Case Studies

Establish a Greenfield manufacturing plant The Situation As the Client’s sales Middle East had been stagnating for several years, they decided to expand their physical presence in the region. The project would bring the company closer to customers in the Middle East and was critical to the group’s growth plans in the region. However, the company was facing enormous difficulties in expanding its foot print in the region due to a lack of internal expertise in managing a project of this size and complexity. The Solution WIL Group selected an experienced manager to manage the project. As Interim Project Director, he began by identifying and finalizing  the infrastructure footprint for a manufacturing plant in Dubai and  offices in other countries in the region. WIL Group’s manager engaged at multiple levels: extensive commercial and legal negotiations, the recruitment of key people, the implementation of IT/ERP solutions, management and financial reporting. All operational aspects were monitored and managed by him through sub-groups and by using planning tools such as MS Project. The Result The project had tight timelines with multiple stakeholders, including local regulatory bodies and banks, making it a challenge to execute on time. Results were visible after 6 months of intensive project development work. The Client obtained several regulatory approvals and signed agreements to acquire assets to further develop infrastructure. WIL Group’s interim manager successfully completed the assignment and executed a smooth hand-over to the permanent team within the Client’s organization.

Shutting down a factory of a major US MNC The Situation WIL Group’s Client had experienced declining sales of transformers and wanted to close a large transformer factory in India. To do this, they needed to settle with the over 600 direct and indirect workers. The Client was faced with a very difficult situation in terms of local politics and the union. The workers had gone on strike to extract compensation equal to 10 years of salary per worker. The situation was highly ambiguous and dynamic, with multiple players, multiple strategic options, and different payoffs for each move by each of the players. The Solution WIL Group deployed a dynamic, charismatic, experienced manager to negotiate with unions and local government, deal with an issue relating to industrial contamination, etc. in order to implement the action plan. WIL Group’s Manager explored other options, such as selling the factory rather than shutting it down. Two potential buyers had already been identified, and WIL Group’s manager engaged with them. To maintain maximum bargaining power, WIL Group’s manager adopted two parallel sets of activities: closing down the facility and negotiating with a buyer to keep the facility open. The Result The union rejected a generous VRS package, so WIL Group’s manager pushed for the decision to accept the buyer’s offer. WIL Group’s Manager engaged with the concerned government department to convince them that it was in their interest to facilitate the transfer of the lease to the buyer so that the factory would continue to operate and provide employment in the region. WIL Group’s Manager led the negotiations with respect to the sale agreement, relying significantly on the legal expertiseof the Client’s in-house legal representative and two separate legal firms hired by the Client.

Shutting down a factory of a major US Manufacturer The Situation A leading US engineering conglomerate engaged WIL Group to restructure their workforce, which was mainly involved in manufacturing, and then shut down the facility. WIL Group commenced work a few days before the Client announced its restructuring exercise. This would involve laying off 85% of the factory work force and termination of all manufacturing‐related activities.  WIL Group began with a 3‐month consulting phase to study alternatives with the factory’s works council. At the same time, the Client needed to complete existing engineering projects that were already in progress since it was not practical to transfer them to other facilities. The Solution WIL Group deployed an experienced interim Factory Director who charged with the management of production, maintenance, quality, EHS (Environment, Health and Safety), logistics, planning and industrial engineering, working with a team of 76 workers. In addition to this, the interim manager was also made part of a European‐level committee to monitor established objectives. During the negotiation process, WIL Group’s interim manager actively collaborated with the HR department by providing valuable process inputs and creating a conducive environment for the execution of ongoing projects as the factory was being shut down. The Result WIL Group’s interim manager successfully executed the restructuring process without compromising on the agreed quality parameters for executing the ongoing projects. There was also not a single workplace accident during this period. Upon completion of the restructuring process, the company sold the warehouse and transferred the existing machinery to its group companies. WIL Group’s interim manager also successfully dismantled a warehouse, sold the used machinery and executed civil works to prepare the warehouse for the new customer.  

