Skip to content
Contact us Join us

Country & Language

Global EFESO
EFESO Group
Global EFESO
Nederlands
EFESO Nederlands
Nederlands
Belgium
EFESO Belgium
Belgium
Americas
EFESO Americas
Americas
Nordics
EFESO Nordics
Nordics

Global Organizational Restructuring Delivers 10% Headcount Reduction

A multinational chemical company sought to redesign its global and local support organizations to reduce fixed costs, strengthen capabilities, and harmonize ways of working across regions. EFESO partnered with leadership to create a blueprint organization aligned with strategic objectives, streamline activities, and build a scalable structure ready for future demands. The initiative delivered a 10% headcount reduction and a successful rollout of the new organizational model globally.

Industry: Chemicals

Service: High Performance Organization

Service: Leadership & Change Management

Service: Operations Strategy and Transformation

Service: People and Organization

Parallaxe

Our Client

A multinational manufacturer and marketer of chemical products serving both consumer and industrial markets. The company operates globally across five sites and produces a broad portfolio including polyurethanes, performance materials, and specialized chemical solutions. The project scope covered 278 FTEs across multiple support functions, including Engineering, R&D, Technology, Projects, and Digital support.

€3.9B

Annual turnover

5

Sites across three regions

278

FTEs in scope

Parallaxe

The Challenge

The client needed to redesign its functional organization to address structural inefficiencies and prepare for future operational needs.

Key challenges included:

  • Fragmented global and local support functions with overlapping responsibilities
  • Need to reduce fixed costs through headcount optimization in support areas
  • Limited capability development and uneven availability of expertise across sites
  • Requirement to harmonize structures across regions based on “Think Global, Act Local” principles
  • Need to integrate digital support and future-proof capabilities into the new organization
  • Requirement to align with previously established blueprints in Production, Maintenance, and Process Engineering
  • Phased rollout starting with flagship sites followed by expansion to other geographies

Real Results Achieved Together

The restructuring program delivered a unified global organizational blueprint with measurable efficiency gains.

-10%

Reduction in total headcount in support functions

278

Roles reviewed through activity rationalization

3

Regions successfully aligned under the new structure

Transformation Impact

  • Macro and micro design completed for all functions, including blueprint org charts and job descriptions
  • Robust RACI and KPI cascade developed to clarify roles and accountabilities
  • Activity analysis completed to rationalize tasks and support right-sizing
  • Clear roadmap created for implementation, communication, and capability planning
  • Successful launch of the new structure across all regions
  • Integration of digital, engineering, EHS, capex, and excellence-related roles into a coherent global setup
  • Comprehensive preparation completed for Work Council processes
Parallaxe

Our Approach

EFESO deployed a structured, multi-phase approach ensuring alignment with strategy, leadership commitment, and organizational feasibility.

Assessment & Alignment

  • Evaluation of the current organizational setup across all functions
  • Interviews and engagement with key global and site stakeholders
  • Identification of gaps, duplications, and opportunities for simplification

Macro Design

  • Co-created design principles aligned with strategic imperatives
  • Top-down targets defined with leadership
  • Scenario development and cross-functional benchmarking
  • Global workshops with senior leaders to validate structure and accountabilities
  • High-level blueprint for each functional area

Micro Design

  • Detailed design workshops by function
  • Definition of RACIs, KPIs, skill profiles, and capability needs
  • Quantification and qualification of positions
  • Activity rationalization to refine the future-state structure

Roadmap & Implementation

  • Blueprint-to-local gap analysis at each site
  • People selection process supported where required
  • Comprehensive change management, training, and communication plan
  • Rollout support across flagship sites, followed by regional expansion
  • Governance through weekly progress meetings and status reporting

Related Services

Explore all services

Operations Strategy and Transformation

Helping organizations rethink how they create value. We strengthen performance, build resilience, and accelerate growth across every layer of your business.

People and Organization

Workforce transformation, leadership development, and structure optimization. Learn more about our People & Organization consulting services.

Parallaxe

Ready to Redesign Your Organization for Agility and Performance?

  • Looking to optimize support functions while strengthening critical capabilities?
  • Planning a global or multi-site organizational redesign?
  • Seeking a structured blueprint and clear implementation roadmap?
Contact our experts

Discover More Clients Results

Explore Business cases & Client Results

>98.5%

Delivery readiness level consistently maintained despite inflation, sustainability investments and 12% volume growth

Food & Beverage

Unified Performance and Culture Transformation Across a Global Food Network

An eight year journey hardwired a common way of thinking and working into the organization, enabling Bell Food Group to sustain delivery performance above 98.5% despite rising costs and market complexity.