Good from experience

References

Santiago has successfully delivered over 300 top management projects to date. Use our experience to develop your company.

references

Scope: HR processes in Europe
FTEs in the Scope: ~30,000 in the companies, ~300 in the SSC
Design and development of a shared service center (SSC) for HR services for around 60 companies in Europe
Scope: HR processes in Europe
FTEs in the Scope: ~30,000 in the companies, ~300 in the SSC
Task :

An internationally successful chemical group has grown very dynamically. By setting up a Shared Service Center (SSC), the quality of personnel services is now to be further increased, the standardization of processes is to be driven forward and further savings are to be achieved through automation and bundling.

Approach :

Development of a concept for the SSC, definition of the activity split between the SSC and the national subsidiaries, detailing of roles and responsibilities, preparation/support of the relocation, coordination of the transfer of Challenges to the SSC, design and implementation of KPIs, definition of billing logic and control system.

Result :

The Shared Service Center was successfully set up and accompanied into operational use. After approx. 300 FTEs had been hired in the SSC, the project team continued to support the transfer of Challenges from the national companies to the SSC for another two years and then handed over responsibility to the line managers.

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Scope: Global research processes
FTEs in the Scope: ~1,500
Development of a concept for a "system research" in polymer research of a globally leading chemical company
Scope: Global research processes
FTEs in the Scope: ~1,500
Task :

The company was very successful in research in individual polymer technologies, but had difficulties in implementing cross-technology innovation projects. The aim of the project was therefore to develop a concept for "systems research".

Approach :

Development of a cross-business unit assignment logic for cross-technology research projects with securing of funding, new development of processes in research and of roles and responsibilities for cross-technology projects, adaptation of the organization by means of a new coordination function for these projects, and development of new KPIs.

Result :

The successful implementation of the project led to a significantly higher frequency of successful completion of cross-technology projects and thus to the introduction of more new products.

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Scope: Global development processes
FTEs in the Scope: ~200
Development of a concept for a global development unit of a leading manufacturer of construction chemicals
Scope: Global development processes
FTEs in the Scope: ~200
Task :

The company had various regional development centers, which were, however, only coordinated across the board to a very limited extent. As a result, the exchange of information was limited, and the activities of the centers were partially redundant. The goal of the project was to increase the efficiency of development by setting up a global coordination unit.

Approach :

Capture the requirements of the regional business and development units for a global development unit, derive a corresponding activity split between regional and global unit, translate this activity split into new, "global" development processes, develop a proposal to consolidate the regional development centers and describe the target organization for the global development unit.

Result :

The successful implementation of the concept led to a better global alignment of the company's development projects, a more efficient use of resources and thus a significant increase of the overall development output.

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Scope: Local HR organization of a BU
FTEs in the Scope: ~30 in HR
Piloting of an HR Business Partner organization in a national subsidiary of a chemical company
Scope: Local HR organization of a BU
FTEs in the Scope: ~30 in HR
Task :

The company had just successfully set up an HR Shared Service Center. The task now was to define the interaction with the local HR units remaining in the national subsidiaries and to enable the introduction of HR Business Partners. For this purpose, a pilot concept was developed and implemented in one national subsidiary.

Approach :

Concept for the interaction between the HR SSC and the local HR units, description of the interfaces and development of a target image for the local HR Business Partner organization, definition of the local BP processes, roles, qualification profiles as well as the necessary training measures, support in the migration to the new organization and the new tasks.

Result :

Increased efficiency in the Europe-wide HR processes, focus of the local HR organization on the best possible support of the operational business - in particular through the new HR Business Partners tailored to the business.

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Scope: Global purchasing organization
FTEs in the Scope: ~1,500
Implementation of a new purchasing strategy and organization in a leading global chemical company
Scope: Global purchasing organization
FTEs in the Scope: ~1,500
Task :

The company had designed a new purchasing strategy and organization, which was now to be implemented worldwide with the help of external support.

Approach :

The goal of the project was to first clarify organizational details that were still open, and then to establish the new roles and responsibilities associated with the reorganization worldwide: Detailing of the organizational concept via role and responsibility workshops, description of target responsibilities in the core processes of all merchandise groups, implementation of the target processes in waves along the merchandise groups and regions on the basis of a change impact analysis, each wave consisted of four phases (communication, preparation/training, go live, safeguarding).

Result :

Thanks to the detailing of the organizational concept and extensive implementation preparation, the target processes and structures were implemented uniformly worldwide without impairing the operational business.

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Scope: All technical facilities of the maintenance units (approx. 80,000 sqm)
FTEs in the Scope: ~2,000
Development of a strategy for the maintenance facilities of a chemical company in Germany
Scope: All technical facilities of the maintenance units (approx. 80,000 sqm)
FTEs in the Scope: ~2,000
Task :

The objective was to develop a strategy for the improved use or reduction of the maintenance land and building stock in order to create free space for the location of new production facilities at the sites in Germany.

Approach :

Creation of transparency on utilization, processes, capacity utilization and location of space and buildings (especially workshops), development and evaluation of scenarios, development of a strategy for reducing space and building requirements, development of an implementation roadmap.

Result :

Through the successful implementation of the new strategy, significant savings in maintenance could be realized on the one hand, and at the same time the utilization of productive areas could be significantly increased.

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Scope: Four product clusters from materials handling/lifting technology to PLT field devices to MES infrastructure
FTEs in the Scope: ~2,000
Development of a concept to increase the innovation performance of the technical competence center of a Dax corporation
Scope: Four product clusters from materials handling/lifting technology to PLT field devices to MES infrastructure
FTEs in the Scope: ~2,000
Task :

The new E&M strategy called for all engineering departments to strengthen their innovative power. The main focus was on the E&M competence center, because this is where the complex and technically more demanding engineering and maintenance services were located. The goal of the project was to develop a program for this department to increase its innovative strength.

Approach :

Creation of transparency via questionnaires for each service product and deepening via selective interviews, recording of weak points and development of a customized “10-point plan” via a series of “optimization workshops.”

Result :

The successful implementation of the project significantly increased the innovation performance of the competence center. As a result, the costs for external service providers and the dependence on third parties in the innovation area could be reduced.

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Scope: Global processes and organization of operational purchasing
FTEs in the Scope: ~500
Development of a concept to optimize the global operational purchasing of a Dax group
Scope: Global processes and organization of operational purchasing
FTEs in the Scope: ~500
Task :

The company had developed a new purchasing strategy. Part of the strategy was the implementation of four central initiatives. One was to optimize the processes and structures of global operational purchasing. The goal of the project was to develop a corresponding concept.

Approach :

Creation of transparency via questionnaires at around 100 sites worldwide, development of regional shared service concepts via three workshops (transparency, options, design) in each region (NA, SA, APA and EU), global harmonization of the concepts, development of business cases and planning of implementation and development of corresponding action plans.

Result :

the four regional concepts were approved and then successfully implemented, in Europe with the support of Santiago. Efficiency in processing was significantly increased with reduced costs.

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Scope: Finance process and organization of ~60 companies
FTEs in the Scope: ~2,000 in Finance
Development of a concept for the further development of the global finance organization of a leading German pharmaceutical company
Scope: Finance process and organization of ~60 companies
FTEs in the Scope: ~2,000 in Finance
Task :

Further development of the global finance organization, including a realignment at headquarters, with the aim of providing even more targeted support to the business units.

Approach :

Recording the future requirements of the business units based on their strategists, identifying gaps to the actual performance of the finance organization, deriving levers, adapting processes and defining/adapting roles and responsibilities, implementing change and communication measures to support the go-live of the new organization, developing a curriculum to support the introduction of the new finance business partners, preparing and supporting the roll-out.

Result :

The successful implementation of the realignment further strengthened the company's finance expertise and, above all, made.

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Scope: Innovation processes and organization within IT
FTEs in the Scope: ~4,000
Establishment of an innovation department for an internal IT service provider of a Dax group
Scope: Innovation processes and organization within IT
FTEs in the Scope: ~4,000
Task :

As part of a new strategy, the IT department had decided to set up its own internal innovation department in order to be able to respond to requests from internal customers even better and more independently of external providers in the future. The goal of the project was to develop a strategy, business model, processes and organization for this new unit.

Approach :

Creating transparency about the initial situation, gathering the requirements of internal customers (business units, central and service units) via interviews, developing a holistic concept along the pyramid (strategy, business model, processes, organization, qualifications, management and culture) via a cascade of workshops.

Result :

The successful implementation of the concept significantly strengthened the ability to develop innovations in-house for internal customers and thus reduced the dependency on external service providers.

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Scope: Processes and organization of the operational purchasing in Europe
FTEs in the Scope: ~250
Implementation of a new organizational concept for the operational purchasing of a global leading chemical company in Europe
Scope: Processes and organization of the operational purchasing in Europe
FTEs in the Scope: ~250
Task :

As part of a previous project, a concept for the global optimization of operational purchasing had been developed and prepared for implementation. The implementation of this concept was now to be supported by external implementation managers for the European region.

Approach :

Detailing of the global framework concept based on a pilot hub, concretization of roles and responsibilities as well as the activity split between sites and the regional shared service center, derivation and implementation of the necessary preliminary work in IT, go live of the pilot, preparation and implementation of the roll-out for the three other hubs based on the pilot results.

Result :

Operational purchasing activities removed from the production sites and initially bundled in four shared service centers in Europe.

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Scope: Worldwide BRM processes and organization
FTEs in the Scope: ~300
Realignment of processes and organization of business relationship management of an internal IT service provider of a Dax group
Scope: Worldwide BRM processes and organization
FTEs in the Scope: ~300
Task :

The IT department had adopted a new strategy. One element of the new IT strategy was to respond better and faster to requests from internal customers. The task of the project was therefore to reorganize the business model, processes and organization of the Business Relationship Management (BRM) unit responsible for this area.

