Production Consulting & Interim Management
When your production grows, but the processes can't keep up.
I help growing manufacturing companies make the leap from workshop production to industrial-scale operations by focusing on the three key elements of technology, processes, and people.
Hintergrund mit KI erstellt
Years of production Experience
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Output Capacity Increased
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Plant Performance Improved
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Time OPtimization
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Who I work with
The growth is there.
The production can't keep up.
Your company is selling more than it can deliver. The factory floor keeps expanding, but the workflows don't improve. Hiring and layoffs alternate. Liquidity suffers – not because the product is weak, but because production is still stuck in job-shop logic.
I know this pattern. I have experienced and resolved it across companies of all sizes.
TYPICAL SITUATION
Your best people – the workers, foremen, and engineers – are stretched to the limit, without ever having worked in a lean factory.
Growing pains
More revenue means more chaos. Scaling would only scale the problems, not the efficiency.
Target clients
Small and mid-sized manufacturers, €5–50M revenue, 50–250 employees, past their initial growth phase.
EXECUTION
No PowerPoint strategy without implementation. I work on the shop floor and with the people who are already there.
Listen and understand
On the Shopfloor
Presenting Results
My Approach
Understand. Design. Execute.
I follow a structured process that starts with the people
and ends with measurable results.
01
Listen & Understand
Interviews with all stakeholders: management, team leads, and employees. Analysis of the shop floor, processes, and ERP system. Only by understanding the root causes can they be permanently resolved.
02
Design the Concept
A current state analysis, overarching rules, and a target concept are developed in close collaboration with employees and managers. This lays the foundation for implementation.
03
Execute & Operate
The implementation strategy follows this rule: first a point, then a line, then a plane. In other words, flagship projects serve as demonstrations, followed by implementation in all departments, and only then a “wide-scale rollout” across the entire company. The goal is to empower all participants to act independently.
Working Together
From the first analysis to lasting improvement.
We've deliberately kept the process simple to get started. With minimal effort, you'll gain a clear picture of your situation in 4 weeks.
4 weeks – entry
Initial Analysis
On-site on the shop floor, conducting interviews with all stakeholders. The result after 4 weeks is an analysis report with specific goals and proposed methods.
Months 2–3
First Collaboration
Implementation of specific flagship projects. Upon request, I will lead a model project. Continuous capacity-building and coaching for participants take place on the job.
Months 4–12
Sustainable Results
Self-help is taking hold. Trainers have been trained, and additional projects are being launched. The company is becoming independent.
Entry offer
4-week analysis – this offers opportunities
You receive a full analysis report with concrete recommendations and a proposal for next steps. No engagement without shared understanding.
Everything has it's place.
When organization, production, and leadership work together, order emerges
on the shop floor, in the processes, and in people’s minds.
Services
Get Started as Needed
Consulting
Strategic advice, technical process solutions, and operational project leadership to improve quality, efficiency, and cost position. You remain in control at all times.
- Assessment, analysis, and optimisation of production processes
- Guidance through growth or consolidation phases
- Transition from workshop production to industrial-scale operations
- Troubleshooting for technical problems and quality deviations
- Management of investment and optimisation projects
Interim Management
The interim assignment enables responsible leadership and implementation in production. This role provides immediate relief for management.
I can fulfill the following roles with an unbiased, outside perspective and a proven track record of getting things done:
- CEO / COO
- Technical Director
- Head of Production
- Plant Manager / Site Manager
- Restructuring Manager
Selected Projects
Results that count.
Production Scale-up and Operational Excellence
Standardized production, assembly, and quality assurance for the industrial scaling of plant manufacturing.
Production time optimization by 50% · Output capacity ×4 with same floor space
Technical Stabilisation of Installed Base
Standardisation of engineering and change management. Cross-functional collaboration for sustainable plant performance.
Mean uptime ×2.5 within one year
Series Launch of a New Product Line
Full responsibility for the series launch with approx. 400 employees and a budget of €40M.
Targets met in quality, schedule, volume, and unit cost
Introduction of a Production System
Implementation with a focus on a zero-defect strategy, synchronized production, and continuous improvement.
5% productivity gain p.a
€2.5M cost reduction p.a.
Restructuring of Modular Assembly
Comprehensive restructuring programme to adapt to declining volumes while reorganising the organisation.
€20M savings p.a.
>30% floor space reduction
Multi-site Production Concept
Development and implementation of a concept to improve utilisation, transparency, and sustainable cost reduction across multiple plants.
Incl. simulation system for capacity planning
Dr.-Ing. Michael Merz
Production Expert · Consultant · Interim Manager
Mechanical engineer with a doctorate from TU Darmstadt and post-doctoral research at Cornell University. Over 25 years of operational responsibility in industry – from engineering and production management to CEO roles.
My drive: I bring people together, hand in hand, to analyse technology and processes and achieve scale, innovation, and performance improvement through systematic change.
Lean Production Systems
Operational Excellence
Production Scale-up
Restructuring
Change Management
Value Stream Mapping
Quality Management
SAP Implementation
Site Management HSE
Self-employed
Consultant & Interim Manager
Consulting · Interim Management · Production Advisory
PYREG GmbH
Managing Director / COO
Engineering, Production, Customer Projects, Customer Service
Junker Grinding Technology
COO, Junker Group
4 sites in Germany and Czech Republic
HOMAG Group
Managing Director / Plant & Production Manager
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
Director Production · Production Manager · Project & Product Manager
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
Development Engineer · Design Engineer
Cornell University, USA
Post-Doctoral Fellow
Topic: Machine Learning Systems
TU Darmstadt
Studies & Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering
Contact
Let's talk.
If you feel that your production is holding you back rather than driving you forward – that's the right moment for an initial conversation.
No sales pitch. No engagement without shared understanding.
info@merz-consult.de
+49 175 353 0956
Dr. Michael Merz
www.merz-consult.de
