Operating Model Redesign for the New Automotive Era
Electrification and software-defined vehicles are forcing automotive OEMs and suppliers to fundamentally rethink their operating models. Traditional manufacturing-centric organizations must evolve to integrate software development, battery technology, and digital services alongside conventional engineering and production. Dr. Kurr's core methodology - structure follows process follows strategy - provides the disciplined framework needed to redesign automotive operating models without the common pitfall of reorganizing reporting lines without changing how work actually gets done. His experience building global operating models at Boehringer Ingelheim, including shared services and offshore delivery centers, translates directly to the automotive context.
Supply Chain Cooperation Management
The automotive supply chain is becoming an ecosystem of strategic partnerships - OEMs collaborating with battery suppliers, software companies, charging infrastructure providers, and mobility service platforms. Managing these complex multi-party relationships requires exactly the kind of cooperation management expertise Dr. Kurr brings. His co-authored book 'Kooperationsmanagement' and his doctoral thesis on cooperation management in supplier industries provide the academic foundation, while his operational experience managing strategic partnerships at Boehringer Ingelheim provides the practical blueprint. He helps automotive companies structure, negotiate, and govern alliances that deliver value rather than becoming expensive coordination overhead.
Shared Services & Global Business Services
Many automotive companies are building or optimizing global business services to reduce costs and improve efficiency across finance, HR, procurement, IT, and commercial operations. Dr. Kurr's experience as Senior Global Program Lead for Global Business Services at Novartis and his work building shared service organizations at Boehringer Ingelheim transfers directly to automotive GBS design. He helps companies design the right balance between centralization and local flexibility, select insource vs. outsource models, and implement stage-gate transition plans that de-risk the journey to a new operating model.
Content & Digital Operations
Automotive companies are increasingly building digital content factories for vehicle configurators, personalized marketing, dealer support materials, and after-sales communications - challenges analogous to the pharma content supply chains Dr. Kurr built at Boehringer Ingelheim. The same principles of modular content architecture, automated production workflows, quality governance, and scalable delivery apply. Dr. Kurr helps automotive companies design and implement content operations that deliver personalized, multichannel experiences at scale while maintaining brand consistency across markets.