Provided a CFO…’on demand’ during these very challenging times The Situation WIL Group parachuted one of its Executive Interims into a CFO role to fill a gap that had been created because bringing in an CFO from overseas was not possible due to the COVID-19 situation. An global HR Professional Services company based in Singapore was faced with a challenging situation when they could not fly in a new CFO that was due to transfer from France to Singapore. WIL Group was asked if they could fill the gap urgently with a highly qualified Executive Interim at a short notice. The Solution WIL Group was able quickly to put in place a high caliber executive interim manager who had the experience of running a regional finance operation and could build budgets and forecasts for 2021 in these very difficult business conditions. The WIL Group executive interim walked into the client rolled up her sleeves and in no time had got to grip with the complexities of the business and the challenges of managing a regional finance operation who are using different finance systems. The Result This project is on-going and the client is extremely pleased and impressed in the way that WIL Group could find a seasoned professional that could not only hit the ground running but make a positive impression in a matter of weeks. A prefect example of Experienced People : Delivering Results

TURNING AROUND AN INDIAN FOOTWEAR COMPANY The Situation A well known Indian footwear brand was facing a decline in sales after the division of the family business. The new generation who took over the business were inexperienced in steering the company and driving business growth. The company had aggressively extended credit to its channel partners to drive sales . However, this was carried out without adequate checks and balances. This led to large receivables and bad debts and  subsequent shortages of material supplies and product availability in the market. The company had a strong brand lineage in their flip-flop (sandal) range, which it was unable to leverage due to limited distribution set-up. Trust levels among the company’s channel partners were also low, since the company neither documented its business policies nor implemented them. The Solution WIL Group’s recommended and monitored action plan: 1. Segregated channel partners into three groups on the basis of credit worthiness. 2. Drafted and communicated fair business policies transparently to reduce conflicts and improve trust. 3. Identified towns for increasing reach. Created a dedicated sales team to drive rapid  expansion. 4. Revamped the product strategy by focusing on key categories (fast moving and premium) and launched new products. 5. Changed the credit policy to reduce credit days and limits and also improve rotation. 6. Brought in a new Sales Head to support execution of strategy. 7. Outsourced selected processes to vendors to enhance production without further capital investment. The Result Financial year 2020-21 is witnessing: 1. A  44% year on year growth. 2. Credit levels declined from 100 days to 65 days. 3. The number of active distributors increased 50%, expanding reach, lowering dependency on large volume players and saving cost. 4. Working capital and EBITDA margins improved from 20% to 30% due to top-line growth, without any increase in staff. 5. The company began to expand into new footwear segments, to consolidate its top line and franchise with trade and consumers.

INTERIM HR DIRECTOR The Situation Seconding an experienced interim HR director to a European engineering service company working in the areas of semiconductors and aerospace. The client was faced with a key challenge:  their previous HR Director was asked to handle another role in the organization, so they were urgently in need of an interim HR Director. The key deliverables were : 1. Change the recruitment team 2. Efficiently handle employee engagement activities 3. Change Management 4. Select and introduce a  new Human Resource Information System (HRIS) tool  by analyzing different  options from vendors 5. Streamline processes and procedures. The Solution WIL Group’s solution was to parachute a senior interim HR Director into the organization to  focus on the deliverables. The interim HR director: 1. Conducted research, evaluated and negotiated  with a few vendors that had strong end-to-end HRIS offerings and finalized the best one. 2. Streamlined the recruitment team by conducting several soft skills sessions for them. 3. Identified the need to outsource payroll processing since one person was earlier handling both this process as well as statutory requirements, compliance procedures, etc. 4. Conducted employee engagement activities and empowered team members with more responsibilities, thereby bringing about change. The Result WIL Group’s hands-on interim manager successfully achieved the following results:  1. Implemented a new HRIS tool 2. Improved employee engagement 3. Streamlined and also   changed a few existing policies 4. Enhanced the recruitment team’s performance.