Approach :

Creation of transparency, recording of customer requirements via interviews, development of a holistic concept along the pyramid (strategy, business model, processes, organization, qualifications, management and culture) via a cascade of workshops.

Result :

Decision paper for divisional management (was approved and has since been successfully implemented).

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Scope: Local HR organization of a BU
FTEs in the Scope: ~15 in HR
Further development of the HR Business Partner organization of a business unit of a leading chemical company
Scope: Local HR organization of a BU
FTEs in the Scope: ~15 in HR
Task :

As part of the establishment of a Europe-wide shared service center, the roles of the remaining local HR units had also changed. These had been reorganized as HR Business Partners. Two years after the introduction of this model, the project was to review what had been achieved and develop a concept for further optimization of the model, including improving the interfaces to the HR SSC and the CoEs.

Approach :

Identification of optimization fields, further development of the target image of the local HR business partner organization, further development of the local BP tasks and processes, roles, requirement profiles, improvement of the interface to the HR SSC, development of the necessary training measures, support during migration to the new organization and tasks.

Result :

Local HR organization with increased efficiency and adapted service portfolio and thus increase in value of HR services for the operational units.

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Scope: Key Account Management, Marketing, Forecasting, Non-Conformance Management, Product Development processes
FTEs in the Scope: ~1,200
Further development of five central core processes of a European business unit of a leading producer of mobile catalysts
Scope: Key Account Management, Marketing, Forecasting, Non-Conformance Management, Product Development processes
FTEs in the Scope: ~1,200
Task :

In the past two years, the development of the unit's earnings situation had been unsatisfactory. As part of a preliminary project, development requirements in five core processes had been identified as the cause: Key Account Management, Marketing, Forecasting, Product Development and Non-Conformance Management. As part of the project, optimization concepts were to be developed for these processes.

Approach :

Development of the concepts by process teams, which proceeded according to a standardized method: Creation of transparency via interviews, development of options, evaluation of options and identification of the "best" approaches per process by the teams, preparation for implementation.

Result :

Through the implementation of the concepts, the situation stabilized quickly and led the business unit back to the planned result dimensions.

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Scope: Regional development units in Asia
FTEs in the Scope: ~500
Further development of the research and development unit of an Asian business unit of a leading producer for performance chemicals
Scope: Regional development units in Asia
FTEs in the Scope: ~500
Task :

The performance of regional development no longer fully met the requirements of customers and sales. Therefore, the goal of the project was to develop and implement a program to increase the innovative power of regional development.

Approach :

Creation of transparency through interviews involving experts from all parts of the innovation process, identification of levers, development of solutions for each lever involving experts from the central development center in Shanghai and the regional offices in the countries, clarification of roles and responsibilities, development of an implementation roadmap involving the business units.

Result :

The successful implementation of the program enabled Development to significantly accelerate its processes and make them more targeted. In this way, it was possible to better serve the needs of customers in the increasingly accelerating Asian markets.

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Scope: Product safety data management
FTEs in the Scope: ~600
Development of a program to improve quality and efficiency in the global product safety processes of a DAX company
Scope: Product safety data management
FTEs in the Scope: ~600
Task :

As part of a preliminary project, a considerable need for action in the area of security data management had been identified and initial approaches for improvement had been assessed top-down. However, these approaches were disputed between the business units. The goal of the project was to detail the starting points, to transfer them into a global concept and to gain the commitment of all business units.

Approach :

Creation of a "sense of urgency" among all stakeholders (business units, EHS and purchasing) and, based on this, a willingness to support the project, establishment of cross-unit process teams that developed optimization proposals for all relevant processes, close involvement of IT to ensure smooth implementation, development of a "non-negotiable concept core" while taking into account individual business unit requirements, generation of support for the program via quantification of individual benefits per business unit, creation of implementation plans.

Result :

After approval by the Executive Board, the program was able to increase the quality of central data so much in the first year that a significant relief for the business units could be realized.

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Scope: 20 new business areas as well as the organization for future new business development
FTEs in the Scope: n.a.
Evaluation of the strategy of a leading medium-sized specialty chemicals producer incl. conception of a unit for new business development
Scope: 20 new business areas as well as the organization for future new business development
FTEs in the Scope: n.a.
Task :

The company had identified approximately 20 market segments that would serve as a platform for future growth. These initial ideas were now to be completed, evaluated and prioritized with the support of Santiago. At the same time, the concept for a "new business unit" was to be designed, which would take over these tasks in the future.

Approach :

Evaluation of the identified market segments based on Santiago's market experience and data, execution of expert interviews, review of market studies, prioritization of the market segments in two steps: from the longlist to the shortlist, from the shortlist to three recommended focus market segments, elaboration of detailed market studies for these three market segments, development of a concept for the business model, the most important core processes as well as the organizational set-up of the future "new business unit".

Result :

By focusing on just three new business areas, it was possible to combine forces and achieve significant sales growth within just two years. One of the three prioritized growth areas has now developed into an independent new business unit.

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Scope: Global processes and structures in the finance area in approx. 220 companies
FTEs in the Scope: ~1,000
Preparation of a feasibility study for the establishment of a shared service center in the finance area of a leading medical technology company
Scope: Global processes and structures in the finance area in approx. 220 companies
FTEs in the Scope: ~1,000
Task :

The company had adopted a new strategy. One element of the strategy was to realize future growth without increasing resources. One element of implementing the strategy was to establish shared service centers for the support functions. The goal of the project was to develop a feasibility study for building a shared service center for the finance function.

Approach :

Creation of transparency through questionnaires to around 220 Group companies, recording of KPIs and resources for all core processes, discussion of bundling options, initial focus on the major volume processes: Incoming invoices, outgoing invoices and credit management, development of a business case and planning of implementation.

Result :

Decision to initially establish a shared service center in Europe for selected financial processes. As a result of the successful implementation, the scope of the shared service center has since been extended to other financial processes.

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Scope: Processes and structures in the functions finance, human resources, controlling, legal and IT in approx. 50 companies in Europe
FTEs in the Scope: ~400
Review and detailing of a shared service concept for a medium-sized seed producer
Scope: Processes and structures in the functions finance, human resources, controlling, legal and IT in approx. 50 companies in Europe
FTEs in the Scope: ~400
Task :

The company had already made the decision to bundle the functions of finance, human resources, controlling, legal and IT in Europe in four shared service centers and had developed a corresponding rough concept. This rough concept should now be validated, detailed and prepared for implementation with the help of Santiago.

Approach :

Creation of transparency in the four service centers: status of resources, KPIs, processes, etc., development of functional concepts across the service centers, design of interfaces to the corporate units, breakdown of the functional concepts to the service centers and definition of target states and resources, preparation of business plans and implementation plans per service center.

Result :

Business and implementation plans were approved by the Executive Board. Successful implementation resulted in significant quality improvements and lower costs.

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Scope: Financial planning processes across business units, service centers and regions
FTEs in the Scope: n.a.
Review and further development of the financial planning of a medium-sized seed producer
Scope: Financial planning processes across business units, service centers and regions
FTEs in the Scope: n.a.
Task :

The company had grown considerably in recent years (new countries and companies). As a result, complexity had increased and financial planning no longer functioned with the usual precision. The goal of the project was to review and optimize the processes.

Approach :

Involvement of all parties via transparency interviews, discussion of the various requirements and viewpoints in several options workshops, joint development of a new "corporate standard".

Result :

Thanks to the broad involvement of all parties, a streamlined and harmonized global process map for financial planning was implemented despite partially diverging interests. Reliability in corporate planning improved sustainably.

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Scope: Service Center South America (in Brazil) with the functions Finance, Human Resources, Controlling, Legal and IT
FTEs in the Scope: ~100
Review and evaluation of the performance of a Service Center in Brazil of a medium-sized seed producer
Scope: Service Center South America (in Brazil) with the functions Finance, Human Resources, Controlling, Legal and IT
FTEs in the Scope: ~100
Task :

The performance of the service center in Brazil (costs, speed, etc.) was increasingly criticized by the business units. The goal of the project was a neutral review by an external expert.

Approach :

Analysis of costs, throughput times and other KPIs, comparison with the company's European service centers and with external best practices, identification of opportunities for improvement, review of the site, involvement of all stakeholders via interviews, development of an implementation plan.

Result :

By adopting and implementing the implementation roadmap, the service center's performance was significantly improved. In the meantime, the Service Center Brazil has taken over the support of further South American countries.

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Scope: Three production sites in Germany
FTEs in the Scope: ~2,500
Detailing of an organizational concept for the management of three large production sites of a leading chemical company
Scope: Three production sites in Germany
FTEs in the Scope: ~2,500
Task :

The company had already decided to unite three large production sites, which had previously been run separately, under one organizational roof. A corresponding rough concept was available. The aim of the project was to detail this organizational concept and prepare for its implementation.

Approach :

Creation of transparency and involvement of all stakeholders through interviews, identification of problem areas (too high management margins, inconsistent processes, redundant tasks, etc.), development of solutions (standardization, bundling, etc.) together with all players in a series of options workshops, development of implementation plans.

Result :

Adoption of the detailed concept by the board of directors and start of successful implementation.

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Scope: Three production sites in Germany
FTEs in the Scope: ~2,500
Reorganization of facility management at the central production sites of a large chemical company
Scope: Three production sites in Germany
FTEs in the Scope: ~2,500
Task :

Three large production sites, which had previously been managed separately, were brought together under one organizational roof. This also led to the necessity of questioning and reorganizing the setup of facility management at the three locations.

Approach :

Creation of transparency and involvement of all stakeholders through interviews, identification of problem areas (excessive management span, redundancies and inconsistencies, etc.), development of solutions together with all players in a series of options workshops, development of implementation plans.

Result :

Adoption of the detailed concept by the board of directors and start of a successful implementation.

