Results

Concrete cases and results from mandates, transformations and turnarounds.

TMUC stands for clarity, steering and implementation. The following examples show how this creates concrete impact in different situations - in growth, steering, performance improvement and transformation.

Intro

Many mandates are confidential. The examples are therefore deliberately condensed and partly anonymised. What matters is not the folklore around a project, but the starting point, where the levers were and what impact was achieved.

1. Reports exist, but are not useful for steering

Reports from fiduciaries, Finance departments or Controlling exist, but the executive team still does not know where the company really stands.

My contribution The first step is not new reporting for the sake of reporting. I first ask which decisions the executive team actually needs to be able to make and which information is missing for that. With this information, I review the existing reports, data sources and key figures and compare them with the actual steering need. Often, what is needed is not a large new reporting machine, but a few targeted adjustments and a pragmatic, efficient solution: adding relevant KPIs, splitting or aggregating positions sensibly, choosing the right comparison basis and visualising developments in a simple way. I first model new reports pragmatically in Excel or Google Sheets using real client data. This allows me to discuss them quickly with the client, incorporate feedback and sharpen the logic before unnecessary time is spent on system changes. The final version can then be automated or transferred into existing systems. The result is reporting that is understood, genuinely supports decisions and creates little additional effort. I have successfully used this approach multiple times in SMEs and in corporate environments.

2. The business is running, but results are not good enough

The company is operationally active and successful, but does not achieve the desired earnings or expected return.

My contribution Improving earnings and returns in a targeted way is one of the recurring focus areas of my work. I do not promise a magical instant solution in such situations. Usually, close cooperation with the company and several targeted levers are required. At the beginning, I combine number analysis with conversations inside the company. I listen carefully to executive management, Sales, Operations, Production and other key people. The best experts on offerings, customers and processes are usually already inside the company and often have very good ideas. My contribution is to connect these perspectives with the numbers, identify the most important levers and derive implementable measures. Initial impact often appears after only a few months. This may be two or three better contracts, an effective cost reduction, a better pricing logic, lower purchasing costs or clearer priorities. Such quick wins not only improve results, but also increase acceptance for further changes. In the next wave, the focus is on measures for the coming six months and the next planning round. Prices, contract design, purchasing, material costs, utilisation, roles, capacities and personnel costs are reviewed realistically. At the same time, clear priorities are created for the further development of the business. This is how a fundamentally good company gradually becomes economically stronger - with measures that fit the reality of the business and work not only on paper. In my independent work as well as in leadership roles, I have repeatedly supported companies in identifying economic potential, prioritising the right levers and achieving measurable improvements.

3. Liquidity bottlenecks arise unexpectedly

Cash repeatedly becomes tight at short notice, even though the operating business is actually running or growth is visible.

My contribution Running with lean liquidity can be appropriate. What matters is that bottlenecks do not come as a surprise. I support companies in building a simple and reliable liquidity plan that shows which incoming and outgoing payments are actually expected in the coming weeks. To do this, I connect operational data with a pragmatic forecast. The basis consists of expected income from the ongoing business, open invoices, upcoming expenses, recurring payments and known one-off effects. This first creates a clear view of the current status and the next two weeks. For a longer horizon, usually around twelve weeks, I add expected income and expenses. Where precise information is missing, I work with a transparent extrapolation of current values or with assumptions from planning and business development. This makes visible how liquidity would develop without countermeasures. On this basis, targeted steering levers can be defined: faster invoicing, renegotiation of payment terms, prioritisation of payments, postponement of cost items that can be influenced or preparation of bridge financing. In many situations, a few targeted interventions are enough to bring a company safely through a bottleneck. The liquidity plan is updated monthly or, in critical phases, weekly depending on the situation. This does not create a heavy finance system, but a practical leadership instrument. The Excel models I have developed for this purpose are deliberately lean and in use at several companies.

