Concept AG

What Concept AG does

Concept AG is a Stuttgart-based management consulting firm founded in 1997 by Dr. Harald Balzer, specializing in productivity, restructuring, and operational excellence for German Mittelstand manufacturing companies, OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers, and private equity investors. The company operates through four core service lines — Restrukturierung (restructuring and turnaround), Operations Investoren (commercial and operational due diligence, footprint and plant planning), Operations Industrie (operational excellence, supply chain, ramp-up, quality), and Lieferantenmanagement (supplier management) — and reports having completed more than 600 international projects for over 100 clients. Its go-to-market is a consultative, expertise-led enterprise field-sales motion targeting C-level executives and operations directors, anchored by the annual Productivity Symposium and reinforced by consistent recognition as one of Germany's best management consultancies since 2016.

The firm monetizes through a dual model: traditional project-based professional services engagements alongside fixed-price "Productivity Solutions" packages (iSPEED simulation at EUR 7,600, PMO workshop at EUR 7,900, and the 3-day Lead Time Optimization workshop at EUR 8,900), plus a digital-tools revenue stream delivered through wholly-owned subsidiary Digital Result GmbH, which provides tablet-based BDE/MDE/MES, KPI, quality assurance, and digital shopfloor management software. Concept AG has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bertrandt AG since August 2023 and operates as the consulting arm of the Bertrandt Production Cluster, which bundles Concept AG's productivity consulting with Bertrandt's engineering expertise and evopro's smart factory automation. The company maintains offices in Stuttgart and Munich, employs 11–50 staff, and is led by CEO Dr. Axel Tome and COO Marc Müller under supervisory board chair Michael Lücke.

Name

Concept AG

Legal name

Concept AG

Website

https://concept.ag

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Concept AG is a Stuttgart-based German Mittelstand management consultancy offering productivity, restructuring, and operational excellence advisory to manufacturers, OEMs, and private equity investors, with proprietary fixed-price consulting products and digital shopfloor tools via subsidiary Digital Result GmbH, operating as part of the Bertrandt Production Cluster since August 2023.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Management Consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Software Publishers (5132)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Product Lifecycle, NPI & Industrialization (Design-to-Operate) (BPAHAHAK)

Keywords

• Management consulting
• Operational excellence
• Shopfloor management
• Supply chain consulting
• Restructuring advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Stuttgart

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Professional Consulting Services: Advisory engagements for restructuring, operations improvement, and investor operations support, typically project-based with defined scope and deliverables.
2. Fixed-price Consulting Products: Pre-packaged consulting solutions sold at fixed prices (e.g., 7,600 EUR iSPEED simulation, 7,900 EUR PMO workshop, 8,900 EUR lead time optimization workshop).
3. Digital Tools and Software (via Digital Result subsidiary): SaaS-like digital tools for shopfloor management, quality assurance, performance monitoring, and process monitoring, sold as software solutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Concept AG is a management consulting firm that delivers productivity, restructuring, and operational excellence services to German Mittelstand manufacturing companies. Its offering combines fixed-price consulting products (e.g., 3-day lead time optimization workshops, PMO workshops, iSPEED simulation) with proprietary digital tools for shopfloor management provided through its subsidiary Digital Result GmbH. Core service areas span Restructuring, Operations for Investors, Industrial Operations, and Supplier Management.

Product overview

Concept AG is a management consulting company that offers a dual approach combining consulting services (Productivity Solutions) and digital tools (from subsidiary Digital Result). The Productivity Solutions include fixed-price consulting packages such as the 3-day Optimierung Durchlaufzeiten workshop (lead time optimization), PMO workshop for project management transparency, and iSPEED business simulation game. The Digitales Shopfloor Board provides digital shopfloor management capabilities. The Digital Result suite offers tablet-based process data capture and dashboard visualization tools including product quality assurance, production performance monitoring, BDE/MDE/MES systems, process monitoring, digital audits, KPI management, and project management office. Core consulting areas span restructuring, investor operations, industrial operations, and supplier management, all focused on productivity enhancement for manufacturing mid-sized companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Digital Result: Digital tools subsidiary providing solutions for process transparency, including BDE/MDE/MES, quality management, KPI management, and digital shopfloor management.
• Productivity Solutions
• Productivity Symposium
• Production Cluster