Carve-Out of a Mining ERP Systems To Support the Transfer of the Business To A New Owner The Situation X-PM’s executive interim manager was brought in to take on the role of Interim CTO to manage the carve-out of a mining ERP finance systems. A very challenging and time critical project in an extremely difficult location. Our client was part of a large mining corporation based in South America. The original owner divested the New Caledonia mining operations to a consortium. The mine is remote, in a challenging environment and our client required an experienced CTO to manage the carve-out of the financial and operational systems. The new consortium owners required this project to be completed as quickly as possible so they could continue to operate independently. The Solution X-PM was able to put in place an executive interim manager who is experienced in the mining industry, with the specific mining ERP systems knowledge and who had managed similar carve-out projects. X-PM’s interim manager scoped the project and built a transformation strategy.  Due to the Covid situation our manager started to run the project remotely and as soon as possible moved onsite to tightly manage stakeholders, processes and procedures. The Result The project is challenging and is still ongoing. However, the client is extremely pleased with the progress and the results so far. This is a classic example of where X-PM can find the right person for a very difficult situation. “Experienced People :   Delivering Results”.

DEPLOYED AN INTERIM CFO IN AN INDIAN IT SERVICES COMPANY The Situation An India-based global IT Services & Solutions Company, part of a diversified business conglomerate, required an interim CFO to fill a sudden gap in their organization. X-PM’s client faced attrition in the finance function, including the unexpected departure of its CFO. The organization was also grappling with challenges of COVID-19, and needed to stabilize its financial and IT systems after a recent M&A deal. The Client called X-PM to ensure the following: 1. Error-free closure and audit of financials, communication of results to investors and compliance with governance rules applicable to publically listed companies. 2. Integration of IT systems across the company. 3. Automation of financial processes. 4. Management of costs, working capital and cash in a new business environment. The Solution X-PM quickly deployed a highly experienced interim CFO to build relationships with the existing team and stakeholders and to focus on the following tasks: 1. Create deadlines, responsibility matrices and review mechanisms. 2. Re-engineer key processes related to management of costs, working capital and cash.  3. Strengthen investor communication and relationships, and introduce a global compliance tool.  4. Reorganize the Finance function to ensure optimal positioning of team members and ensure a clear understanding of roles and responsibilities. The Result X-PM’s interim CFO enabled the Client to achieve the following during this 9-month mission: 1. Timely and error-free compilation and audit/review of the financials for the financial year and subsequent quarters. 2. Successful and timely integration of internal finance and IT systems. 3. Initiation of an internal Business Process Transformation initiative across 9 different tracks, with clearly identified timelines, responsibilities, costs and  deliverables. 4. Double digit growth in EBIDTA  despite pressure on revenues. 5. Reduction of Days Sales Outstanding by 19% to 58, the best in the industry. 6. Improvement in bank balance.

Executing a turnkey power project The Situation A major international power corporation had been awarded multi-million dollar power distribution projects in Saudi Arabia across multiple locations.  The projects were in disarray, with significant delays affecting profitability and eroding customer confidence. The company urgently needed to take control and accelerate the projects.  The Solution The assignment was handled jointly between the X-PM France and X-PM India offices. X-PM provided a very senior and highly qualified CEO from India.  The Interim manager reviewed existing projects management processes and set new timelines with a system of internal project controls. He provided leadership to multi-national project teams, with a special focus on adhering to group health and safety norms across sites, contractor and supplier management and cost monitoring.  The Result Rigorous monitoring and project controls started showing improved results within the first six months. A sense of ownership grew among the Project Managers across multiple project sites. Client relationship improved as the team became more responsive.  The Client issued completion certificates at the end of the engagement. 

IMPROVED THE PERFORMANCE OF TWO STEEL PLANTS The Situation The client wanted immediate cost reduction due to the losses incurred in the previous year. Plant A: Investments had been made to increase capacity significantly, but mean time between failure (MTBF) was low. Plant B: This was a new steel plant, but the bottleneck was the hot rolling mill. The objective was to increase throughput by 50%. The Solution The client requested the WIL Group to quickly put in place a team of experts (MTBF, total productive maintenance and metallurgy), on a part time basis for 18 months. The India and France offices of the WIL Group handled and coordinated this effort. The Result The WIL Group set up an initial global audit after taking the management into confidence. Three global experts were involved in the entire process. Plant A was a real success story, particularly the implementation of cost-loss matrix, TPM and MTBF. Quick results were achieved at Plant B by focusing on a few key performance issues. The second phase at Plant B continued with selective capital expenditure.