Interim management market research: rapid assistance with staff shortages and complex projects

When companies face staff shortages, they need quick solutions. These gaps arise due to resignations, a lack of skilled workers, parental leave, or unexpected vacancies. With limited resources, it’s crucial to avoid overloading internal teams and save time. Interim management provides an efficient answer.

Interim managers operate in general management, HR, IT, logistics, and other business areas. Additionally, interim management is gaining traction in marketing and corporate market research.

Interim Management in the Context of Business Processes

Companies often use a framework or overview of their business processes to improve quality and achieve continuous improvement. This framework can also help determine which processes can be transferred to external service providers (outsourcing).

One method of identifying which business processes are suitable for outsourcing is to use a matrix with three aspects:

1. How valuable is the process?
2. How well does it function?
3. How important is it to the company?

Processes that score very high on all three are generally less suitable for outsourcing.

This is because they often involve core management functions. One exception is interim management. In this case, external managers are temporarily brought into the company. They take on leadership roles for a limited period of time and contribute their expertise.

This is often the case during periods of change and restructuring, or when specific skills are needed that are not currently available in the company – for example, during parental leave or crisis situations.

What is interim management?

But what does “interim” actually mean? The term “interim” refers to a temporary or transitional period. It describes temporary measures or solutions that are applied until a permanent solution is found.

The word “interim” comes from Latin and means “temporary” or “provisional”. It is derived from inter (meaning “in between”) and the suffix -im, indicating a temporal dimension.

Independent interim managers work for a defined period of time (typically 3 to 18 months) and take on entrepreneurial responsibility in a leadership position at the first or second management level. Organisations use interim managers in a variety of situations and roles, including:

• bridging unforeseen vacancies
• replacing absent executives
• restructuring and turnaround management
• project management
• implementing new programs
• company formation, acquisition, or sale

Interim manager assignments are arranged through personal networks or through an interim provider – a company (or individual) that provides interim managers on a professional basis [1].

Interim management in corporate market research

Experienced market researchers step in for a period of time – often project-based or for several months. Their assignments include strategic consulting on research opportunities as well as detailed project management for ad hoc studies or panel research. This also includes special projects such as brand and employer research, with daily rates and working hours ranging from one to five days a week.

Interim management in corporate market research has many benefits:

1. Interim managers enable companies to respond to urgent market research needs without lengthy recruitment processes.
2. They bring extensive knowledge and experience from a variety of industries and projects, ensuring that even complex research projects are managed efficiently and successfully.
3. As interim managers are not permanent employees, they operate without internal politics, leading to more objective analysis and better decision making.
4. Companies pay for interim managers only for the duration of their assignment, providing a clear cost structure – ideal for temporary support.
5. Interim managers not only conduct research, but also help implement the results. Their expertise in strategic project management ensures that insights are effectively integrated into business strategy.
6. Internal teams benefit from working with interim managers, gaining new skills and competencies that strengthen their capabilities.

Conclusion

Insgesamt bietet Interim Management in der betrieblichen Marktforschung eine flexible, kompetente und kosteneffiziente Lösung. Denn so meistern die Verantwortlichen temporäre Herausforderungen. Darüber hinaus erreichen Sie Ihre strategischen Ziele. Denn das Marketing ist zeitlich eng getaktet. Das Marktforschungs-Management von BESTVISO bietet umfassende Dienstleistungen sowohl für kurz- als auch langfristige Projekte und Interim Management in der betrieblichen Marktforschung.

Overall, interim management in corporate market research offers a flexible, competent and cost-effective solution. It enables decision-makers to successfully overcome temporary challenges while achieving their strategic objectives. Marketing operates to tight schedules, making efficient market research management essential. Market research management by BESTVISO offers comprehensive services for both short and long-term projects, including interim management in corporate market research.

Sources:

1. Interim Management – Gabler Wirtschaftslexikon. https://wirtschaftslexikon.gabler.de/definition/interim-management-52714/version-275829
2. Lysenko, T. I. (2010). Prerequisites of appearance and prospects of use the outsourcing as a tool to enhance the competitiveness of enterprises. Ekonomichnyi visnyk universytetu-Economic Bulletin of the University, 14, 85-92.
3. Petryk, I. (2016). Principles of business process management in enterprises using outsourcing. Przedsiębiorczość i Zarządzanie, 17(10.2), 53-68.