Helping firms survive the crisis in Turkey
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Ekrem Ekici
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Şubat 24, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - As domestic demand wanes and exports slump, many Turkish companies are forced to take painful measures. ASKBMM Consulting aims to help companies shoulder the responsibility. The firm recently launched a three-phase ’rightsizing’management methodology
Many companies have been forced to downsize in hopes to reduce the impact of the global economic crisis. In order to manage the process correctly, however, they need a roadmap and a guide.
ASKBMM Consulting, which was founded in 2007, has launched a new service to shoulder that responsibility. The company, established by Ahmet Saatçi, Kerem Barut and Melike Mermercioğlu, provides consultancy service in key areas of business processes including strategy and planning, restructuring and reengineering, research and analysis, design and structuring, development and executive coaching and training.
"Rightsizing" during economic downturns without a strategy can cause a decline in a company’s efficiency and workflow, according to ASKBMM Consulting. Therefore the company launched a three-phase rightsizing management methodology for the companies called "Reorganization and Outplacement."
The current global turmoil has highlighted the importance of a contraction strategy for companies, ASKBMM Managing Partner Melike Mermercioğlu told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review last week. "Many companies suffer from poor decisions while rightsizing.
Surviving the global rout
"In order to survive today’s economic conditions, companies are compelled to re-evaluate the efficiency of their organization. At this point a comprehensive rightsizing project would enable them to improve their organizational performance," said Mermercioğlu.
"It offers an opportunity to set up the most efficient organizational structure in accordance with the strategy and re-align the business processes," she said.
"With the current downward turn in the economy, industries suffer vast losses that force organizations to react by re-evaluating their entire workforce. As a result, layoff announcements are expected to rise within the following months," Mermercioğlu said.
"As ASKBMM, aiming to ensure a flawless rightsizing process and to mitigate the risks, we designed a distinct reorganization and outplacement methodology, which is made of a series of phases carried out by experts," said Mermercioğlu.
"We will tailor a rightsizing design and outplacement program formed of carefully crafted steps to accommodate the specific needs of a company," said Mermercioğlu. "Skipping any of the steps creates only the illusion of speed and never produces a satisfying result."
Consisting of a three-phase process, ASKBMM’s reorganization and outplacement methodology focuses on reducing the negative economic and psychological effects of layoffs in an economic downturn.
Following the rightsizing project, redundant activities will be identified and a comprehensive transition plan will be pursued to implement downsizing and manage the outplacement services for those who are laid off.
Outplacement, the concept of leading, training and coaching those who will be laid off within the framework of a contraction strategy for the company, constitutes the third phase of the methodology.
"In a downturn, the top management decides on the number of employees cut and communicates the decision to the managers," said Mermercioğlu. "But downturns are followed by a period of recovery, offering opportunities for those that are prepared. Therefore, a firm that has gone through an effective reorganization and outplacement effort will be in a sound position." Outplacement support helps the employer to retain and motivate those not directly affected.
"Job cut announcements have a very negative effect on public opinion leading to the deterioration of the company’s image vis-?-vis customers, suppliers and society. Fearing to undergo a similar faith, the remaining staff looses its motivation paving the way to productivity losses and inefficiencies due to low employee morale," Mermercioğlu said.
"Moreover, when the downturn is over, the company cannot recruit qualified personnel as they are reluctant to apply for opening positions," she said.
A successful and comprehensive outplacement program has to be carried out in order to minimize the devastating effect of job losses and maximize the efficiency of the rightsizing project, Mermercioğlu told the Daily News.
"Effective rightsizing projects offer good opportunities for companies that aim to carry on successfully during times of economic downturn," said Ahmet Saatçi, managing partner of ASKBMM Consulting.
Going through reorganization to set up the most efficient organizational structure in order to implement successfully the strategy and identify the redundant activities can enable companies to retain muscle while removing fat," Saatçi said.
ASKBMM Consulting, which was founded in 2007, has launched a new service to shoulder that responsibility. The company, established by Ahmet Saatçi, Kerem Barut and Melike Mermercioğlu, provides consultancy service in key areas of business processes including strategy and planning, restructuring and reengineering, research and analysis, design and structuring, development and executive coaching and training.
"Rightsizing" during economic downturns without a strategy can cause a decline in a company’s efficiency and workflow, according to ASKBMM Consulting. Therefore the company launched a three-phase rightsizing management methodology for the companies called "Reorganization and Outplacement."
The current global turmoil has highlighted the importance of a contraction strategy for companies, ASKBMM Managing Partner Melike Mermercioğlu told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review last week. "Many companies suffer from poor decisions while rightsizing.
Surviving the global rout
"In order to survive today’s economic conditions, companies are compelled to re-evaluate the efficiency of their organization. At this point a comprehensive rightsizing project would enable them to improve their organizational performance," said Mermercioğlu.
"It offers an opportunity to set up the most efficient organizational structure in accordance with the strategy and re-align the business processes," she said.
"With the current downward turn in the economy, industries suffer vast losses that force organizations to react by re-evaluating their entire workforce. As a result, layoff announcements are expected to rise within the following months," Mermercioğlu said.
"As ASKBMM, aiming to ensure a flawless rightsizing process and to mitigate the risks, we designed a distinct reorganization and outplacement methodology, which is made of a series of phases carried out by experts," said Mermercioğlu.
"We will tailor a rightsizing design and outplacement program formed of carefully crafted steps to accommodate the specific needs of a company," said Mermercioğlu. "Skipping any of the steps creates only the illusion of speed and never produces a satisfying result."
Consisting of a three-phase process, ASKBMM’s reorganization and outplacement methodology focuses on reducing the negative economic and psychological effects of layoffs in an economic downturn.
Following the rightsizing project, redundant activities will be identified and a comprehensive transition plan will be pursued to implement downsizing and manage the outplacement services for those who are laid off.
Outplacement, the concept of leading, training and coaching those who will be laid off within the framework of a contraction strategy for the company, constitutes the third phase of the methodology.
"In a downturn, the top management decides on the number of employees cut and communicates the decision to the managers," said Mermercioğlu. "But downturns are followed by a period of recovery, offering opportunities for those that are prepared. Therefore, a firm that has gone through an effective reorganization and outplacement effort will be in a sound position." Outplacement support helps the employer to retain and motivate those not directly affected.
"Job cut announcements have a very negative effect on public opinion leading to the deterioration of the company’s image vis-?-vis customers, suppliers and society. Fearing to undergo a similar faith, the remaining staff looses its motivation paving the way to productivity losses and inefficiencies due to low employee morale," Mermercioğlu said.
"Moreover, when the downturn is over, the company cannot recruit qualified personnel as they are reluctant to apply for opening positions," she said.
A successful and comprehensive outplacement program has to be carried out in order to minimize the devastating effect of job losses and maximize the efficiency of the rightsizing project, Mermercioğlu told the Daily News.
"Effective rightsizing projects offer good opportunities for companies that aim to carry on successfully during times of economic downturn," said Ahmet Saatçi, managing partner of ASKBMM Consulting.
Going through reorganization to set up the most efficient organizational structure in order to implement successfully the strategy and identify the redundant activities can enable companies to retain muscle while removing fat," Saatçi said.