Providing Temporary Leadership for a Client during a Transition Period BackgroundBackground The client is a global provider of biological products and enabling technologies, which are essential for the research, development and manufacture of biologically based life science products. The president of the company was concerned that the current leader of their Plasma Operations division was not the right person to lead a significant change project implementation effort. SPG’s Consulting AssignmentSPG’s Consulting Assignment The client asked SPG, Inc. to provide leadership and decision making for the Plasma Operations business unit of 5 departments and nearly 200 people while the executive search was underway for a permanent Vice President, Plasma Operations. SPG – Project ApproachSPG – Project Approach SPG provided the client with one of its management consultants on an interim basis to lead the Plasma Operations unit. This consultant reported directly to the President and CEO, and participated as an equal with the other vice-presidents. He was accountable for delivering on all aspects of the Plasma Operations business plan, and also helped to transition the newly hired full time vice president for Plasma Operations. Issues addressed during the project included:  Inventory planning and control.  Production planning.  Office closure; personnel separation; asset disposal.  Low morale (due to lack of leadership from previous unit lead).  Personnel issues.  Reorganization.  Large-scale project management.  Multi-project remote office relocation, construction and move.  New product introduction and implementation.  Strategy alignment.  Individual performance goals and measurement.  Management team building. Results and Quantitative BenefitsResults and Quantitative Benefits As a direct result of SPG’s role in leading the Plasma Operations unit, the recommendations that had been developed by the change project joint team were effectively and rapidly implemented. Critical issues that might have been delayed or avoided were instead seen through to completion, with the following results :  Four collection centers closed (based on the change project recommendations), resulting in approximately $1.6 million in annual savings.  Business unit reorganized:  New department created (Donor Management)  Common donor center structure created  Common job titles implemented  Job descriptions created for donor centers and administration in HQ  All people in unit moved/classified to new corporate HR job families  Inventory investment reduced by about $4 million through structured production and inventory planning process.  New product implemented.  Process developed and documented for the New Therapeutic Program Introduction Process, incorporating Business Development, Regulatory, Commercial Operations and Plasma Operations. Through SPG’s direct involvement :  The client avoided approximately $4 million investment in inventory above plan.  Four collection centers were consolidated into the remaining 13 donor collection centers to reduce the asset base and reduce overall cost per liter by approximately $  The overall organization was restructured, jobs were reclassified into the corporate-wide job family approach, and individual positions were moved to the job family classification and the compensation range appropriate for the job to ensure equity across the company. This resulted in an organization where all employees are on par. Prior to this, each of the employees had “struck their own deal” with management.  Schrudder Performance Group, LLC. Proprietary Information – 1208