The position of the commercial manager is a key function in the company: Usually as a member of the Executive Board and as the first advisor to the CEO/Executive Board, the Commercial Director has the technical and operational responsibility for the commercial functional areas that are necessary for the business. So this basically includes all commercial as well as structural issues of the business. Strategically as well as operationally.
Together we define the scope of my consulting services for you. To the extent that is necessary and useful for your company. The usual topics can be:
- Short-term profit and loss calculation and long-term business planning
- Quantitative and qualitative strategies (market, competition, products, organization, …)
- Liquidity planning and liquidity management
- Consulting on business management issues in the planning of projects and their support
- Support in legal and insurance matters as well as in risk management
- Support in due diligence and M&A processes
- Responsibility for reporting (reporting routines to management and decision makers, ad hoc analyses)
- Accompanying responsibility for and development of controlling (if these areas do not report directly to the management as a staff unit), analysis of operational key figures, target/actual comparisons
- Accompanying responsibility for the human resources department and development of systems
- Accompanying or leading negotiations with suppliers and companies
- Contact person for banks, tax consultants, auditors, insurance companies, shareholders, etc.
- Accompanying and developing specialists and managers in the subordinate areas
- Improvement of profitability
- Optimization and further development of operational processes in the commercial areas
- … and whatever else is close to your heart and requires support and professional development …
This selection, a run through of all commercial and business routines as well as strategic points and special topics, results in a very generalistic, intellectually and humanly demanding requirement profile. The following applies to a commercial manager: In addition to the best technical knowledge in the task areas, appropriate methodological skills and a corresponding leadership quality, the mind set is his most important success factor. Aptitude of character, the will to succeed and the self-conception of being able and willing to take responsibility for the commercial issues and the success of the company.
This position, held full-time and by a professional, is usually only to be found in companies above a certain size. The finance, accounting and controlling teams are always assigned to the commercial manager. Depending on the organization chart and business distribution plan in the company, and often industry-specific, Purchasing, Logistics and usually also Human Resources and IT/Orga are subordinate.
In smaller or growing companies, this function is performed by the management “by the way”, often with external support from the tax consultant and memberships in associations. This is cheap and can be cost effective. Perhaps no more is needed for the business.
But for real, valuable impulses from the commercial area for the business and an acting “state of art” more is needed. With the tactic “as little as possible, as cheaply as possible” no chances arise and develop. Certainly, strategic as well as imminent risks cannot be recognized.
If now a small team organization is doing the daily business, but a commercial head and driver is missing, I will be happy to assist you in an advisory capacity and with great expertise. On an hourly basis or by the day, entirely according to need and coordination, but with a fixed time routine and firmly integrated into your operational organization and the practiced processes.
Figuratively speaking: Like the regular car wash and the annual inspections according to maintenance intervals. Anticipatory and accompanying. As needed and desired, our joint planning and assessment of the benefits and necessities.