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Scope: Processes and structures in the innovation sector of the German chemical industry
FTEs in the Scope: RTD in scope: VCI member companies
Preparation of the VCI study "Paving the way for innovations"
Scope: Processes and structures in the innovation sector of the German chemical industry
FTEs in the Scope: RTD in scope: VCI member companies
Task :

Various indicators suggested that the innovative strength of the German chemical industry had declined in recent years. The aim of the study was to identify possible internal and external barriers to innovation and to develop suggestions for improvement.

Approach :

The study proceeded in three phases: First, the existing literature (studies, etc.) was evaluated. Based on this, interviews were conducted with 80 industry experts, the results of which were finally validated by the online survey of 200 additional experts, considering companies of all sizes and market segments.

Result :

The study was able to position innovation as a top issue in companies and politics and thus initiate a successful further development process in the companies of the industry.

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Scope: Laws and framework conditions for innovations in the German chemical industry
FTEs in the Scope: RTD in scope: Universities, research institutes and VCI member companies
Preparation of the VCI study "How Germany will become innovation world champion"
Scope: Laws and framework conditions for innovations in the German chemical industry
FTEs in the Scope: RTD in scope: Universities, research institutes and VCI member companies
Task :

The study "Paving the way for innovation" had identified several external barriers to innovation. The aim of this study was to systematize and deepen these findings and translate them into concrete demands on policymakers.

Approach :

As part of the study, around 40 experts from politics, administration, science, and industry were interviewed. Their qualitative input was condensed and prioritized in several workshops and finally translated into a 12-point plan.

Result :

The successful communication of the "12-point plan" led to important elements and demands being included in the agendas of the following federal governments. Today, central demands have been implemented.

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Scope: Future requirements of six key customer industries of the chemical industry (transport, housing, energy, electronics, consumer goods and food)
FTEs in the Scope: RTD in scope: Selected companies from the six customer industries
Preparation of the VCI study "Expectations of customer industries for the chemical industry"
Scope: Future requirements of six key customer industries of the chemical industry (transport, housing, energy, electronics, consumer goods and food)
FTEs in the Scope: RTD in scope: Selected companies from the six customer industries
Task :

The effects of the ongoing upheavals in important customer sectors (e.g., automotive) became increasingly visible for the chemical industry. In order to be even better prepared for further changes, the aim of the study was therefore to systematically record the future requirements of the industry's most important customer sectors.

Approach :

As part of the study, around 60 experts from companies in the six customer sectors were interviewed, and their qualitative input was condensed and prioritized in several workshops and finally translated into 10 key requirements for the chemical industry.

Result :

The key finding of the study, that the chemical industry is also facing major upheavals, was very well received and accelerated the industry-wide further development of business models, processes and structures.

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Scope: Entire organization of the company
FTEs in the Scope: ~17,000
Development of a concept for an "organization for growth" for a medium-sized household appliance manufacturer
Scope: Entire organization of the company
FTEs in the Scope: ~17,000
Task :

The company had adopted an ambitious growth strategy. To be able to realize this future growth, the project was to develop a corresponding organizational concept for the entire company.

Approach :

Creation of transparency about central processes and the current organization of the company via interviews and questionnaires, development of design principles and, based on these, an organizational logic, development of an evaluation methodology and systematic assessment of the various organizational options, detailing of the target concept and development of an implementation roadmap.

Result :

adoption of clear principles for future organizational changes in the company. The step-by-step implementation of the organizational concept enabled the planned growth to be successfully realized.

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Scope: Processes and structures in the functions finance, human resources, controlling, internal sales, IT and purchasing in Germany
FTEs in the Scope: ~400
Review and detailing of a shared service concept for a medium-sized food producer
Scope: Processes and structures in the functions finance, human resources, controlling, internal sales, IT and purchasing in Germany
FTEs in the Scope: ~400
Task :

The company had already decided to bundle the functions of finance, human resources, controlling, internal sales, IT and purchasing in Germany in a shared service center and had developed a corresponding rough concept. This rough concept was now to be validated, detailed and prepared for implementation with the help of Santiago.

Approach :

Creation of transparency in the six functions: Status of resources, KPIs, processes, etc., development of functional concepts, design of interfaces to corporate units, identification and quantification of further development measures, definition of target states and resources, preparation of implementation plans for each function.

Result :

The functional concepts and implementation plans were approved by the Executive Board. Successful implementation resulted in significant increases in quality and a simultaneous reduction in costs.

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Scope: Processes and structures of the unit for global new business development
FTEs in the Scope: ~100
Review and further development of the scouting and evaluation processes of the "New Business Development Unit" of a Dax group
Scope: Processes and structures of the unit for global new business development
FTEs in the Scope: ~100
Task :

A few years ago, the company had set up an independent unit for the development of new business areas "on the greenfield". However, the results of the unit fell short of expectations, mainly because too many ideas were pursued and thus resources were overstretched. The goal of the project was therefore to review and further develop the scouting and evaluation process.

Approach :

Create transparency by interviewing all stakeholders in the group, develop clear criteria for prioritizing project proposals at Gate 1, further develop business case requirements in Phase 2, further develop gatekeeper staffing, define target states and resources, develop implementation plans.

Result :

By implementing much greater prioritization in the early stages of the stage gate process, efficiency in the back-end stages of the process was significantly increased. The unit's contribution to the successful staffing of new business areas increased significantly.

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Scope: Processes and structures of the entire company
FTEs in the Scope: ~4,000
Development of a new business model and a corresponding target organization for a leading European long-distance gas company
Scope: Processes and structures of the entire company
FTEs in the Scope: ~4,000
Task :

The market conditions for the production, transport and distribution of long-distance gas had changed significantly in recent years (due to regulatory intervention, among other things). To maintain its leading market position, the company had to respond to these changes. The goal of the project was to develop a new, focused business model including a corresponding target organization.

Approach :

Development of various options for a future business model, prioritization and evaluation of the options in board workshops, design of the target model and derivation of the possible organizational options, renewed prioritization and evaluation of the options, detailing of the target model and development of implementation plans.

Result :

By focusing the business model, the company was able to successfully adapt to the new market conditions and defend its leading market position.

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Scope: IT departments of the corporate headquarters and of 9 business units
FTEs in the Scope: ~500
Development of a holistic IT strategy for a conglomerate
Scope: IT departments of the corporate headquarters and of 9 business units
FTEs in the Scope: ~500
Task :

In a broad-based conglomerate with a high degree of decentralization of the business units, there was no group-wide strategic view of IT. This led to unclear role and task assignments between the IT departments of the business units and the group headquarters, efficiency losses, and a lack of transparency with regard to current and future topics for value-creating group-wide cooperation.

Approach :

Based on the corporate strategy, the requirements of business units and corporate functions, and an assessment of global trend topics in the area of IT, target images were developed for the various areas of IT, a roadmap for implementing the targets, and a coordination process for identifying and further developing group-wide, value-enhancing topic areas.

Result :

Through the implementation of the IT strategy and the more precisely defined distribution of roles and tasks in this context, cooperation between the IT units was improved and the first group-wide IT projects were successfully implemented. Data quality and IT security were significantly improved.

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Scope: IT of the corporate headquarters
FTEs in the Scope: ~40
Support the corporate headquarters of a conglomerate in the implementation of various initiatives in IT security
Scope: IT of the corporate headquarters
FTEs in the Scope: ~40
Task :

As part of a preliminary project, strategic objectives were developed for the various IT areas of the company, which were now to be successively implemented. The aim of the project was to provide conceptual, methodological and operational support for IT at the corporate headquarters, particularly in the implementation of IT security measures.

Approach :

After detailing and prioritizing the various measures in the program, selected initiatives, e.g., a training concept for target group-specific security awareness training, processes for risk classification and assessment, and a concept and processes for group-wide incident management, were conceptually developed, coordinated with the affected units and implemented.

Result :

The implementation of the program has gradually increased the Group's IT security.

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Scope: IT department of the corporate headquarters
FTEs in the Scope: ~40
Development of a concept to increase the attractiveness of the IT department of a conglomerate for IT talents
Scope: IT department of the corporate headquarters
FTEs in the Scope: ~40
Task :

The company had adopted a new IT strategy. One element of the strategy was to increase the company's attractiveness for IT talent. The goal of the project was to develop a corresponding concept.

Approach :

First, various options were worked out. These were then evaluated and prioritized. The selected measures were further detailed and elaborated, including the development of a concept for an IT expert career ladder, an IT role concept incl. new roles in the course of digital transformation, and IT recruiting measures at the strategic and operational level. The concepts were coordinated with the affected units and implemented. Implementation was partly carried out using agile project methods in cross-functional IT and HR teams.

Result :

Increased attractiveness of the company as an employer for IT talent.

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Scope: Strategic positioning, organizational structure, role model, innovation processes and service portfolio
FTEs in the Scope: RTI in scope: ~250
Adaptation of strategic orientation and business model of the central research and development department of a conglomerate
Scope: Strategic positioning, organizational structure, role model, innovation processes and service portfolio
FTEs in the Scope: RTI in scope: ~250
Task :

Further development of the central research and development department of a global conglomerate with the aim of increasing its efficiency and innovative capacity as well as better adapting its activities and services to the requirements of the business.

Approach :

Development of a target picture for the future set-up of the innovation department with intensive involvement of all stakeholders involved (board of directors, management, internal customers, works council). To this end, various options were initially developed, which were evaluated internally and externally and resulted in the detailing of future roles and responsibilities, process interfaces, activities and service portfolio, and financing mode.

Result :

The concept was approved by the full Board of Management and then successively implemented. As a result, a stronger focus on long-term key technological projects was achieved. In addition, innovative capability and knowledge transfer within the company were improved through intensified cross-business area collaboration in strategic innovation projects.

