Business
Acceleration
Here are some examples of assignments completed by Tom
Eckmann.
Online Micro-payments
Company
Tom
Eckmann served as advisor to the founder and CEO of this
leading-edge developer of systems to transact micro-payments (i.e.,
$.25 to $3.00) cost-effectively and securely over the
Internet. He provided advice and counsel regarding the
business plan, deployment of a pilot system and a funding campaign
to raise several million from venture capital and angel
investors.
Website Development and Internet Market
Research Company
Tom
Eckmann coached the founder and president of this company that
delivered market research and website development services to small
and medium-size businesses. The founder was very experienced
and proficient in her field, but wanted independent advice on how to
position her company and market her services. Tom advised her
on how to “productize” her services and coached her through the
development of a comprehensive marketing
plan.
Operations Improvement -- Retail Drugstore
Chain
A
large regional drugstore chain wanted to reduce its in-store
inventories and implement better inventory control procedures.
Tom Eckmann led an in-house inventory reduction team that collected
information from the company's point-of-sale database, defined
categories and classes of inventory, and profiled the existing
inventory within each. The team identified and marked
thousands of slow-moving stock keeping units for liquidation.
Then they established target inventory levels for each category and
developed a reporting system to allow management to monitor actual
versus target inventory performance.
Interim Management/Acquisition - Consumer
Products
A
Seattle-based consumer products company acquired the brands and
other assets of a 75-year-old Midwest manufacturing company. Tom
Eckmann led the due diligence process and then worked with the
client to develop and implement a strategy to open a new division
and close the acquired company. The new division was
operational within 45 days after the sale closed and was profitable
in the first month. The acquired company operated for another
six months while a client team moved production to factories in the
Far East. The project
duration was approximately nine months.
Interim Management/Operations Improvement --
Audio Cable Products
A
private equity investment firm acquired a mid-sized Midwest manufacturing company. Shortly
after the transaction closed, several key executives left to start a
competing company. Tom Eckmann stepped in to manage the
business, implement operational improvements, and fend off
competition from a new company formed by the departed executives.
He led the successful effort to reduce operating costs by 30
percent and maintain sales at pre-transaction levels, while the
Board recruited a new executive team. The project lasted
approximately six months.
Interim Management/Operations Improvement --
Optical Scanning Products
A
California-based manufacturer of computer products ran into problems
starting production on a new product line. The Board of this
venture capital-backed company brought in Tom Eckmann to take over
operations. He brought together a team that quickly resolved
the manufacturing problems and implemented new purchasing and
materials management procedures. Excess inventories dropped,
providing vitally needed cash for the company.
Operations Improvement/Divestiture -- High
Frequency Microwave Products
The
Board of a large Northwest test and measurement instruments company
decided to spinout an under-performing division. The business
unit had its own sales, R&D and manufacturing operations but
relied on other corporate groups for business systems, financial
management and other support. Tom Eckmann led the effort to
make this division a stand-alone company. Over a six-month
period, he reorganized and implemented multiple new systems and
procedures. The improved operational performance resulting
from this effort caused the Board to reconsider their spinout
decision and retain the division as a separate business
unit.
Interim Management/Divestiture-- Streaming Tape
Drive Products
The
Board of a Fortune 500 holding company wanted to divest an
under-performing business unit. The company had encountered
problems ramping up production on a new product line and was
bleeding cash at an increasing rate. Tom Eckmann came in to
run operations. He led a team that resolved the technical
problems with the new products and got manufacturing on track.
He also cut expenses and renegotiated purchase contracts with major
component suppliers. He ran operations for seven months until
a competitor purchased the company.
Operations Management -- Consumer
Electronics
A
Fortune 100 company decided to close a under-performing start-up
division. The business unit had developed a line of
cutting-edge consumer electronic products for the home and
established manufacturing operations in the Far
East. Unfortunately the products were too costly
to manufacture and too complex for consumer to adopt. Tom
Eckmann led an orderly shutdown of operations that included
negotiating contract terminations with Asian manufacturers and
destroying all production tooling.
Interim Management/Operations Improvement --
Audio Products
A
leading Northwest manufacturer of high-performance consumer and
professional audio equipment encountered problems with the
introduction of several new products. The Board of this
publicly owned company brought in Tom Eckmann to lead manufacturing
and get production moving again. Over a seven-month period, he
outsourced non-critical assembly operations, implemented new
manufacturing control systems, and introduced lean manufacturing to
the assembly floor. Defect rates plunged and production rates
rose substantially.
© 2005 Absolute Business Services
Inc.