4. Vertriebszahlen und Monatsabschluss zeigen unterschiedliche Realitäten

Sales, Operations and Finance report different numbers; as a result, a reliable basis for steering, forecast and decisions is missing.

My contribution Different numbers do not automatically mean that someone is wrong. Often, Sales, Operations and Finance simply reflect different realities: order intake, contract closing, service delivery, invoicing, cash collection and monthly closing do not always follow the same logic or the same timing. In many companies, such differences are tolerated for a long time because it has always been that way, the underlying data volumes seem large or other priorities appear more urgent. That is understandable. At the same time, even small monthly deviations can, over several periods, lead to a substantial distortion of revenue, forecast and earnings. I support companies in bringing these perspectives onto a common basis. First, I build a clear understanding of the workflows: How is an order or contract closing recorded in Sales? When is invoicing done? When is the service delivered? When does cash flow? And how does all of this later appear in the monthly closing? Then comes the analytical detail work. I evaluate the available data sets, clarify differences with the responsible people and make visible where data, processes, systems or posting logic diverge. This often also uncovers input errors, system breaks or process deviations that have gone unnoticed in day-to-day work for a long time. The result is a clean data basis with a clear bridge between sales, revenue, cash and monthly closing. From this, meaningful sales and revenue reports emerge, as well as concrete proposals for improving processes and data quality in the future. Such projects are usually not a permanent consulting programme, but a targeted one-off effort that makes reliable reporting possible in the first place. Once the logic has been set up properly, it can be continued in the company; an annual review may be useful. In several projects, the clean-up not only created better transparency, but also made additional revenue visible - for example from orders that had not yet been invoiced or had not been invoiced completely. If needed, the past can also be worked through - traceable down to the posting level, including explanation of differences and necessary corrections. What matters is that Sales, Operations and Finance ultimately talk about the same economic reality again and that decisions are made on a reliable foundation.

5. Costs are under pressure, but the levers are not clear

Despite cost-saving efforts, transparency is missing on where costs actually stand and which measures really work.

My contribution Cost management is part of every company's basic responsibilities. Many leaders are already doing a good job here. What matters is setting the right levers: reducing costs where this does not endanger the business, tracking measures properly through to implementation and questioning costs not only in large one-off exercises, but regularly and systematically. I support companies in developing concrete measures to improve results while also building effective cost management. I usually work along two tracks: top-down, it is clarified which savings or performance improvement is necessary. Bottom-up, it is tested what individual areas can realistically contribute without losing operational capability. In discussions with executive management, the board or owners, a target picture is defined. I support this assessment with data analysis, benchmarks, comparisons and a clear view of the company's strategic situation. Then I go into the practical work with the area owners: Which costs arise where? Which services, processes or structures stand behind them? Which measures are realistic, effective and responsible? The result is concrete measure packages with expected impact, responsibilities, timelines and an assessment of the effects on the business. What matters is not only the amount of the saving, but also the quality of the decision: What can be cut, postponed, renegotiated, simplified or organised differently without weakening the core of the business? Implementation and control are decisive. This requires simple follow-up that is regularly discussed in management. Often, a short monthly status is enough: What has been implemented, what impact is visible, where are decisions needed? In the medium term, an annual cost and efficiency review as part of planning is very useful. This means cost structures are regularly questioned, targets are set in good time and measures are prepared before the next budget round. I have accompanied precisely such programmes multiple times in leadership roles and mandates - with the aim of making performance improvement not only planned, but actually visible.

6. An IT system or app ties up capital without a clear view of progress

An in-house IT system or app has been in development for years; significant investment has already been made, but status, costs, progress and completion are unclear.

