Interim Management

TAKE RESPONSIBILITY UNTIL YOUR ORGANIZATION CAN HANDLE IT ON ITS OWN

No longer than necessary—but as long as necessary

My consulting services cover all indirect procurement categories—from IT and services to facility management—and are focused on complex contracts and customized supplier management solutions.

I support companies in implementing digital tools in procurement and ensure that processes are not only automated but also sustainably improved.

The goal is to create an efficient, transparent, and innovation-driven procurement organization that delivers measurable results.

When do you need this?

There are situations in which a procurement organization needs more than just consulting—it needs someone who will take charge. Someone who gets involved in day-to-day operations, makes decisions, and really gets things moving.

This could be a vacant leadership position. A transformation project that needs someone to steer it from the inside. An organization that needs to be stabilized before it can grow. Or a start-up where the right structures need to be in place from the very beginning.

Vacant or overburdened leadership positions in procurement
Establishing a new procurement organization or department
Process optimization with responsibility for operational implementation
Stabilization following restructuring or a crisis
Transformation with a focus on digitalization or efficiency
Support with M&A integration at the procurement level

What I bring to the table:

Over 20 years of experience in the operational and strategic management of procurement organizations—across various types of companies, industries, and levels of maturity. I am familiar with the typical patterns, the common pitfalls, and the approaches that truly work.

✓ Process Analysis & Design: Understanding, evaluating, and redesigning existing processes

✓ Organizational Development: Clarifying structures, roles, and responsibilities

✓ Team Leadership & Development: Leading, developing, and empowering teams to work independently

✓ Supplier Management: Building and managing strategic supplier relationships

✓ Digitalization & Tools: Introducing and embedding procurement technologies

✓ Stakeholder Management: Ensuring internal alignment at the executive level

TYPICAL AREAS OF FOCUS

Process Analysis & Optimization

I analyze existing procurement processes in a structured and honest manner: What works, what doesn’t, and why?

The result isn’t just a report—it’s an actionable plan with clear priorities, responsibilities, and timelines.

And I stay involved until the changes truly take hold.

Team Building & Stabilization

I take on team leadership with the clear goal of empowering the team to operate independently.

This includes role clarity, skills development, a culture of feedback, and a leadership structure that remains effective even after I leave.

I build up—not tear down.

Management of Transformation Projects

Change projects in procurement rarely fail because of the idea—but because of the implementation. I take on operational project responsibility: planning, management, stakeholder management, reporting—and the difficult conversations that are inevitable along the way.

Knowledge Transfer & Orderly Handover

A mandate ends when your organization is able to take on the responsibility itself.

I plan for the conclusion from day one: What needs to be put in place so that things can continue without me?

The handover is structured, documented, and—this is important to me—real.

MY APPROACH TO CLIENT ENGAGEMENTS

Quick Start, Clear Rules
Every engagement begins with a rapid assessment of the situation: What is the situation? What are the goals and constraints? Based on this, we agree on the scope, timeline, and success criteria—transparently, bindingly, and realistically.

Operational Responsibility—or Recommendations
I don’t work as a consultant who simply makes recommendations and leaves. If desired, I also take on operational responsibility and work right where things happen: in the department, with the team, and in supplier meetings.

That’s the difference that makes all the difference.

Typical Engagement Duration

Most engagements last three to twelve months. Some are shorter if the situation is clearly defined.

Some are longer if transformation takes time. We define together what is realistic—and adjust as the situation changes.

Leadership Development as a Side Effect

I don’t just lead teams—I develop them. That means: I coach team leaders, clarify roles, foster autonomy, and create a culture where good people want to stay and grow.

Development isn’t an add-on—it’s part of the job.

Communication Upward and Downward

I provide support not only in operations but also in communication:

How do I explain to the board where we stand?

How do I get the team on board when change meets resistance?

How do I build trust that lasts even after the assignment ends?

Sustainability as a Measure of Success

The success of a project isn’t measured by what I’ve built—but by what remains after I’m gone.

That’s the standard by which I measure myself.

And it’s what I keep in mind from the very beginning.

Ability to act immediately

Kein langer Onboarding-Prozess. Ich bringe Struktur, Erfahrung und Kraft vom ersten Tag an – weil Ihre Situation nicht auf Anlaufzeiten warten kann.

Organizations that contribute

What we’re building will endure even without me. Processes, roles, leadership principles, and team culture are so firmly established that they will continue to grow rather than remain dependent on me.

Clarity and Structure

Where there was uncertainty, clarity emerges. Where there was friction, efficiency emerges. And where a team has lost its way, a shared direction emerges.

Why André Neumann – Independent Management Consultant | Interim Executive | Negotiation Advisor:

Over 20 years of leadership experience in indirect procurement, complex negotiations, and transformation programs.

Among other roles, he served as Head of Group Procurement at MB Energy and as Director of Supplier Management at PlusServer.

Negotiation expert, certified Profile Dynamics Consultant, Certified D.I.S.C. Analyst, PRINCE2, ITIL Foundation,

Scotwork Advanced Negotiations.

Numerous successful projects and training sessions at large enterprises, medium-sized companies, and startups

Feel free to reach out—I look forward to speaking with you.

Together, we’ll find the format that best suits your team and your goals.