purely operative turnaround within two fiscal years

Case 2: Mechanical engineering with €25m sales, 300 employees (completed)

turnaround@EXMAG.ch