Almost nobody in the Swiss market publishes consulting prices. This page exists because the silence mostly serves sellers, not buyers. The figures below are market observations from practitioners in our network and from engagements we have scoped; treat them as honest ranges, not a price list.
Day rates: the market ranges
Three things drive the spread: seniority of the person actually on your floor, regulatory context (GMP environments price higher because fewer people can work in them), and language - practitioners who work comfortably in English, German and French command a premium in Switzerland.
Why day rates are the wrong unit
A day rate prices presence. It creates a quiet incentive to be present longer. None of the results you actually want - a halved changeover, a stable pull system, a 5S standard that survives audits - is denominated in days.
Outcome-scoped pricing inverts this: the practitioner and the client define a measurable target state, agree a fixed fee for reaching it, and the engagement ends when it is reached. The incentive now points at the result. This is the only model used on Lean Competence - with a flat platform fee visible on every invoice, and no retainers or annual minimums.
What defined results cost
Ranges from scoped engagements in the Swiss market:
- Operational analysis (1 to 2 weeks): CHF 15'000 to 35'000 for a senior practitioner, ending in a prioritised roadmap. The cheapest mistake-avoidance money in the building.
- Value stream mapping workshop (3 to 5 days): CHF 12'000 to 25'000 including preparation and a follow-up plan. See what a VSM workshop buys you.
- 5S implementation, one pilot area (8 to 12 weeks, part-time senior support): CHF 30'000 to 60'000. See scoped 5S done properly.
- SMED / changeover-reduction sprint (incl. preparation and standardisation): CHF 25'000 to 60'000 depending on regulation and line complexity.
- 12-week lighthouse project, one line or value stream: CHF 80'000 to 160'000, milestone-based.
- Interim operations leadership: priced monthly; expect the equivalent of a senior salary plus a premium for immediacy and defined exit.
A useful sanity check for any quote: divide the fee by the annualised value of the target state. Scoped lean work in reasonable conditions routinely returns 3 to 10× its fee within the first year; if the math cannot plausibly clear 2×, the scope is wrong.
Hidden costs to price in
Your own people's time is the real second budget line: a 5S pilot needs operators in workshops; a VSM needs leads in the room for days. Plan roughly 1 to 2 internal hours for every external hour in participative formats. Budget follow-up too - the cheap part of a workshop is the workshop; the value is in the 4 to 8 weeks of standardisation after it. A quote with zero follow-up is a red flag, not a bargain.
FAQ
What does a lean consultant charge per day in Switzerland?
Independent senior practitioners typically charge CHF 1'500 to 3'500 per day. Specialist consultancies run CHF 1'800 to 3'200, and global firms CHF 3'000 to 5'000+ per consultant-day.
Is outcome-based pricing really better than day rates?
For scoped work, yes: it aligns the consultant's incentive with your result and caps your exposure. Day rates remain reasonable for open-ended advisory or interim roles where the deliverable is capacity, not a defined state.
How much should a small pilot cost before a bigger program?
A 1 to 2 week analysis at CHF 15'000 to 35'000 is the standard low-risk entry. It produces a roadmap you own either way - whoever you hire afterwards.
Are Swiss lean consulting rates higher than in Germany?
Yes, typically 20 to 40% higher, consistent with the general Swiss price level and the smaller pool of practitioners who can work across the local regulatory and language mix.