Project at a glance

• Project: Engineering consulting / support
• Client: An internationally active rail vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Switzerland
• Industry: Passenger transport
• Company data: Large company with several thousand employees; the project took place at the German site, and the affected engineering unit comprised around 80 people
• Project goal: Support managers so that deadlines are met and improve planning for accurate capacity and forecasting statements
• Role: Advising and coaching managers, as well as providing methodological support for a critical project and advisory support to the head of engineering
• Result: Improved planning, completed projects, and new engineering processes

Initial situation

In engineering, orders were not being completed on time. At the same time, the team leaders were overloaded because too many tasks rested on their shoulders. For those responsible, this had created a situation in which commitments to the project business were becoming increasingly difficult to keep and the leadership team had hardly any room left to steer effectively.

The reality behind the target vision

The original goal sounded clear: meet deadlines and improve planning. In reality, however, a deeper structural issue became apparent. The projects were set up in a highly person-dependent way—they relied on individual key people, and those very people were overloaded. The team leaders had to handle too many projects at the same time. What appeared to be a scheduling problem was in fact closely tied to how responsibility, workload, and planning were distributed in engineering.

Approach and solution

The work focused on two key levers. First, the engineering managers—both team leaders and department heads—were supported through coaching. Second, controlling and planning were streamlined and optimized, projects were managed with greater focus, and the overall approach was made more planning-oriented. At the same time, a critical project was supported methodologically and the engineering leadership was advised directly, ensuring the work remained grounded in real processes and closely aligned with operational reality.

Key measures

• Coaching for engineering managers (group leaders, department heads)
• Streamlining and optimizing controlling and planning
• Focusing projects and adopting a planning-driven approach
• Methodological support for a critical project
• Advisory support to the head of engineering

Result

The final robust result was improved planning. During the course of the project, projects were closed out, and new processes were introduced in engineering. This created a foundation on which deadline reliability and planning certainty can be supported more consistently in the future.

What exactly was present

• Improved planning
• Completed projects
• New engineering processes

Client quote

“Everyone knows that you are very honest and direct.”

Anonymized

What this success story shows about PRECI

The case shows what often really matters in manufacturing SMEs: not just treating symptoms such as missed deadlines, but advising close to leadership, planning, and operational reality. Here, PRECI combines senior executive experience with hands-on implementation—coaching the leadership team and methodically supporting a critical project go hand in hand. It is precisely this combination of realistic analysis, clear courses of action, and practical advice that makes the difference compared with pure slide-deck consulting.

A similar challenge?

If deadlines in your organization also depend on individual people and your leadership team is being worn down between steering and day-to-day business, an objective outside perspective is worthwhile. Talk to PRECI—honestly, directly, and with a focus on what can actually be implemented.