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Scope: Processes and technologies of a global innovation and development department
FTEs in the Scope: ~250
Development of a future concept for the innovation department of a corporate group in order to better position the department with regard to the requirements of the digital transformation
Scope: Processes and technologies of a global innovation and development department
FTEs in the Scope: ~250
Task :

In a previous project, the central research and development department was positioned as a driver for the identification and further development of key technologies and innovations for the Group. However, the department's processes were not yet capable of implementing this claim. The goal of the project was to further develop the department's processes and systems accordingly.

Approach :

In close coordination between the innovation department and the central IT department, the technological requirements of internal customers for the innovation department were identified and, based on this, technological target images for the individual innovation areas as well as a schedule and cost estimate for implementation were developed. In addition, the roles and responsibilities between the innovation department and the IT department were realigned and the collaboration was transferred to an agile setting in order to accelerate the implementation of the new technologies.

Result :

Improved collaboration between the innovation and IT departments in cross-functional, agile teams and the introduction of cloud-based technologies led to an increase in service quality, more efficient use of resources, and increased innovation capability.

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Scope: Global production processes as well as business development over the past 5 years
FTEs in the Scope: ~400
Managing an ongoing supply crisis of a business unit of a leading global chemical and pharmaceutical group
Scope: Global production processes as well as business development over the past 5 years
FTEs in the Scope: ~400
Task :

The internationally successful business unit of a chemical and pharmaceutical group was struggling with persistent supply bottlenecks that caused disruptions along the value chain (e.g., automotive industry, cosmetics). A holistic concept for immediate and sustainable management of the supply crisis was to be developed.

Approach :

Conduct a detailed root cause analysis with a view to business & investment development, SCM & operations as well as market and customer development. Derive short-term improvement measures for all functional areas for immediate implementation. Design of a tool for fast calculation of market scenarios, as a basis for continuous projection of business development and for managing the business. Development of a sales push program to increase sales in the short term.

Result :

The improvement measures were successfully initiated and led to a decrease in delivery bottlenecks. The new tool and reporting structure were successfully implemented and are used by management to proactively manage the business.

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Scope: Global business, focus on USA and Asia
FTEs in the Scope: ~600
Development of a strategy for the business unit of a global leading chemical and pharmaceutical group after a series of acquisitions
Scope: Global business, focus on USA and Asia
FTEs in the Scope: ~600
Task :

The business unit of a chemical and pharmaceutical group recorded strong inorganic growth. After the acquisition of several companies, a new business strategy and a new business model should now be developed to meet the market and customer requirements and lay the foundation for further growth.

Approach :

Parallel development of four basic modules: (1) comprehensive analysis of the market and external influencing factors (e.g., political investment decisions), (2) analysis of the technology and IP know-how in the company in the context of the market, (3) global competitor analysis, (4) analysis of the internal capability profile (e.g. strengths, weaknesses). Derivation of strategic growth options and actions for organic and inorganic growth. Synthesis of results in a series of workshops with the business unit leadership team, as well as joint "war gaming" to identify "must-win battles". Definition of next steps to realize the strategy.

Result :

The business unit strategy was developed. The company's management team, organization, investor bodies and board of directors signaled broad acceptance and support for the strategic plans. The first strategic measures were initiated immediately.

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Scope: Global business
FTEs in the Scope: ~800
Re-organization and global roll-out of the new strategy of a business unit of a global chemical company
Scope: Global business
FTEs in the Scope: ~800
Task :

The company had developed and approved a new strategy for the business unit as part of a preliminary project. The aim of the project was to roll out the strategy globally and create the basis for sustainable further development.

Approach :

Definition of an organizational structure considering the strategic framework and the defined business models. Definition of several internal teams to design and implement the business models (1) validation of the strategy for each business model, (2) definition of roles & responsibilities in the new global matrix organization, (3) development of the new go-to-market models, (4) derivation of integrated customer and product group strategies to realize the new vision and mission.

Result :

The defined organization supported the strategic ambitions very well and achieved great progress within a few years. Double-digit growth rates and further acquisitions to expand the capability profile followed. The defined growth path of the company continues to hold.

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Scope: Global business
FTEs in the Scope: ~600
Business stabilization and development of the process framework for the business unit of a leading global chemical and pharmaceutical company
Scope: Global business
FTEs in the Scope: ~600
Task :

The business unit of a leading global chemical and pharmaceutical company was experiencing steady organic and inorganic growth. The management team has identified essential growth drivers and obstacles and wants them to be systematically supported or eliminated. A clearly defined process corset was to contribute to stabilization.

Approach :

The project was divided into three topics: (1) commercial processes, (2) innovation processes, and (3) system-based processes (SAP bound). In (1) a new Go-To-Market model was defined, levers to optimize the internal production flow were identified and an accelerated sampling process was established. In (2) a new technology scouting team (incl. roles & processes) was established, a concept for managing and evaluating the innovation portfolio was developed and the product introduction process for the entire organization was designed. In (3) the smooth migration to a new SAP system was ensured (e.g., optimization of master data quality).

Result :

The growth of the business unit exceeds the expectations of the management team. Obstacles to growth could be removed. Migration to a new SAP system was successfully completed. The new process framework enables better coordination between the acting actors and a smooth customer delivery process.

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Scope: Research and development processes and organization
FTEs in the Scope: ~200
Development of a blueprint for setting up a research unit in a business unit of a leading chemical company
Scope: Research and development processes and organization
FTEs in the Scope: ~200
Task :

The business unit was one of the market leaders in its market segments and was valued by its customers for its tailored product development. As some technologies were foreseeably reaching the end of their life cycle, there was an increasing need to conduct long-term research into new technologies. The goal of the project was to develop the strategy, business model, processes and organization for such an entity.

Approach :

It was important to the management to involve all know-how carriers of the global development organization in the project. Around 100 interviews were therefore conducted in the USA, Japan, Korea and Germany. From the results, various options were developed, which were evaluated and prioritized in several workshops with the management. Finally, the target option was further detailed, organizationally designed and prepared for implementation.

Result :

By implementing the concept, the unit was able to close its open flank in the long-term innovation area and successfully manage the technology changes.

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Scope: Processes and organizations of the 10 functions at headquarters and German sites
FTEs in the Scope: ~20,000
Development of a new management organization for 10 indirect functions of a leading chemical company
Scope: Processes and organizations of the 10 functions at headquarters and German sites
FTEs in the Scope: ~20,000
Task :

Due to the growth strategy and acquisitions, the number of companies in the company had increased significantly. A centrally controllable management structure for Germany was to be developed and introduced for the historically grown structure of indirect functions.

Approach :

Creation of transparency regarding all indirect functions, development of a concept for functional leadership in Germany, development of a new leadership and organizational structure using hub structures, PMO to identify and implement the necessary measures.

Result :

Clear leadership structures from the headquarters to all companies in Germany for all support functions.

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Scope: Services, processes, and organization in Europe
FTEs in the Scope: 6,000; 650 m€ Service volume p.a.
Development of a service area strategy for the engineering & maintenance services of a Europe-wide, internal service provider
Scope: Services, processes, and organization in Europe
FTEs in the Scope: 6,000; 650 m€ Service volume p.a.
Task :

The internal service provider for Engineering & Maintenance Services regularly reviewed its strategic orientation. For this purpose, a service area strategy was to be developed that quantitatively defined the future focus of service provision.

Approach :

The service area strategy comprises an analysis of the current situation with regard to the scope of services and organization, the market environment, an evaluation of the range of services, a development plan and a make-or-buy consideration. These points were worked out together with the functional managers of the European hubs.

Result :

A quantitative service area strategy for Europe, including the organizational structure and clearly defined responsibilities.

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Scope: Global EHS services, processes and organization
FTEs in the Scope: ~2,000
Definition of the roles and responsibilities of the global EHS division of a leading chemical company
Scope: Global EHS services, processes and organization
FTEs in the Scope: ~2,000
Task :

The distribution of roles in the global chemical company's EHS function was not clearly defined from a global perspective, which led to different processes and barriers in global management and in collaboration with the business units.

Approach :

Based on the EHS functional strategy, 7 globally relevant EHS processes were defined. For these processes, the task split was defined in 2 dimensions. In the first dimension, the task split between function and business was defined. In the second dimension, the task split was defined on a global, regional or local level. The tasks and roles were clearly defined within a RACI process model.

Result :

The implementation of the concept significantly increased the efficiency and effectiveness of the global EHS work.

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Scope: All processes and structures in site management
FTEs in the Scope: ~5,000; Benefits: >100 mEUR p.a.
Development of an organizational concept for the site management of a large chemical site including role clarification in the European production network
Scope: All processes and structures in site management
FTEs in the Scope: ~5,000; Benefits: >100 mEUR p.a.
Task :

The role of site management had grown historically and was extremely heterogeneous across the individual sub-functions. It included local services only in part and, in contrast, global tasks in specific functions. Synergy effects through cross-site know-how exchange in the European site network were only realized to a limited extent.

Approach :

First, a top-down target picture was developed on the basis of current requirements. On this basis, the functional service equipment of the local site management was defined and local service organizations for EHS and E&M were incorporated. In addition, a concept for European site management was developed and implemented with the use of cross-functional know-how synergies. For cross-functional processes, focus areas were defined for further process optimization along a Six Sigma approach.

Result :

Efficient service structures for the production site and use of cross-site synergy effects through know-how sharing.

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Scope: All processes and structures of the company
FTEs in the Scope: ~1,000
Re-structuring and control optimization of an educational service provider
Scope: All processes and structures of the company
FTEs in the Scope: ~1,000
Task :

The private education service provider had repeatedly been in the red; most recently also surprisingly, without this being forecast by controlling. The goal of the project was to quickly return the company to profitability and to introduce controlling processes that would sustainably ensure this result.

