Spring Barometer Restructuring and Transformation 2023

Spring Barometer Germany “Restructuring and Transformation 2023”

The ongoing crisis is creating a high need for action among German companies – the need for restructuring is clearly increasing.

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Prospects are still not very bright

The results of the Atreus Spring Barometer Restructuring 2023 show that the outlook for German companies remains fraught with numerous imponderables in light of the current economic turmoil. Persistent supply bottlenecks, fluctuations in energy and commodity prices, the consequences of the Ukraine war and the widening shortage of skilled workers continue to plague a wide range of industries. And this negative development is likely to continue at least in the medium term. The result is a continued high need for restructuring, which is likely to increase even further in the coming twelve months.

For the study, around 1,000 top executives from Germany – including managing directors, board members, supervisory board members and interim managers from various industries – were surveyed between April 8 and 17, 2023.

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„Rapidly successive, unforeseen events force companies to deal with such situations. The multiple crises of the last few years have tugged at companies’ resilience. High bureaucracy and long approval processes, coupled with the growing shortage of skilled workers, increase the challenges. To prevent an exodus of industry, both policy-makers must set the right framework and companies must ensure their future viability – along the value chain, but also in the mindset of their employees.“

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Complex problems with complicated consequences

The characteristics of the crises in German companies are complex: while profits are collapsing and losses are being accumulated on the profit side, there is often also a parallel sales crisis that goes hand in hand with strategic problems. At least more than half of the respondents name these as the central difficulties. Many companies are also affected by a liquidity crisis. According to the data, not only are they running short of funds, but in many cases there is even a threat of insolvency across all sectors.

Above all, increased energy costs, the shortage of skilled workers and high raw material prices are making life difficult for companies in this context. Government decisions, bureaucracy and their effects also have a negative impact on the scope for action. The same applies to geopolitical factors such as international price competition and the never-ending supply bottlenecks.