{"id":9518,"date":"2025-07-03T13:08:37","date_gmt":"2025-07-03T11:08:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loehmer-consulting.com\/?p=9518"},"modified":"2026-07-21T17:41:01","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T15:41:01","slug":"gert-loehmer-ineffiziente-ablaeufe-ungenutzte-potenziale-hohe-kosten","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loehmer-advisory.de\/en\/gert-loehmer-ineffiziente-ablaeufe-ungenutzte-potenziale-hohe-kosten\/","title":{"rendered":"Gert L\u00f6hmer: Inefficient Processes, Untapped Potential, High Costs"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Gert L\u00f6hmer: Inefficient Processes, Untapped Potential, High Costs \u2014 How Companies Are Optimizing Their Processes<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Feature on unternehmer.de, July 1, 2025<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Inefficient Processes, Untapped Potential, High Costs \u2014 How Companies Are Optimizing Their Processes. \u2014 Photo by \u00a9 By\u00a0<\/span>Song_about_summer<\/span> stock.adobe.com<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Optimize your business processes! Find out how to identify inefficient workflows and tap into untapped potential.<\/span><\/h5><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Companies that want to remain successful and competitive in the long run need to keep evolving and improving. But reality often looks different: in practice, many companies struggle with inefficient workflows, untapped potential, and outdated processes that not only drive up costs but also hold back innovation.<\/em><\/span><\/p>

Standing still is falling behind<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 but change doesn't happen on its own. Anyone who doesn't want to fall behind must\u00a0regularly question and optimize their processes<\/strong>. Companies that build lean structures, embrace automation, and avoid unnecessary complexity can work more efficiently and more profitably. This article shows how that works in practice.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Why Process Optimization Fails in Many Companies<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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In many companies \u2014 especially in machinery, plant, and tool engineering, as well as other manufacturing industries \u2014 a recurring problem has been visible for years:\u00a0processes are inefficient,<\/strong>,\u00a0decisions take too long,<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0structures are rigid<\/strong>. The signs of inefficient processes are usually clear \u2014 yet the companies affected remain stuck in old patterns, and implementation is rarely carried out consistently and with discipline. It's worth every decision-maker having an honest conversation with employees \u2014 truly honest. The people who work in that environment every day know exactly what isn't working, and they know how it could work better.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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In manufacturing companies especially, the result is rising unit costs, delivery delays, and high complaint rates. These shortcomings directly affect customer satisfaction \u2014 and put the company's reputation at risk. Such\u00a0reputational damage<\/strong>\u00a0is not a minor detail \u2014 it can have dramatic consequences. After all, acquiring new customers is far more costly and time-consuming than maintaining existing customer relationships.<\/span><\/p>

Another sign of organizational weakness is inefficient inventory management and unnecessary\u00a0waste of resources\u00a0<\/strong>in order processing. The more spreadsheets are used in parallel with core systems like CRM, ERP, or production planning, the more serious the shortcomings in the\u00a0organization tend to be<\/a>.<\/span><\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Real Causes of Process Weaknesses<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The problem in many companies is simply that they only treat the symptoms instead of looking at the underlying causes. The reason for this is fairly obvious:\u00a0the deeper problems usually take significant effort to fix<\/strong>. Yet this effort is exactly what's needed to achieve lasting improvement. It starts with\u00a0master data quality\u00a0<\/strong>in the ERP system. Incomplete, inconsistent, duplicate, or outdated data has a negative impact on every downstream process \u2014 from procurement through production to delivery.<\/span><\/p>

But poorly trained employees working with ERP systems are also part of the problem.\u00a0Oversized software solutions<\/strong>\u00a0or\u00a0unclear responsibilities between departments<\/strong>\u00a0such as sales, production planning, and quality assurance lead to unnecessary friction, with serious consequences for the company. Add\u00a0organizational weaknesses<\/strong>\u00a0such as a lack of leadership skills, excessive customization of the product portfolio driven by sales, or inconsistent prioritization, and the impact on the bottom line becomes dramatic.<\/span><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Data Quality as the Foundation \u2014 and the Courage to Change<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Companies that want to sustainably improve their processes need to understand that data quality\u00a0forms the basis for every operational and strategic decision<\/strong>\u00a0. Flawed master data acts like a disruptive force running through the entire value chain.<\/span><\/p>

The\u00a0first step<\/strong>\u00a0toward optimization is a well-structured, thorough assessment. A solid value stream analysis helps systematically document and critically question existing workflows. This often reveals outdated routines, unnecessary loops, and untapped efficiency potential. Companies should also draw on the knowledge and experience of their own employees, who usually know the system's weaknesses best.<\/span><\/p>

Tackling the required analysis calls for organizational skill, methodological confidence, and strong execution.\u00a0External expertise<\/strong>, for example through an experienced interim manager, can help drive\u00a0change processes<\/a>\u00a0forward in a targeted way without disrupting day-to-day business \u2014 and without giving management yet another project to worry about.<\/span><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Artificial Intelligence as a Key Opportunity for the Future<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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A look ahead also shows: companies that engage too late, or not at all, with integrating\u00a0artificial intelligence (AI)<\/strong>\u00a0will lose competitiveness in the medium term. It's correspondingly important to engage with this topic early on. But here too, the rule applies: the\u00a0quality and availability of data<\/strong>\u00a0is the decisive prerequisite for successfully using AI, whether in sales, production, HR, or accounting.<\/span><\/p>

A\u00a0tailored CRM system<\/strong>\u00a0is therefore a sensible step for most companies to prepare for the future. When choosing one, companies should look for a solution that is not only powerful, but also user-friendly. As a\u00a0next step<\/strong>\u00a0concrete AI strategies can be developed, tailored to different areas of the company and their specific needs.<\/span><\/p>

The effort pays off<\/strong>: companies that follow this path consistently gain not only efficiency, but also flexibility, innovative strength, and resilience.<\/span><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Gert L\u00f6hmer<\/a><\/span><\/h3>

Gert L\u00f6hmer is the founder and managing director of\u00a0GL Consulting & Interim<\/a>. With his team, he specializes in leading machinery and plant engineering companies, tool makers, contract manufacturers, and many others out of crisis \u2014 operationally and strategically. At the same time, he focuses on optimizing internal processes, communication, and culture. This is how he sets the course for a successful future.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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