Implement IT system change with agile methods and accompany the change

In the digital change project "Future Image", genua GmbH relies on a modern way of working: Hybrid project management, a high degree of self-organisation, participative decision-making and the accompaniment of change in the company from the very beginning characterise the complex project.

Due to the strong further development of the company in the past years, the requirements have changed - among others for the IT core system. In order to meet the ambitious objectives, a large-scale project is being set up that will trigger a transformation in the company at various levels, which will be accompanied by strong change management in the project from the very beginning. In addition, the project is characterised by a high level of employee engagement, an agile to hybrid methodology, a participative approach as well as flexibility to manage the high level of complexity. The common thread besides the strong performance in the project - noventum.

The Münster-based management consultancy noventum consulting has accompanied the project from day one by supporting the initiation and further development of the hybrid project organisation as well as accompanying the change at genua.

genua – Excellence in Digital Security

Founded in 1992, genua GmbH ensures the IT security of digital infrastructures in complex, critical or legally regulated environments. It contributes to the ability to act and the sovereignty of companies and public organisations in a dynamic, networked world. In doing so, it ensures that the opportunities this world offers can be used. Already affiliated as an investment in 2015, genua GmbH has been a wholly owned subsidiary of the Bundesdruckerei Group since February 2020.

With a strong development of the company, the need for a new solution grows

Significant increases in turnover, growth to over 350 employees, more and larger partners and customers as well as the fast and dynamic developments on the market require high demands on the IT system that supports the operative work on a daily basis. genua GmbH has intensively considered which IT system can meet these demands - the current solution, a further developed version of it, or a completely new solution? It took the answer to this question and the resulting exciting change seriously and designed it with the help of modern characteristics in cooperation. The decision recommended by the project team fell on Microsoft Dynamics 365 - and with it came a challenging and motivating objective!

About an ambitious goal and a large-scale project

The decision to replace the core IT system, which has grown and proven itself over decades, affects a large part of the company and has a strong impact on processes and culture. The management as the client of the project invited all employees to participate from the beginning in order to gather as much expertise as possible and to promote the acceptance of decisions to be made.

A lot has happened since then: Project phase 1 revolved around the decision of whether to replace or further develop the old system, with the decision for an external, replacement system. In project phase 2, the project team worked out which solution and which implementation partner were suitable for genua. In the current 3rd project phase, the implementation of the Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP and CRM solution is being prepared. The implementation is planned for the remaining project phase 4!

rom the very beginning, noventum consultant Alina Göbel was involved as a sparring partner for the project management and her successor, consultant Dr Kerstin Kurzhals. genua employees Katharina Kalchner and Janina Greifenberg are responsible for the hybrid project "Future Vision ERP and CRM" as dual leaders and provide information about the ambitious project in an interview.

A technical system change means transformation on many levels

nc360°: Ms Kalchner, what goals do you, genua GmbH have associated with the "Future Image" project?

Let's take a brief look at the initial situation: The project started in May 2020 as "TNT future image". TNT is our self-developed all-rounder system for ERP, CRM, project management, time recording, ticket system, HR software and much more - in other words, everything that is needed operationally in everyday business. This TNT has been with us for almost 30 years! Unfortunately, it no longer meets the requirements placed on the solution.

At the same time, these very requirements have moved with the times: genua GmbH wants to

• continue to grow while remaining competitive
• provide a high standard of service and professionalism
• exploit cross-divisional synergies and gain efficiency
• ensure effective client communication and collaboration
• relieve the burden on employees and appear as an attractive employer.

Our overarching objective stems from these perspectives: we want to change our IT systems in order to strengthen the future viability of the company.

nc360°: What are the components of this objective, and thus of the planned change?

On the one hand, it is a transformation of the company at the cultural level: genua traditionally stands for in-house development and now we are relying on Microsoft. This replaces old values and brings new ones into the world - with all the opportunities and challenges.

On the other hand, the transformation takes place at the process level. We take the opportunity to put all the business processes that have developed over the years to the test before we map them in the software.

Another transformation level is the technical level. We are separating the all-rounder system into various new systems, outsourcing functionalities from the familiar environment, and we have to build up expertise elsewhere.

nc360°: That's a lot of change at once. Is that taken into account in the project?

Since the beginning of the project, we have had a dedicated team within the project that deals exclusively with communication and change management. They have an eye on what the stakeholders and those affected need and who can provide it.

These activities are incredibly valuable for the project; blogposts are written, appointments with change agents are organised, videos are shot, impressions from the project are shared, we have developed a change story and a whole change management toolbox. A lot of expertise has flowed here - internally and from Noventum.