Approach :

First, the cost blocks were analyzed. It quickly became apparent that, due to decentralized responsibility, there was no transparency regarding personnel requirements and capacity utilization, especially for the largest cost block by far, personnel. The other external costs were also insufficiently optimized. A calculation method for personnel dimensioning was determined and introduced, and the personnel overhang was reduced on this basis. Through further optimization in purchasing, external costs were significantly reduced.

Result :

Short-term generation of quick wins to relieve the economic situation, return to profitability within one year and sustainable assurance of controllability.

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Scope: Training, learning, and consulting unit
FTEs in the Scope: ~1,000
Re-structuring and realignment of the internal training service provider of a German mobility and logistics group
Scope: Training, learning, and consulting unit
FTEs in the Scope: ~1,000
Task :

After years of sales and personnel growth, the existing organization and division of labor had reached their limits. A new hybrid business model with derived processes and structures was to be developed.

Approach :

Analysis and evaluation of all commercial and human resources issues; analysis of the portfolio, processes and structures, and the governance model; design and implementation of a more integrated organizational model with reduced interfaces and a nucleus for digital education; identification of a cost reduction program; implementation of a crowd-driver-based human resources sizing methodology.

Result :

Efficient, streamlined organizational model with a digital nucleus and 8% cost reduction with constant service volume and increased customer satisfaction.

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Scope: All processes and structures in the head office
FTEs in the Scope: ~700
Re-organization of the head office of a leading industrial union
Scope: All processes and structures in the head office
FTEs in the Scope: ~700
Task :

A continuing decline in membership and associated revenues made it necessary to examine the efficiency of the head office and the organization, as well as to look at the current business model, which is financed by membership fees.

Approach :

Analysis of the business model and identification of obsolete tasks and services, development of a customer-oriented organizational concept for the head office, identification of culturally appropriate efficiency improvement measures, sustainable implementation of efficiency improvement measures.

Result :

Sustainable business model, target group-oriented organizational model for the head office, 10-point efficiency improvement program.

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Scope: Sales processes and structures in Germany
FTEs in the Scope: ~500
Re-organization of pharmaceutical sales for a high-turnover drug in a large German pharmaceutical company
Scope: Sales processes and structures in Germany
FTEs in the Scope: ~500
Task :

The effectiveness and efficiency of pharmaceutical sales in Germany was called into question due to declining market shares and Group-wide cost pressure. In addition, expectations were not met when new indications were launched on the market. Patent expiry was already in sight. A new, effective sales organization was to be established, which in the long term would also be capable of successfully launching newly approved products

Approach :

Strengths/weaknesses assessment of the existing organization, recording of customer requirements via selective customer interviews, identification of future trends, analysis of sales efficiency. Derived from all analyses, definition of anchor points for the future sales structure, such as regionalization, greater differentiation of sales capacities in line with achievable sales potential, strengthening of the KAM, and introduction of more specific roles for addressing customers.

Result :

Powerful sales organization adapted to the general conditions with defined support concepts for the respective target groups.

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Scope: All processes of the company with focus on cost reduction
FTEs in the Scope: ~200 at 3 sites
Re-structuring of the Brazilian business for a German mid-sized specialty chemicals producer
Scope: All processes of the company with focus on cost reduction
FTEs in the Scope: ~200 at 3 sites
Task :

The persistent loss situation of the Brazilian subsidiary was to be turned around quickly and sustainably.

Approach :

Restructuring with elimination of one management level and staff reduction on employee level, contribution margin-based optimization of the product portfolio, production and logistics optimization via lot size improvement (batch sizes), optimization of purchase prices and site consolidation from three to one site.

Result :

Profitability was restored in 6 months.

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Scope: HR processes and structures
FTEs in the Scope: ~30
Introduction of the "3-pillar model" in the HR area in a medium-sized company
Scope: HR processes and structures
FTEs in the Scope: ~30
Task :

The HR department was no longer up to date. The setup was predominantly oriented to the locations, without the use of overarching synergies. A concept was to be developed and implemented that was up to date but adapted to the situation of a medium-sized company.

Approach :

First, an efficiency and structure benchmark was conducted. Based on this, an HR target picture was developed according to the business partner model. The service portfolio was defined, and the activity split was defined centrally vs. locally. A target organization with business partners and a governance and services unit was installed. A role and responsibility model was developed. In addition, the target dimensioning was defined, and a governance model was established.

Result :

Modern HR organization adapted to the requirements of a medium-sized company.

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Scope: Business model, processes, and structures in IT
FTEs in the Scope: ~1,100
Development of the strategic target picture for the IT function of a global pharmaceutical company
Scope: Business model, processes, and structures in IT
FTEs in the Scope: ~1,100
Task :

Various fragmented initiatives and projects were running in the different functional departments of the IT organization, which were not coordinated with each other. Since the overarching goal picture was not clearly defined, conflicts arose over goals and prioritization. The task of the project was to develop a holistic goal picture, allocate the ongoing projects into a roadmap, and identify "white spots" - strategic goals that were not yet addressed by the ongoing projects.

Approach :

Transparency about the current project landscape as well as about the requirements of internal customers, development of a holistic strategy framework and definition of the target picture along the strategy dimensions of this framework, definition of a roadmap with strategic milestones and allocation of ongoing initiatives to the roadmap, establishment of a maturity model to measure medium-term progress on the strategy dimensions along the roadmap.

Result :

The new overarching goal picture and roadmap made it possible to prioritize as well as select for new (competing) projects in a more structured way and to close white spots in IT alignment. In addition, the common strategic basis, which was supported by the IT organization, eliminated conflicting goals in the scope of ongoing projects and initiatives.

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Scope: Processes and organizational units at headquarters and in the regions/countries
FTEs in the Scope: ~600
Re-alignment of the global IT organization of a large pharmaceutical company
Scope: Processes and organizational units at headquarters and in the regions/countries
FTEs in the Scope: ~600
Task :

The IT division of a leading global pharmaceutical company has developed a strategic orientation with new, changed goals and focus topics. However, the new orientation could not yet be translated into an improved organizational setup. The goal of the project was to develop and implement an appropriate concept.

Approach :

Create transparency about barriers to implementing the changed strategic alignment, develop a target picture of the changed organization, develop new roles and responsibilities as well as optimized processes, sensitize and onboard the leadership team to the changes, tailor communication packages/roadshow for internal stakeholders (e.g. internal customers) and IT staff, active change management to motivate the IT organisation, implementation plan and sustainable realisation of the organisational changes.

Result :

The holistic optimization of the organizational alignment with globally standardized processes and structures, combined with early involvement of the relevant stakeholders, led to a successful rollout of the new organization. This ensured that the goals of the new IT strategy were achieved.

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Scope: Global setup for digital innovations Scope
FTEs in the Scope: ~100
Further development and expansion of an incubator for digital products
Scope: Global setup for digital innovations Scope
FTEs in the Scope: ~100
Task :

The customer had successfully established an incubator for digital products. Now the activities were to be expanded and rolled out globally.

Approach :

Creation of transparency about the success of the incubator and the requirements for regional expansion, identification of levers, definition of target markets (digital hotspots) and target offers for the respective markets, detailing of the digital innovation concepts per country, concept for a global innovation network for digital including roles & responsibilities, development of an implementation roadmap with the involvement of the country subsidiaries.

Result :

Due to the detailed transparency about the status quo and country-specific requirements, the countries/locations for the global expansion could be identified in a targeted manner and tailored offers could be developed. In conjunction with the new global innovation network, the number of digital innovation ideas identified and implemented was significantly increased.

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Scope: Global processes and structures of the business unit across all functions
FTEs in the Scope: ~20,000
Re-organization of a business unit in a global pharmaceutical company
Scope: Global processes and structures of the business unit across all functions
FTEs in the Scope: ~20,000
Task :

The company's largest business unit was previously structured along the value chain. Over time, this structure led to unclear responsibilities, a high level of coordination intensity, and ultimately to a long time-to-market for new preparations. The goal of the project was to transfer the business unit into a more responsive business unit structure while maintaining innovative strength.

Approach :

The project was carried out in two waves. In the first wave, the overarching reorganization goals were sharpened, and the resulting design principles were derived. On this basis, the concept for the governance structure, the operating model and the most important interfaces were defined (e.g., handover points between research and clinical trials). In the second wave, this concept was further detailed using roles and responsibilities, process descriptions, and committee structures. Through a heat map analysis, different change implications were analyzed and supported in their implementation through tailored change management measures.

Result :

Clear end-to-end responsibilities for the business unit significantly increased organizational efficiency and effectiveness. In addition, structures became flatter overall, and decision-making processes ran much faster.

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Scope: Global finance processes and organization
FTEs in the Scope: ~2,000
Formulation and operationalization of a strategy for the finance function of a global pharmaceutical company
Scope: Global finance processes and organization
FTEs in the Scope: ~2,000
Task :

The financial organization of a pharmaceutical company was not able to achieve its full performance. Although symptoms of procedural, structural, and cultural problems were perceived daily, neither the actual causes of the problems nor the improvement levers to fix them could be grasped. In addition, there was no functional strategy that represented the contribution of the finance organization to the company's goals. The goal of the project was to develop an appropriate strategy.

Approach :

Transparency about current problem areas and requirements of internal customers as well as analysis of relevant trends. Development of a holistic strategy framework and definition of the target image along the strategy dimensions of this framework. Derivation of concrete initiatives/projects as well as definition of a multi-year roadmap to achieve the target picture. Initiation of program management to support the transformation including change management and communication support.

Result :

In the first phase of strategy implementation, significant process optimizations were achieved, and a customer-centric structure was introduced. Global collaboration within the function and with internal customers was significantly improved.

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Scope: Finance process and organization of ~60 companies
FTEs in the Scope: ~2,000
Development of a concept for the further development of the global finance organization of a leading German pharmaceutical company
Scope: Finance process and organization of ~60 companies
FTEs in the Scope: ~2,000
Task :

Further development of the global finance organization, including a realignment at headquarters, with the aim of providing even more targeted support to the business units.

