Finanz Informatik reorganizes infrastructure consulting

Finanz Informatik, the digitalisation partner and central IT service provider of the Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe, has fundamentally reorganised its Infrastructure Consulting division. In a comprehensive change management project, the service provision process was completely revised and aligned with the increased requirements and needs of customers. FI-Infrastrukturberatung is thus realising an important step in the digital transformation and is following the IT service provider's long-term strategy. The Change@IB project was implemented over the course of more than a year in close collaboration with the consultants from noventum consulting.

From product orientation to customer focus

The Change@IB project aimed to transform the Infrastructure Consulting division of Finanz Informatik from a product-oriented to a customer- and service-oriented organisation. The internal structures and working methods were to be made more efficient through a new organisational structure and adapted process organisation and the customer perspective was to be placed more at the centre. Carsten Höpfner, Head of Infrastructure Consulting at Finanz Informatik, outlines the initial situation: "Our previous structures and working methods could no longer fulfil the increasing requirements and growing complexity of customer needs. A change was necessary."

Initial situation and challenges

The Infrastructure Consulting division was originally characterised by a strongly product-oriented structure. The internal processes and working methods were organised along this structure and there was a desire among customers and employees for a more efficient approach that put the customer at the centre ("first to the customer"). In addition, many employees had multiple roles and responsibilities, which limited their performance and led to overloads. The increased need for advice from FI customers made comprehensive and solution-orientated advice essential.

The Change@IB project aimed to change the structural and process organisation of the Infrastructure Consulting business unit towards an end-to-end (E2E) focus. The focus was on developing and implementing a new role and collaboration model and creating a customer-oriented structure along already defined E2E topic bundles such as "Workplace", "Communication & Collaboration", "Self-Service" and "Network Infrastructure".

A central element of the project was the clear definition of responsibilities and roles in order to achieve better focussing and reduce the workload of employees. The new departmental structures and the adaptation of interfaces and processes, both internally and externally, posed significant challenges. noventum supported the entire process with targeted change management and comprehensive communication measures.

Results and achievements

The Change@IB project achieved several tangible results that can be felt both internally and externally:

Success factors and key learnings

• Key learnings from the project include the importance of participation, the need for diverse and regular communication and the importance of feedback loops and a positive error culture.

  • Employee involvement and participation: The active involvement of all employees in the development and implementation of the changes was crucial to the success of the project. This promoted the acceptance and commitment of the workforce.
    
    
  • Continuous and transparent communication: Open and regular communication via various channels and formats ensured that everyone involved was always informed about the progress of the project.
    
    
  • Establishing a culture of error: By promoting a culture in which mistakes are seen as learning opportunities, it was possible to strengthen employees' own initiative and personal responsibility.
    
    
  • Common vision: The development of a common "North Star" at the start of the project was a key pillar of the project's success. It helped to pool the various interests and create a common understanding of the objectives.
    
    

Conclusion

The change management project Change@IB at Finanz Informatik impressively demonstrates how customer and service-oriented infrastructure consulting can be achieved through a structured and comprehensive reorganisation. By involving all employees, communicating continuously and strengthening the culture of change, Finanz Informatik was able to overcome the challenges and achieve significant improvements in customer advice.

Carsten Höpfner summarises: "Thanks to the realignment, the customer perspective is now our central focus. This transformation has significantly improved the quality of our advice and brought us closer to the needs of our customers."

The results and insights gained from the project provide a valuable basis for future changes and show how important it is to consider both structural and cultural aspects in a change management project.