Participation creates solutions for all - the chance to participate and make a difference

nc360°: How have your colleagues reacted to the change plans?

The employees reacted differently - very positively or very critically.

There are colleagues who work very intensively with our old system. They know all the advantages, but also the weaknesses of TNT. These colleagues are very committed to joining and are actively participating in the changeover to the new applications. They benefit from the change and are excited because they are their own customers and can design their own future working environment.

Other colleagues see above all that we have a very high security standard with our own solution and do not have to consider any external dependencies. Microsoft and the dependence on a large corporation is the extreme opposite - many aspects of this decision have been discussed.

nc360°: How did you deal with it?

In short, we offer all employees the opportunity to get involved in the project and help shape it (even better)!

The project lives on voluntary cooperation. Many topics are new and have to be worked out first; here we cannot fall back on existing roles and responsibilities, but rethink them.

The project team consists of employees who have the necessary expertise and work in the processes and areas that are most affected. We develop the direction in the project together - because no one knows better about the decision criteria and impacts. That is why the content input on decision proposals and, more importantly, the recommendation comes from the experts in the project team.

nc360°: "Participation" is an important element of agility. How did you get involved in the project in the first place? How do you win over your fellow participants?

The greatest motivation remains to help shape the future and to use the opportunity to improve one's own working environment. In addition, we regularly call for specific roles and topics and ask the company if there are any interested parties. This results in a large project team and an equally high level of expectation.

nc360°: Of course, that brings a considerable amount of energy to a project like this.

Absolutely. In our project meetings, especially the review at the end of an iteration, you can see particularly well how many topics are being worked on simultaneously and how many wheels are turning in this project at the same time. That is as exciting as it is complex!

Meeting complexity with conscious flexibility

nc360°: What prompted you at genua to set up your major digital change project in an agile way?

At the beginning, we had a completely open but complex decision question to work on. We wanted to bring about a reasoned decision template and were open to any outcome. This is what an agile project makes most sense for.

Since the subsequent project phase, we have continued to have a very high level of complexity, which we counter with agile techniques. However, the openness to results has visibly decreased; accordingly, we have increasingly moved away from the agile methodology towards hybrid project management.

These agile techniques and the hybrid approach are expressed, for example, in an iterative approach with meetings familiar in agile project management, such as planning, review and retrospective; however, we have made the cycles longer than the typical two to a maximum of four weeks. The actual work is done in small teams, but above this is a PRINCE 2 shaped construct in response to the requirements from the company.

nc360°: What aspects of working methods are particularly important for you in this setting?

For us, one characteristic runs through the project phases and all teams: a high degree of self-organisation and personal responsibility.

Due to the diverse and complex topics, there is no one person who can oversee all topics and have expertise everywhere. Therefore, each topic to be worked on, so-called epics, has a responsibility; they are responsible for formulating the tasks for the coming iteration and implementing them themselves as well as accompanying the implementation by other key users. They continuously exchange information with the project management, the consultants of our implementation partner and the solution architect and also consult with the line on decisions regarding the process design.

The red thread: noventum

nc360°: What role do noventum advisors have in your project?

Alina Göbel and, since the beginning of the year, Dr Kerstin Kurzhals have played an important and ongoing role in the project as her "successor". Alina Göbel was already involved before the project kicked off in June 2020 and helped to shape the project methodology from the outset in collaboration with the project management at the time.

In the initial project phases, Ms Göbel moderated the project meetings, continuously monitored the project methodology and pointed out any need for adjustments, and worked with the project management team to shape the meetings and the overall approach to the project. She asked exactly the right critical questions and was firmly involved in the project. Whether the project was about the transition to a new project phase, the preparation and implementation of a workshop or the use of a new application for tracking user stories - Ms Göbel and Dr Kurzhals were always a valuable support in the initiation as well as in the implementation.

The noventum consultants were also part of the above-mentioned communication and change management epic throughout and contributed significantly to the measures described in the change story and the change management toolbox. Ms Göbel and later Dr Kurzhals contributed new ideas and a great deal of energy to the existing expertise in this team.

noventum's consultancy has thus made an important contribution at the level of project management and internal support for this critical change in the company and has reliably accompanied us through the project phases.

In the meantime, when we needed more technical expertise on the topic of vendor selection and content preparation for software design, the two consultants Frank Schlottbohm and Harald Hau stepped in and provided support on specific issues.

In the current phase, the requirements of the project have changed. noventum has once again reacted very flexibly and will now support Dr Kerstin Kurzhals in her new role as process coordinator - we are very much looking forward to continuing our collaboration!