Approach :

Identify the future requirements of the business units based on their strategies, identify gaps to the actual performance of the finance organization, derive levers, adapt processes and define/adapt roles and responsibilities, implement change and communication measures to support the go-live of the new organization, develop a curriculum to support the introduction of the new finance business partners, prepare and support the roll-out.

Result :

The successful implementation of the reorganization further strengthened the company's finance expertise and, most importantly, made it accessible to all Group companies regardless of their size and location.

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Scope: Establishment of processes and organization for the global implementation of the sustainability initiative
FTEs in the Scope: ~50,000
Detailing and implementation of a company-wide sustainability program in a leading German pharmaceutical company
Scope: Establishment of processes and organization for the global implementation of the sustainability initiative
FTEs in the Scope: ~50,000
Task :

The company had developed and adopted a global initiative to strengthen sustainability. The initiative consisted of three programs and 18 projects. The goal of the project was to detail and implement the existing rough concept.

Approach :

The detailing of the initiative took place in two parallel workstreams: First, the content and objectives of their projects were further elaborated with those responsible for the programs. At the same time, an implementation organization was set up in the countries. Once this phase was completed, the initiative was rolled out. Initially, individual projects were launched in the major national companies. This was followed step by step by further projects. Finally, the roll-out was also implemented in the smaller companies.

Result :

During the project, the project organization was gradually transferred to the line organization over a period of two years. The programs and projects were filled with life and have already made initial, significant contributions to achieving the agreed goals. Today, sustainability is part of the lived culture of the company.

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Scope: Germany Production and logistics
FTEs in the Scope: ~500
Concept for improved product identification in the production and logistics of lubricants
Scope: Germany Production and logistics
FTEs in the Scope: ~500
Task :

There was an irregular occurrence of incorrectly delivered products to the customer despite correct packaging. The causes for this were unclear.

Approach :

Systematic analysis of the errors as well as the causes of the mix-ups in the production process and logistics. Conception of improvement measures, in particular through consistent product identification in the production and logistics process.

Result :

Clear and ready-to-implement concept consisting of automation and product identification levers supplemented by work organization measures.

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Scope: Global
FTEs in the Scope: ~1,500
Strategy development for a manufacturer in the sanitary sector
Scope: Global
FTEs in the Scope: ~1,500
Task :

strategy development for an "established newcomer" manufacturer of sanitary products.

Approach :

External analysis of the market and competitive environment, internal analysis of strengths and weaknesses, derivation and evaluation of attractive growth options and focal points in the competitive environment, formulation of the vision, mission and strategy, definition of fields of action to implement the strategy.

Result :

Detailed strategy with defined implementation program.

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Scope: Germany
FTEs in the Scope: ~1,500
Strategy and organizational development for one of Germany's largest captive training service providers
Scope: Germany
FTEs in the Scope: ~1,500
Task :

The internal acceptance of the educational service provider was no longer unrestricted, and the internal market share had consequently shrunk to approx. 50%.

Approach :

Analysis of the current situation, customer needs, trends in the education market; setting up a vision and mission as well as strategic guard rails: realignment of the organization with professionalized support functions such as digital learning, IT, and resource management. Redefinition of core education topics and linkage with support functions.

Result :

Improved customer acceptance, increasing share of digitized training, less redundancy due to increased acceptance of the support functions by the education units and the education function by the business units.

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Scope: Germany
FTEs in the Scope: ~400
Creation of a growth program for the service business of a heating manufacturer in Germany
Scope: Germany
FTEs in the Scope: ~400
Task :

As part of the strategy, it was decided to expand the service business. The goal was to double the volume in 5 years.

Approach :

Identification of potential levers to generate growth for services along the heating portfolio. The levers were evaluated and prioritized in terms of their impact on sales and earnings. In addition, necessary prerequisites, such as the procurement of qualified personnel, were identified and quantified.

Result :

Operationalized plan to increase sales by 100% in 5 years. The identified and evaluated measures were transferred into a detailed implementation plan.

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Scope: Global
FTEs in the Scope: ~3,000
PMI of a leading global pigment manufacturer
Scope: Global
FTEs in the Scope: ~3,000
Task :

The family-run company in the chemical industry (200 mEUR sales) had acquired the corresponding business of a group (800 mEUR). The project included the integration (PMI) of the acquired company under difficult conditions (increasing financing and raw material costs).

Approach :

Establish transparency on existing preparatory work and ongoing activities; set up functional integration plans and monitor progress, set up necessary functional governance structures; identify and set up value-enhancing measures; identify and set up cash-enhancing measures.

Result :

Full control over the entire integration program consisting of functional, value-added, and cash-generating integration.

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Scope: Germany
FTEs in the Scope: ~3,000
Optimization of the interface between R&D and the infrastructure/service provider for buildings at one of the largest production sites worldwide
Scope: Germany
FTEs in the Scope: ~3,000
Task :

The management of the laboratory buildings, which the research department had taken over itself in the past, had been handed over to the central site service provider. After this centralization, mutual dissatisfaction increasingly arose.

Approach :

Interviews to identify pain points; workshop to create readiness for change among all stakeholders; identification of extensive improvement levers on service scope, role understanding, building roadmap, SLAs, and an efficient, comprehensive service unit with reduced interfaces and clear KPIs.

Result :

Optimized role understanding, clear service scopes, optimized service delivery, defined committees and management structures.

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Scope: Global
FTEs in the Scope: RTD in scope: ~200
Defining a global funding strategy for innovation and investment projects
Scope: Global
FTEs in the Scope: RTD in scope: ~200
Task :

In the R&D department of the company, there was no overview of the extent to which funding opportunities for projects were used and to what extent they were even known. The management had the impression that funding opportunities were not being used sufficiently.

Approach :

Identify international funding opportunities for innovation and investment projects, as well as tax incentives; identify past funding and relevant eligible projects; establish principles and responsibilities for future use of funding opportunities.

Result :

Clear roles and responsibilities for the global use of local funding opportunities for the different research activities.

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Scope: Global
FTEs in the Scope: n.a.
Program management and support of the replacement of a data warehouse in the operations environment for the provision of critical data in the manufacturing process for a leading manufacturer of pharmaceutical applications
Scope: Global
FTEs in the Scope: n.a.
Task :

The existing IT infrastructure had grown over the years. All information for the creation of the batch tree in production (required, among other things, for the regulatory traceability of batches) was kept in a single central database/data warehouse. The existing solution was based on technologies that were themselves obsolete and could no longer be adequately maintained. Any glitch in the database resulted in potential supply shortages.

Approach :

Development of transparency about all use cases and applications that were currently served by the data warehouse. Recording of the requirements of the different operational user groups and consideration of parallel IT projects with dependencies and/or interactions to the data warehouse in the scope of the project. Detailing and prioritization of the different alternatives and design of a corresponding roadmap including submission of a formal budget request.

Result :

Approval of a budget in the amount of EUR 30m, setting up of program structures and transfer of the program into implementation. Steering of progress via an x-functional working group. Content support of the implementation via a consistent agile project approach.

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Scope: Global
FTEs in the Scope: n.a.
Program management and support of the implementation of a middleware solution in the operations environment for the connection of manufacturing management systems for a leading manufacturer of pharmaceutical applications
Scope: Global
FTEs in the Scope: n.a.
Task :

The further development and update of the existing production management systems are currently associated with considerable effort. Complexity and effort result primarily from the large number of existing interfaces, which in turn must be updated or completely reformatted. In cooperation with a specialized IT manufacturer for the pharmaceutical industry, a new solution was to be designed and piloted.

Approach :

Gather the requirements of the different operational user groups and consider parallel IT projects with dependencies and/or interactions to the targeted middleware solution. Detailing and prioritization of the different alternatives and design of a corresponding roadmap including submission of a formal budget request.

Result :

Approval of budget and setting up of program structures. Design of the technical solution in cooperation with internal and external resources. Piloting of sub-modules on the way to the implementation of the final solution.

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Scope: Application fields digitization, digitization in the store floor area, digitization roadmap
FTEs in the Scope: ~500
Implementation of a process to identify and prioritize digital use cases as a basis for the strategic further development of a division
Scope: Application fields digitization, digitization in the store floor area, digitization roadmap
FTEs in the Scope: ~500
Task :

The business development and digitization department in a division for the manufacture of specialty products was to be strategically repositioned. The goal of the project was to create transparency about current topics already being implemented as well as potential new topics in digitization and to develop a strategic digitization roadmap for the future from this.

Approach :

Development of a process for the structured recording, evaluation, and prioritization of (potential) digital use cases throughout the division. For the problem areas of digitization in the production environment identified in this context, an in-depth analysis of weaknesses was also carried out and an action plan developed to create the basis for further digitization.

Result :

The newly introduced process of identifying and prioritizing use cases was also adopted by other divisions as best practice. As a result, greater project transparency and quality were achieved throughout the division and the basis for the next step of digitization in the store floor area was created.

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Scope: Audit processes and IT systems
FTEs in the Scope: ~10 in the audit department, ~50,000 in the overall company
Development of a concept for a group-wide IT system solution in corporate auditing for the corporate audit department of a global conglomerate
Scope: Audit processes and IT systems
FTEs in the Scope: ~10 in the audit department, ~50,000 in the overall company
Task :

The processes in the corporate audit department of the company were mainly carried out manually and were to be made more efficient digitally with the help of a company-wide IT system landscape. As part of a previous project, a stage-gate decision-making process was defined to further detail potential group-wide IT topics and coordinate them for implementation. The goal of the project was to develop a concept for a group-wide IT solution and to accompany it through the global decision-making process by means of suitable voting documents.

Approach :

Gathering of functional and technical system requirements for an audit system solution, detailing of the process landscape to be supported by it, elaboration of design principles, evaluation of different target systems and elaboration of a system proposal.

