IMX OPERATIONS
Since its foundation, the field of operations has been a core element of the INSTITUTE FOR MANAGEMENT EXCELLENCE. IMX helps its customers to become even more successful in the entire spectrum of production and logistics. Under the motto “Experienced and accomplished meets young and dynamic”, three graduates of the university of Karlsruhe joined the company in 2020 and re-established the Operations Team together with the existing experts. By combining the latest know-how and vast experience, IMX is thus always a competent partner for individual companies and entire production networks at the planning and operational level. Through the conception and design of optimized production systems and structures as well as the integrated planning and design of material and information flows in cross-departmental and cross-company logistics networks, IMX supports its customers in the establishment and expansion of strong, responsive and efficient value-added structures.
Operations Specialists
Fabian Klinkner
Fabian Klinkner studied industrial engineering & management and combines methodical and technical knowledge from business administration, economics and engineering. During his education at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), he focused on production and logistics and built up a profound understanding of Lean Management and supply chain management. As Operations Specialist at IMX he has extensive expertise and practical experience in production planning as well as shopfloor and process optimization for manufacturing companies. During his bachelor studies he already held a leading position in a student consultancy for small and medium-sized enterprises. His many years of experience in team sports have given him a strong team spirit and the ability to keep a cool head in difficult and complex situations.
Felix Ranly
Felix Ranly graduated in mechanical engineering at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). During his studies he focused on the areas of production and automotive engineering, design and human-technology-organisation. As Operations Specialist at IMX, he has extensive knowledge of process optimization and a strong technical understanding. Through his practical activities in the automotive industry in the area of product support and as project manager of industrial assignments in a student lean management consultancy, he was able to gain experience in the direct production environment at an early stage. In addition, he learned about the latest scientific trends during his employment at the university. He enriches the IMX Operations Team with his analytical and straightforward thinking, his technical understanding and his passion for working with people to bring about change.
Johannes Rauh
Johannes Rauh completed his studies in industrial engineering & management at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) with the core areas of production & logistics, strategy & management and sales. In his role as Operations Specialist, he has strong competencies in process analysis and continuous improvement as well as change management together with the employees involved. Through his previous work in the area of Lean Management & Digitalization at a global industrial corporation, he has already gained extensive experience in implementing process improvements, moderating workshops and implementing far-reaching changes in companies. As a project manager and head of the moderation team at a student consultancy, he already took on organizational and team responsibility for various projects during his studies. The IMX Operations team benefits from his mentality characterized by dedication, team spirit and determination as well as his empathic, calm approach to dealing with people.
The Operations Excellence (OX) Check provides you with a comprehensive performance analysis of your company. On the basis of scientifically based questionnaires, we use systematic questions to identify the performance of the core areas of your company. Taking into account company-specific boundary conditions, we will show you those areas of activity with the greatest potential for maintaining and increasing the competitiveness of your company. Invest only a few hours and benefit from our many years of management experience and our tried and tested methods and instruments!
Transparency about corporate culture and its future efficiency
Gap analysis based on individual company goals
Recommendations for action for operational optimization

Operations Training
Gain a comprehensive understanding of how Lean is lived and applied.
Fundamental Topics
Advanced Topics
Operations Consulting
Our cascaded approach offers you a sustainable optimization of your processes.


Production
At the core of every value-added system is production in its various forms - based on an individual company as well as on production networks. The aim of our work is the conception, design and optimization of production structures and processes on a planning and operational level in order to make our customers even more successful.
LEAN Management
Efficient, customer-oriented processes form the basis of sustainable value creation. Our goal is to discover malfunctions and inefficiencies and to eliminate them in the next step. We combine quantitative methods with know-how and experience from our own line responsibility and numerous successful projects. We consistently pursue the idea of LEAN Production, but supplement this with methods to ensure the necessary flexibility in order to take into account the reality of fluctuations in customer requirements, employee qualifications or technical stability. The selection of the methods used is adapted to the task at hand and encompasses the entire range of optimization, from “5S” for structuring the work area to sustainable assurance of success through audits.