My contribution I help companies in such situations make a stalled IT or app project decision-ready again. The point is not to replace the technical work of the project teams, but to prepare costs, benefits, progress, risks and alternatives in such a way that executive management, owners or the board can make a robust decision. IT systems and apps can be very valuable for a company. Problems arise when significant capital, management attention and internal capacity are tied up over a long period without clarity on how far the project really is, what completion will still cost and what economic benefit the system will ultimately provide. In such situations, an external view without project blindness is especially important. Has CHF 50,000 or CHF 1 million already been invested? Is the initiative 10%, 30% or 80% complete? And what does "complete" even mean from the perspective of customers, operations, Finance and executive management? Money already invested must not automatically be the reason to invest more. What matters is whether the project is still economically sensible from today onward - and under which conditions. Here I bring together the financial, operational and project perspective. First, I clarify the current status with executive management, project owners, IT and specialist functions: What was originally decided? Which goals was the system supposed to achieve? What already works today? What is still missing? Which costs, risks and timelines are realistic until completion? Then I work out the economic decision basis. This includes the costs to completion, the expected benefit, the most important risks, the chances of success and possible alternatives. The relevant question is not only whether a project should be stopped or continued. Often there are better intermediate paths: reduce scope, reset priorities, review technical alternatives, simplify operations, bring in external expertise or divide the project into more realistic stages. The result is a clear cost-benefit analysis with a recommendation and a concrete plan for the next steps. Executive management can decide whether the project should be continued, adapted, replaced, paused or stopped - not based on gut feeling, but on a reliable economic and operational assessment. Right now is a good time to review such initiatives critically: with mature cloud solutions, modern development approaches and AI-supported software development, there are often better options today than at the time of the original project start.

7. Investment options need to be prepared for decision

For an investment project, several options exist. They need to be analysed in a structured way, compared and prepared with a sound recommendation for decision-making.

My contribution Investment decisions can take very different forms: production facilities, individual machines, IT systems, apps, office space or larger infrastructure topics. The common denominator is always the same: capital, future impact, risks and the question which option is most robust from a business perspective. I support companies in bringing different options onto a comparable decision logic. Often, offers, calculations or business cases already exist, but they are based on different assumptions. Sometimes, there is not yet any reliable decision basis. In both cases, I first clarify which options should really be compared and what the reference scenario is: continue as is, repair, replacement investment, expansion or, for example, lease instead of buy. Then I bring the economic effects onto a common basis. This includes one-off and ongoing costs, expected additional revenue, possible savings, capital commitment, depreciation, risks and the point in time at which the impact will actually occur. What matters is not only which option looks cheapest on paper, but which creates the greatest value under realistic assumptions. Involving the client's specialists is central. They know what performance a plant, system or site can really deliver, how robust the assumptions are and which implementation risks exist. I connect this operational knowledge with the financial analysis and test whether expectations, costs, timelines and risks fit together. Timing is particularly important. A higher price can make economic sense if it allows a project to be completed faster or avoids a long standstill. A seemingly cheap supplier is not cheap if implementation is delayed for months and revenue, productivity or management capacity are lost as a result. The result of my work is a clear decision document: the relevant options, the key assumptions, the economic effects, the advantages and disadvantages and a financially grounded recommendation. The decision itself remains entrepreneurial. A board or owner can consciously choose an option that is less attractive on purely financial grounds - for example because it sends a signal, supports a vision or serves other long-term goals. My contribution is to make transparent what this decision means economically and which option is most robust under the assumptions tested.

Further typical situations

Further typical situations in which companies want to create transparency, secure decisions or address financial challenges in a targeted way, and where Tomas Vanek or TMUC has contributed to the solution.

To the long list of cases

What these examples show

Impact arises where numbers, steering and business come together.
Good Finance work is not visible in reporting alone, but in better decisions and measurable results.
TMUC works in growth phases, under earnings pressure and in complex change situations.
The range extends from steering and reporting to turnaround, transformation and CFO responsibility.

Let us discuss, what impacts are realistically achievable in your situation

In an initial conversation, it can usually be assessed quickly where the decisive levers lie and which form of support brings the most added value.

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