Result :

The successful development of the concept led to the proposed IT system solution passing the next gate of the coordination process and a PoC could be carried out.

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Scope: Top executives of the company
FTEs in the Scope: ~400
Project management and stakeholder communication during the development of an international executive conference
Scope: Top executives of the company
FTEs in the Scope: ~400
Task :

The company organizes an international management congress every 3 years, which also serves to communicate strategic topics and to work on them further in the management circle. The goal of the project was to support the company during the conception and content development phase of this congress in the areas of project management and communication to the stakeholders.

Approach :

Coordination of the various work packages, consolidation of workshop results, preparation and execution of organizational meetings, documentation and tracking of measures and preparation of communication documents.

Result :

The congress was carried out smoothly with great success.

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Scope: Data strategy, use cases, and data transformation across all business units of the enterprise
FTEs in the Scope: ~500 in program, ~50,000 in enterprise
PMO and transformation support to build an enterprise-wide end-to-end data ecosystem
Scope: Data strategy, use cases, and data transformation across all business units of the enterprise
FTEs in the Scope: ~500 in program, ~50,000 in enterprise
Task :

One of the most important strategic programs of a global pharmaceutical company is the establishment of a company-wide end-to-end data ecosystem based on concrete data use cases, which includes strategic, organizational, process-related, and technical components and is also intended to drive the transformation towards more data centricity in the company. The goal of the project was to accompany the development of this program within the framework of PMO support, covering the topics of program development, complexity management, communication and transformation, as well as selective operational support during program implementation.

Approach :

Definition of program goals and a program roadmap, development of the program structure and operating model, continuous identification and coordination of critical activities, interfaces and risks in the program, stakeholder communication and reporting, creation and implementation of a data transformation concept and support in program controlling.

Result :

Successful implementation of a first version of the data ecosystem, execution of the first data use cases that are already generating tangible value for the business, and various activities to support enterprise-wide data transformation.

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Scope: Coordination of all organizational units in a large-scale agile program, agile transformation
FTEs in the Scope: ~500 in program
Execution of scaled agile program planning through the role of Release Train Engineer
Scope: Coordination of all organizational units in a large-scale agile program, agile transformation
FTEs in the Scope: ~500 in program
Task :

The company wants to build an end-to-end data ecosystem based on a double-digit number of concrete use cases. These use cases as well as the functional workstreams to build the ecosystem are mostly working with an agile methodology. To better coordinate the respective priorities of the use cases with the implementation capacities as well as own priorities of the workstreams and to optimize the overall program planning, a scaled agile planning methodology was introduced. The goal of the project support was to implement this scaled overall program planning using the central agile role of a release train engineer.

Approach :

Identification and coordination of use case and workstream priorities and deliverables, planning and execution of overall planning via various workshops, coaching of teams in agile methodologies (e.g. backlog management, scrum events).

Result :

Successful preparation and execution of multiple overall planning events led to greater transparency across the overall program and better coordination of priorities and risk mitigation.

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Scope: Portfolio management of data-driven use cases
FTEs in the Scope: ~500 in program, ~50,000 in overall enterprise
Evaluate potential data-centric use cases for an enterprise-wide data initiative
Scope: Portfolio management of data-driven use cases
FTEs in the Scope: ~500 in program, ~50,000 in overall enterprise
Task :

The company wants to build an end-to-end data ecosystem based on several concrete data-centric use cases. To select these use cases, a framework was developed to evaluate potential use cases against various criteria. The goal of the project was to assist in the evaluation of potential use cases in the pipeline for the initiative.

Approach :

Documentation and reconciliation of available information on the use cases, evaluation of this information and definition of a concrete score per use case, creation of decision documents for the portfolio decision, documentation of the evaluation.

Result :

The assessment enabled the prioritization of potential use cases and the selection of several new promising use cases for the program.

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Scope: Production, R&D, production processes
FTEs in the Scope: ~100
Planning for the relocation of a production for specialty chemicals and investment application for one of the leading chemical and life science groups
Scope: Production, R&D, production processes
FTEs in the Scope: ~100
Task :

Through a series of acquisitions, the company has successfully established itself as a key supplier of high-purity specialty chemicals for customers with the highest quality demands. The production and associated R&D activities are to be relocated to a large site in order to meet these quality requirements, even for larger demand volumes, and to enable more efficient production processes.

Approach :

Under strict confidentiality, the feasibility of the relocation was analyzed, the new production was planned, and the relocation plan was elaborated step-by-step from investment needs, production processes, distribution models, supplier relations, personnel plans, to legal assessments and communication needs.

Result :

The production and related R&D were successfully relocated after the project team conducted the feasibility study, requested the necessary investments, developed a detailed implementation plan, and communicated the closure of the original site, taking into account all risks.

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Scope: Full value chain from purchasing and demand planning to production and distribution
FTEs in the Scope: ~750
Design and implementation of a holistic capital optimization program for a leading manufacturer of specialty chemicals in the pigment industry
Scope: Full value chain from purchasing and demand planning to production and distribution
FTEs in the Scope: ~750
Task :

The company was faced with considerable challenges to fathom the constantly increasing capital requirements and the growing inventory costs. Lack of knowledge of deeper interrelationships in procurement, production and supplies and their impact on tied-up capital regularly led to reactive interventions in supply and production planning and processes with significant consequences for material availability and market supply.

Approach :

Systematic root cause analysis of all capital drivers along the complete global value chain. Use of modern data science methods for processing mass data and simulation of future scenarios. Sustainable improvement of demand/supply planning contents within the integrated cross-sectional process S&OP. Setting up of a far-reaching optimization program considering short-term and medium-term measures.

Result :

Complete transparency on cause and effect of all capital drivers. Introduction of Data Science based tools to ensure sustainable management decisions. Substantial improvement of planning processes and reduction of tied-up capital in the form of inventory.

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Scope: Regulatory requirements for a product division; customer communication strategy
FTEs in the Scope: ~500; ~1200 customers contacted as part of the communication campaign
Development of a concept for a specialty chemicals unit of a German chemical and pharmaceutical company
Scope: Regulatory requirements for a product division; customer communication strategy
FTEs in the Scope: ~500; ~1200 customers contacted as part of the communication campaign
Task :

The specialty chemicals unit of the company was confronted with a possible sales ban for one of its divisions. The background to this was the action taken by French authorities against products of this division containing nanoparticles (argumentation that these were possibly carcinogenic). A cross-functional project team was set up to comply with the duty of care, but also to anticipate possible claims for damages and to avert damage to the company's image. The aim of the project was to avert a sales ban and to reduce negative sales implications and risks of potential claims for damages as far as possible.

Approach :

Understanding of the initial situation, risk analysis of potential product recalls, preparation of authority exchanges, strategy for association work, coordination of legal activities, customer communication campaign, strategy for customer retention, identification of alternatives to products with "nanoparticles".

Result :

The structured approach led to the coordinated and efficient development of different options for averting a potential sales stop of the division by French authorities. A drop in sales was prevented by a targeted customer communication strategy/campaign.

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Scope: Business model, project portfolio, internal processes, organization
FTEs in the Scope: ~50
Review and improvement actions for a recently established R&D unit
Scope: Business model, project portfolio, internal processes, organization
FTEs in the Scope: ~50
Task :

In order to achieve the strategic goal of becoming a solution provider, in-house material innovations and a deep understanding of the structural properties of materials are required. The R&D unit founded for this purpose wanted to review its service portfolio as well as its business model together with the relevant stakeholders 1 year after its foundation and identify potential improvement opportunities in order to become even better.

Approach :

Initial Danten analysis and preliminary discussions, derivation of initial hypotheses, identification of relevant contacts within and outside the R&D organization, conducting interviews, derivation of improvement potentials and measures, consolidation of measures into an implementation roadmap.

Result :

Extensive improvement measures were identified and initiated as part of the project. These included improved collaboration with other units, a more focused project portfolio, establishment of several new roles and new processes for increased collaboration.

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Scope: Automotive division, global
FTEs in the Scope: ~2,500
Strategy and transformation of the automotive division of a leading plastics specialist
Scope: Automotive division, global
FTEs in the Scope: ~2,500
Task :

The current strategy of being a systems supplier for the automotive industry has led to defocusing and margin erosion due to a lack of systems competence. The goal of the project was to carry out a comprehensive transformation of the division in order to be sustainably profitable again.

Approach :

Definition of a new strategy for the automotive division, derivation of transformation needs, joint prioritization of key topics, development of a new global production footprint, a new R&D strategy and new commercial processes, definition of a new global organization, derivation of measures and establishment of an implementation organization, tracking of savings.

Result :

The project enabled the division to refocus on its core competencies; new site structure, adjusted R&D priorities and improved processes allowed savings of more than 20%.

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Scope: Entire company
FTEs in the Scope: ~100
Strategy for a specialized plastics processor with the goal of realizing its full potential
Scope: Entire company
FTEs in the Scope: ~100
Task :

The company has never fully exploited its business potential given its unique capabilities and potential growth paths. The project was therefore aimed at developing a strategy to open up new application areas by better leveraging own strengths.

Approach :

Starting from the market: market & trend analysis, comprehensive technology portfolio review, customer and competitive requirements, derivation of SWOT, joint derivation of strategic options from SWOT dimensions (so-called TOWS analysis), detailing, evaluation and prioritization of strategic options, implementation planning.

Result :

the company became more aware of its (technological) strengths and was able to identify new application areas and target markets/industries; In addition, a variety of transformation measures were defined to enable better processes and more efficient market development.

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Scope: Complete group of companies with ~ 50 group companies
FTEs in the Scope: ~6,000
Development of a new 10-year strategy for an internationally active developer, producer, and supplier of medical and hygiene products
Scope: Complete group of companies with ~ 50 group companies
FTEs in the Scope: ~6,000
Task :

Strong growth, new sales and marketing organization and global expansion driven by acquisitions presented our client with new challenges. The goal of the project was to develop a detailed strategy for how the company should develop over the next 10 years.

