WHO AM I?

Marc Franzen, Freelancer

Ich arbeite seit 20 Jahren als Führungsperson in verschiedensten Stufen der Wertschöpfungskette von verschiedensten Unternehmen – vom Start-up über KMU to internationally active corporations - and in a wide variety of sectors - from industry to tourism to the media sector.

I led business analysis, product development, controlling and business development teams; I controlled a wide variety of continuous improvement processes and managed a wide variety of projects.

During my training for the MBA in 'Management, Technology and Economics' at the EPF in Lausanne and at the ETH in Zurich, I was trained in interdisciplinary, networked thinking and analytical and structured work. Without a doubt, I was most influenced by my first boss, Erwin Bamert. In twenty years of professional experience, there has not been another person who has motivated people, managed projects and mastered challenges in such a professional, conscientious and consistent manner, even under the highest stress and the most difficult conditions. This level of leadership will always be an incentive for me.

When André Wall was appointed CEO of SR Technics in 2008, that was the start of a new world of work for me. From his work as General Manager of Toyota Motorsports, he brought the Lean Six Sigma management understanding from Asia. This is how I learned the methods of continuous process improvement and was certified as a Green Belt, Yellow Belt and finally as Lean Six Sigma Black Belt . For many years, I found Lean Six Sigma to be the opposite of conventional project management: continuous process optimization for the systematic improvement of efficiency and profitability on the one hand; the project management for rapid development, restructuring and reorientation on the other hand.

In the last 10 years as a freelancer, I have noticed that these two worlds are increasingly moving towards each other due to increasing complexity and volatility and ultimately unite in an agile organization. For this reason I have decided to continue my education in the area of the agile project management and hope to be certified as a 'PMI Project Management Professional' and 'PMI Agile Practitioner' soon. to get. I believe agile project management is more important than ever to keep organizations flexible, adaptable and ultimately survivable.

WHAT AM I DOING?

In my work as a project manager, I have managed over 50 projects so far. Below are selected representative projects that I have managed as a freelancer in the last 10 years:

PM EXCELLENCE PROGRAM

Project objective: Optimization of project management in selected programs in Sweden, the United States and Switzerland

Year: since 2022
Project duration: 12 months
Project function: program manager
Project staff: approx. 20

PM EXCELLENCE PROGRAM

Project objective: Optimization of project management in selected programs in Sweden, the United States and Switzerland

Year: since 2022
Project duration: 12 months
Project function: program manager
Project staff: approx. 20

SITE SERVICES STRATEGY

Project goal: Development of a site services strategy for the Visp location and implementation in selected service areas such as mobility or catering.

Year: since 2021
Project duration: 24 months
Project function: project manager
Project staff: approx. 10

WIWA

Project objective: Regional development program to cope with economic growth in the Upper Valais and to activate the immigration of foreign skilled workers on behalf of the largest companies and municipalities in the region.

Year: 2018-2020
Project duration: 36 months
Project function: program manager
Project staff: >100

FURTHER DEVELOPMENT BUSLAND AG

Project goal: Organizational development project to optimize the organizational and operational structures of Burgdorf Busland AG, a subsidiary of BLS

Year: 2019
Project duration: 5 months
Project function: project manager
Project staff: approx. 20

PEZY

Project objective: Organizational development project to set up a product management organization within Valais/Wallis Promotion, including the development of the necessary specialist and methodological skills

Year: 2017-2018
Project duration: 15 months
Project function: co-project manager and coach
Project staff: approx. 10

FEDG. YODEL FESTIVAL BRIG-GLIS 2017

Project goal: Management of the Federal Yodelling Festival 2017 in Brig-Glis and management of 8 departments, 40 departments

Year: 2015-2018
Project duration: 48 months
Project function: Managing director / project manager
Project staff: >100

STRATOS

Project goal: Regional development program for the planning and implementation of 63 projects on behalf of the most important tourism players in the region (nominated for the Milestone Award 2015)

Year: 2013-2016
Project duration: 48 months
Project function: program manager
Project staff: >100

B2B COMMERCIALIZATION MODEL

Project objective: Development project for the conception of a B2B cooperation model for joint marketing and joint sales of tourism products and services from Valais in international growth markets, including the establishment of an AG

Year: 2014-2015
Project duration: 14 months
Project function: project manager
Project collaborators: <10

REDESIGN FREIGHT TRANSPORT

Project goal: Process optimization project for the complete redesign of the goods transport of the Mattern Gotthard Bahn on the entire network

Year: 2012
Project duration: 6 months
Project function: co-project manager and coach
Project staff: approx. 10

OPTIMIZATION PLANNING

Project goal: Optimization project to optimize all group-wide financial planning processes including products, organization, processes and systems

Year: 2011-2012
Project duration: 16 months
Project function: project manager
Project staff: approx. 50

ICS45+

Project objective: Organizational development project for the comprehensive restructuring of the Component Services business unit with around 800 employees

Year: 2011
Project duration: 6 months
Project function: sub-project manager
Project staff: approx. 50

More about my professional activities before self-employment

WHY AM I WORKING AS A FREELANCER?

Many years of professional experience have shaped me and reading specialist literature has inspired me and still inspires me today - be it older publications such as those by Peter F. Drucker or newer ones such as Torsten Scheller's book 'On the Way to Agile Organisation'.

I'm always looking for new challenges. I'm looking for new ways of thinking and doing. I'm looking for an exchange with people who enjoy creativity, change and the unconventional. I try to create something new, better and above all meaningful - always in a committed cooperation with other people. My management work is always based on a positive view of people. I am convinced of a trusting and responsible cooperation. It is this shared commitment to a cause that is meaningful and valuable; It's these moments when people start to use their freedom and develop their potential, it's these moments when an idea or a plan is turned into reality that motivates me every day.

HOW DO I WORK?

Due to my training (MBA, LSS and PMI PMP iA), I use a wide variety of tools, methods and practices depending on the task. Below is a selection from the individual subject areas:

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Project order, business case, business plan, project plan, project structure plan, network planning techniques, pending list, problem list (issue list), project reporting, master plan, roadmap, risk management methods, stakeholder management methods, etc

LEAN SIX SIGMA

Process visualization (swim lane, flow chart, SIPOC, ...), RASCI/RACI analyses, value stream maps, Kaizen workshop, cause-effect diagrams (root cause analysis), fishbone diagram, 7 wastes methodology, 5S methodology, CT trees, Kano analysis, correlation analysis, regression analysis, deviation analysis, etc

AGILITY

Task board, kanban board, daily standup, review, retrospective, burn-down chart, use cases, customer requirements (user story), epics, personas, earned value methods, time boxing, product/sprint backlog, iteration etc

GENERAL

Mind mapping, SWOT, brainstorming, checklists, focus groups, morphology, benefit analyses, decision tree analyses, influence diagrams, sensitivity analyses, trend analysis, affinity diagrams, matrix diagrams, scatter diagrams, evaluation matrix, etc