Shopfloor Management
An efficient achievement of goals on the shop floor requires the definition and monitoring of standards in the structures and processes: Tasks, competencies and responsibilities are defined, control groups are organized and the necessary data for process management and support for decision-makers are made available with little effort. Aids can be visual – markings, pictograms, barriers, boards – but also technologically sophisticated, for example in the form of tablets for production foremen to provide information in real time and means of communication. At the core, however, is the design of management and value creation processes to secure corporate goals.
Productivity management
Recording and increasing productivity at IMX includes the dimensions of material and personnel costs in relation to output. To examine deviations from targets – derived from plans or benchmarks – quantitative analysis methods are used, taking into account the underlying production process. Process design, supplier management and support through constructive optimization are building blocks for increasing productivity, for example in the sense of a sustainable reduction in disruptions in the production process. After the implementation of productivity measures, KPI-based productivity monitoring complements effective control of performance.
Productions systems
A “flowing” production does not necessarily require a clocked assembly line. Rather, the focus is on a smooth production process without disruptions and waiting times as well as the efficient mapping of a large number of product variants. The minimization of throughput times promotes both the efficiency and the flexibility of the system. Fluctuations in time and capacity requirements are part of the planning in terms of an exact recording of the framework conditions. Internal and cross-company production networks are demanding challenges both in the configuration and in the design of operational operations. We not only have the technical expertise to design and implement effective production networks, but also the know-how to design effective management processes as well as controlling and management tools.
Logistics
Logistics encompasses the planning, implementation, management and control of material and information flows in cross-departmental and cross-company networks. We design transparent processes and structures with the aim of responsive and yet efficient value creation.
Logistics systems
Logistics is defined very broadly in the INSTITUTE FOR MANAGEMENT EXCELLENCE (IMX) and includes the control of all material and information flows in addition to the “classic” functions of storage, provision and internal and external transport. During the conception and implementation of logistics systems, the material flows of the processes required to secure the movement of materials are determined on the basis of a continuous value stream analysis. Operating resources and personnel requirements in terms of type and quantity are based on this. In particular, however, the control logics are defined according to which material requirements arise and are met.
Information flows and visualizations are implemented in terms of content and technology throughout the network using the latest technologies. Particular emphasis is placed on ensuring flexibility in order to ensure that the functionality of the system is guaranteed even in the event of malfunctions and changes. IMX works in the design of logistics systems both with regard to the creation of technical concepts and the use of technologies on the basis of the latest findings. The many years of practical experience of the IMX consultants play an important role in the content and procedure, not only in the conception, but also in the implementation.
Inventory management
Stocks of production material, circulating and finished goods stocks are not only associated with the cost of capital and the tie-up of liquidity, but also indicators of the stability and efficiency of processes. The active control of these stocks therefore supports both the commercial success of the company and the process design. The IMX consultants know from their own experience of responsibility the various factors influencing inventory and analyze weak points from supplier management to balancing the production processes. The focus is not on the undifferentiated elimination of stocks, but on achieving a cross-departmental optimum. Selective buffers and their dynamic adaptation are part of the design of supply processes, the primary objective of which is to meet customer requirements.
Supplier management
To the extent that products are not the result of a singular production process, but rather complex value creation processes in production networks, the integration of suppliers into the process design and the management of the supply relationship becomes a critical factor for the company’s success. The creation of supplier portfolios, the selection of suppliers and the supplier evaluation must be coordinated across departments with construction, quality management, purchasing, production and logistics. The supplier performance in terms of quantity and adherence to deadlines, compliance with quality targets and other specific criteria must be monitored and safeguarded preventively and reactively by active management. A structured supplier development helps to make the production supply sustainable and efficient.
Integrated planning and control
The physical provision of the product expected by the customer at the right time in the right place requires not only effective production, but also the control of the upstream supply network. The IMX approach pursues a consistent alignment of all processes with end customer requirements with a special focus on minimizing throughput times. From the rolling production planning based on sales planning through technical and commercial order processing to production, control loops are installed for information and organization so that seamless and interlinked process control and monitoring is ensured. Faults are ideally recognized and eliminated in advance. The use of modern technologies enables the role-specific provision of information for decision support.