Approach :

The strategy development process was to be done with strong involvement of the team and coming from the market: Market & trend analysis, technology and customer trends, competitive requirements, company analysis incl. strategy, products and capabilities, organizational structure, derivation of SWOT, joint derivation of strategic thrusts, detailing, evaluation and prioritization of thrusts, implementation planning.

Result :

A new 10-year strategy was defined, which summarized approx. 30 corporate projects in 8 blocks, in order to protect the core business and enable sustainable profitable growth of approx. 6% p.a.. The strategy was supported by a new vision/mission, newly developed corporate values, and leadership principles.

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Scope: Complete group of companies
FTEs in the Scope: ~400
Strategy and organizational realignment for a broad-based medical retailer
Scope: Complete group of companies
FTEs in the Scope: ~400
Task :

Our client, one of the leading German medical retailers, was no longer able to cope with the growth of the last few years driven by the many acquisitions with the current business model. To overcome these challenges, the positioning was to be reviewed in its entirety and the implications for the business model(s) were to be derived - as the basis for a new, integrative and future-oriented strategy.

Approach :

Market & trend analysis, comprehensive analysis of the current customer and product portfolio as well as the associated business models, SWOT, joint definition of new business models, derivation and prioritization of strategic thrusts, detailing and (qualitative and quantitative) evaluation of the thrusts, implementation planning.

Result :

The project has positioned the group in 4 pillars, each with its own business model and dedicated organizations, developed a new strategy to strengthen the own brand and defined a new future-oriented organizational structure.

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Scope: Full value chain from R&D, product registration to market approval
FTEs in the Scope: n.a.
Program management and support of the introduction of a cross-functional IT platform for the development of medicine at a leading manufacturer of pharmaceutical applications
Scope: Full value chain from R&D, product registration to market approval
FTEs in the Scope: n.a.
Task :

The introduction of a new IT platform was designed as a multi-year development project with substantial CAPEX in the amount of EUR 300m. The task was to standardize the existing system architecture and to replace a large number of individual programs and applications via a platform solution. Internal resources were supported on a large scale by external vendors and system integrator capacities. For all IT service providers involved, the scope and complexity of the project was unique.

Approach :

Establishment of basic project and governance structures during the initiation and first months of the development project. Onboarding of cross-functional internal project resources and external support capacities. Operational leadership and governance of complicated matrix structures in a very large project organization with more than 300 roles and many people involved.

Result :

Effective and efficient program management with a high sense of proportion for the dynamic project circumstances. Close control of all program stakeholders. Implementation of the cross-functional IT platform "in time, in budget and in quality".

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Scope: Strategic transformation
FTEs in the Scope: ~330
Strategic development of the clinical function of a global pharmaceutical group in the context of a leadership change
Scope: Strategic transformation
FTEs in the Scope: ~330
Task :

The company has a function that makes a significant contribution to the innovation process in animal health by conducting clinical studies. After a change in the management level, the goal of the project was to generate transparency and understanding of what action needs and capabilities exist within the function today (I) as well as to question whether the current organizational structure meaningfully bundles the existing activity portfolio for the challenges of the future (II).

Approach :

Workshop-based elaboration of basic principles (Operating Principles), query of requirements for the future design of collaboration within the organization (Start, Stop, Continue), derivation of recommendations for action based on the internal value creation logic (guided interviews), definition of short- to medium-term key topics for the management level of the function (Focus Areas), concept development for the highest organizational level of the function (Building Blocks).

Result :

The successful transparency phase (I) resulted in the need to transform the function being transparently addressed for employees, the management level and the associated steering committee. In addition, it was possible to create a uniform understanding of the extent to which an adjustment of the organizational structure (II) can be a first step toward improved management and more efficient use of existing resources (speed, quality).

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Scope: Strategic transformation
FTEs in the Scope: ~100
Further development of the animal welfare organization for a global pharmaceutical company
Scope: Strategic transformation
FTEs in the Scope: ~100
Task :

Within the function for conducting clinical studies in animal health, a management role exists in the company to ensure animal welfare and protection (so-called Animal Welfare) both procedurally and regulatory. The aim of the project was to analyze the range of tasks of this area of responsibility and to examine how current and future requirements are (or can be) covered by the existing construct within the organization.

Approach :

Review and evaluation of existing materials and documents, definition of vision & mission of the organizational unit for animal welfare and protection, creation of an overview of relevant stakeholders and actors, preparation of existing as well as derivation of expected needs for the service portfolio, development of a methodology for the classification and prioritization of activities for the future task spectrum (incl. deviation analysis), development of a decision logic for internally and externally supported animal models (so-called animal models).

Result :

The successful implementation of the project led to a transparency of the necessity for a transformation of the existing management role, i.e. the increased focus on different task areas of the service portfolio (compliance, innovation). In addition to the organizational structure required for this, the additionally required resource needs were derived and transferred into a decision document for the management body of the function.

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Scope: Digital strategy
FTEs in the Scope: ~1,200
Digital strategy in the research division of a pharmaceutical group
Scope: Digital strategy
FTEs in the Scope: ~1,200
Task :

The research and development department of a manufacturer of animal pharmaceuticals implements digitization projects only sporadically and in an uncoordinated manner. To maximize the benefits of digital technologies in the future, a digital strategy is to be developed and concrete use cases implemented.

Approach :

Develop an overarching target picture for the digitization of the R&D area along the biggest value drivers (acceleration, complexity reduction & data utilization) as well as three focus areas (collaboration, automation & analytics, and simulation). Implementation of a governance body to steer digitization activities. Conduct workshops to identify relevant digitization activities and prioritize them based on the defined target picture. Supporting the designated project teams in the conceptual implementation of prioritized measures. Development of a communication concept to integrate the entire organization.

Result :

The defined target picture enables digitization activities to be selected and implemented in a targeted manner based on the expected value. Initial Lighthouse initiatives also deliver concrete improvements and make the benefits of the digitization approach tangible for the entire organization.

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Scope: Digital tool development
FTEs in the Scope: ~1,200
Development of a digital tool for strategic and operational management of innovation projects Research unit of a pharmaceutical company
Scope: Digital tool development
FTEs in the Scope: ~1,200
Task :

As part of the integration of a newly acquired business unit, the company faces the challenge of standardizing the project management systems while driving the overarching digital transformation. The goal of the project is to develop a tool for managing the projects and to adapt it to the individual requirements. In addition to project data, processes and reports for committees and management are to be recorded and created by the tool.

Approach :

Identify the requirements and individual needs of the users and the management. Translate the requirements into a concept in close coordination with our IT partner, who evaluates the technical feasibility and accompanies the implementation. Implementation of an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) and iterative adaptation in 2-month improvement cycles. Continuous exchange with the users.

Result :

The specifically developed platform is used for the daily control of project activities, as well as for the control of the project portfolio by the management team. The platform will be iteratively extended to map further activities along the R&D value chain and to manage projects from the first idea to the final product.

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Scope: Digital tool development
FTEs in the Scope: ~1,200
Development of a digital platform for the systematic aggregation and use of disease-related data & information in the research unit of a pharmaceutical company
Scope: Digital tool development
FTEs in the Scope: ~1,200
Task :

The global pharmaceutical company is facing problems in managing its R&D portfolio: Although specific indication areas have been prioritized for the development of innovative products, significant shares of R&D activities are allocated to non-prioritized indications. New coordination and communication processes are to support the company in aligning strategy and activities. A digital platform is to support the company in harmonizing processes across different business segments as well as enabling alignment of strategy and R&D portfolio.

Approach :

Develop a process to define and regularly review the research strategy with the leadership team. Translate the requirements into a technical concept and manage the technical implementation of the digital platform. Creation of access concepts for demand-oriented control of access rights. Extension of the digital platform to link the strategy with the ongoing R&D activities and development of suitable tools for portfolio management.

Result :

Individually developed digital platform as a single source of truth for the coordinated research strategy to ensure targeted research activities and reduce R&D activities outside the defined target corridor. High employee acceptance through access to research priorities and clearly defined expectations. The digital platform is to be expanded in the future to include further use cases and act as a central hub for the research and development department.

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Scope: Global development processes
FTEs in the Scope: ~260
Development of a new operating model for a global development unit of a veterinary group
Scope: Global development processes
FTEs in the Scope: ~260
Task :

Due to a company merger a few years earlier, the company had already had to deal with the integration of the various sites. During the corona pandemic, an initial re-organization was carried out, during which synergy effects failed to materialize. The goal of the project was to increase the performance of the development unit by designing an organizational structure that promotes collaboration and creates synergies.

Approach :

Interview and document-based transparency phase to capture functional goals, activity portfolio, and current strengths and levers for improvement; derive clearly defined organizational design options; and define and delineate roles and responsibilities and describe the target organization.

Result :

The successful implementation of the project resulted in development projects being carried out more reliably and with better quality, as activities that are critical to success were better aligned with each other.

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Scope: Global reorganization
FTEs in the Scope: ~1,000
Digital transformation in the research division of a pharmaceutical group
Scope: Global reorganization
FTEs in the Scope: ~1,000
Task :

A large international pharmaceutical company wants to optimize its research organization with regard to digital application areas. Due to individual silo approaches of the research areas, potentials in the area of big data and analytics have not been sufficiently exploited so far. By introducing a central data & analytics unit, data quality is to be increased and collaboration between the various functions improved.

Approach :

Recording of the status quo of the Big Data units, definition of the future strategic orientation, development of the operating model, derivation of the future organizational setup, roles and responsibilities, support of the implementation and changes in the management team.

Result :

The realized realignment and reorganization increased the added value of the Big Data and Analytics units. The stronger strategic orientation, a clear division of activities, and the establishment of a vital Big Data community significantly improved the units' contribution to successful research projects.

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