Products and services

• Optimierung Durchlaufzeiten (Lead Time Optimization Workshop)
• PMO Workshop (Projekt Management Office)
• iSPEED Planspiel (Business Simulation Game)
• Digitales Shopfloor Board
• Digital Result Productivity Tools
• Restrukturierung (Restructuring)
• Operations Investoren (Investor Operations)
• Operations Industrie (Industrial Operations)
• Lieferantenmanagement (Supplier Management)

Quantifiable outcome

• +100% production output, +21% employee productivity, +30% space productivity achieved in 5 weeks for specialty vehicle manufacturer
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bansbach GmbHcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBansbach GmbH co-hosts the annual Productivity Symposium with Concept AG. Bansbach is a management consulting firm specializing in restructuring and transaction advisory. The partnership includes joint event organization, shared speaker sessions, and Bansbach Practice Talks featuring client case studies.
• evopro systems engineering AGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Bertrandt Production Cluster alongside Concept AG and Bertrandt. evopro handles the technical implementation and automation of Smart Factories. Together the three partners offer end-to-end solutions: Concept AG for productive factory consulting, Bertrandt for future-proof factory development, and evopro for smart factory automation.
• FATH (fath24.de)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFATH provides Lean 4.0 system solutions for Digital Shopfloor Management, including visual management products, FIFO systems, and material flow optimization. Strong partner for complete digital shopfloor implementation projects.
• Digital Result GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationWholly-owned subsidiary of Concept AG providing digital tools for process transparency. Products include Digital Shopfloor Board, quality assurance tools, BDE/MDE/MES systems, and KPI management dashboards. Enables rapid digitalization without large IT projects.
• IKB Deutsche Industriebank AGminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Productivity Symposium 2025 and 2026. IKB provides corporate and investment banking services to German industrial companies, aligning with Concept AG's Mittelstand focus.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ROI Management Consulting AG: Munich-based operations and production consulting firm serving German industrial clients, with overlapping offerings in supply chain, footprint optimization and operational due diligence for investors.
• h&z (formerly h&z Unternehmensberatung): Munich-based operations and supply chain consultancy with German Mittelstand and industrial focus. Overlaps directly with Concept AG's shopfloor, supply chain and transformation offerings.
• Horváth & Partners: Stuttgart-based management consultancy focused on performance improvement, controlling and operations across German industrial Mittelstand. Comparable in geography, client segment and operations/process transformation remit.
• Porsche Consulting: Direct subsidiary consulting arm with deep German industrial DNA; specializes in production, supply chain, and lean transformation for manufacturers including Mittelstand and OEMs — overlapping core services and buyer profile.
• Staufen AG: German lean transformation and operational excellence consultancy also targeting Mittelstand manufacturers. Closest direct competitor — both firms sell fixed-price lean/digital shopfloor products and compete for the same Mittelstand buyer.
• RSM Ebner Stolz: Mid-market German advisory firm with strong Mittelstand footprint; provides restructuring, M&A and operational consulting services with similar client profile to Concept AG's German Mittelstand target.

Broad incumbents

• Kearney: Global operations and supply chain consultancy with established German operations practice. Competes for larger manufacturing transformation mandates and PE due diligence work Concept AG targets via its Operations Investoren offering.
• Oliver Wyman: Global management consultancy with deep operations and supply chain practice serving industrial clients including German manufacturers. Competes for transformation and operational due diligence engagements.
• McKinsey & Company (Operations Practice): Global broad incumbent with a large Operations Practice serving German industrial Mittelstand and global OEMs. Competes for strategy-to-execution transformations Concept AG seeks to address via the Production Cluster.
• Mercedes-Benz Consulting: Captive consultancy of Mercedes-Benz Group targeting automotive and manufacturing clients. Comparable in production/operations transformation themes but with broader portfolio and larger delivery capacity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Concept AG