Experienced leadership when execution cannot wait
Some operational situations cannot wait for a long consulting study or a permanent executive search. A major customer launch is at risk. Inventory accuracy has collapsed. A supplier is failing. A warehouse is overwhelmed. An ERP implementation has created disruption. A plant or distribution center must be stabilized, relocated, or closed.
Charlie Kantz steps into these situations quickly, establishes control, creates operating visibility, and leads the work required to stabilize performance.
Where interim and special-situation leadership applies
Interim executive leadership
- —Interim COO
- —Interim VP of Operations
- —Interim VP of Supply Chain
- —Interim Supply Chain Director
- —Interim transformation leader
- —Interim plant or distribution leader
Operational turnaround
- —Declining service
- —Excess inventory
- —Missed shipments
- —Backlogs
- —Poor supplier execution
- —Premium-freight escalation
- —Warehouse instability
- —Weak management accountability
Supplier recovery
- —Supplier delivery failure
- —Capacity shortfalls
- —Quality or production disruption
- —Daily recovery cadence
- —Capacity and constraint analysis
- —30-, 60-, and 90-day recovery plans
- —Executive escalation and governance
ERP recovery and stabilization
- —Post-go-live disruption
- —Inventory-control problems
- —Poor process adoption
- —Inaccurate data
- —Weak ownership
- —Reporting failures
- —Process and system misalignment
M&A and integration
- —Operational due diligence
- —Integration planning
- —Supplier and customer transition
- —Systems and process alignment
- —Inventory integration
- —Organizational design
- —TSA-exit support
- —PMO governance
Facility launches, moves, and closures
- —Distribution-center launches
- —Manufacturing transfers
- —Warehouse relocations
- —Plant closures
- —Inventory disposition and transfer
- —Equipment and tooling movement
- —Workforce and operating-transition planning
Startup and ramp management
- —Retail and channel launches
- —New retailer onboarding
- —Inventory readiness
- —Packaging and labeling
- —EDI and routing compliance
- —3PL execution
- —OTIF readiness
- —Replenishment
- —Launch control tower
Approach to urgent assignments
- 01
Establish control
Create clear facts, ownership, priorities, and a daily or weekly operating cadence.
- 02
Protect the customer
Identify immediate service risks and take action to protect shipments, inventory availability, and customer commitments.
- 03
Stabilize execution
Resolve the highest-priority supplier, warehouse, planning, or system issues.
- 04
Build the recovery plan
Create measurable 30-, 60-, and 90-day actions with owners, deadlines, and executive visibility.
- 05
Transfer capability
Build the processes and leadership routines required to sustain improvement after the assignment.
Selected examples
- —Cleared a 200-container backlog in 30 days
- —Led supplier recovery work in aerospace manufacturing
- —Stabilized a PE-backed consumer-products operation
- —Improved OTIF from 74% to 95%
- —Supported ERP implementation and post-go-live process correction
- —Designed and launched a large automated distribution operation
- —Led plant, warehouse, office, and distribution-center closures and relocations
- —Supported acquisition integration
- —Built operating dashboards and management cadences
- —Managed complex global supply chains, warehouses, 3PLs, and contract manufacturers
When operational risk is increasing, speed and experience matter.
Most interim engagements begin within one to two weeks of the initial conversation.