Shifting market parameters in a globalized world full of uncertainties are changing the business models of companies and organizations at ever shorter intervals. To remain competitive in the medium to long term, companies are constantly having to adapt their strategies, processes, and structures to new conditions. Digital transformation topics such as Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things, software platforms such as CRM and ERP, digital technologies such as AI and blockchain, and the new, often platform-based business models of online pure players continue to challenge business leaders to rethink their world and make their next steps transformative or even disruptive.
Other drivers of change include government regulations and new legal standards, innovative ways of working and collaborating – in line with the New Work principle – as well as employees wanting to work in a company with purpose and have constant opportunities for personal growth and continuing professional development. Added to that, growing numbers of internal and external stakeholders are demanding a sustainable strategy that complies with ESG (environmental, social, and governance) criteria, without which it is becoming increasingly difficult for companies to finance or refinance their business. At the same time, shareholders are pressing for ever better performance, higher profitability, and improved financial KPIs. Meanwhile, employee representatives and works councils are insisting on job security, good working conditions, and more co-determination. Successful corporate transformation thus requires a mastery of complexity.
To rise to these challenges, companies need to have a clear vision of their future and must work in close cooperation and alignment with all stakeholders. Effective communications across the entire team are imperative. Strong stakeholder management is the key to ensuring a smooth (digital) transformation and making sure that the management, supervisory bodies, and employees and their representatives all pull together to achieve the business's realignment.
A professionally managed process across all aspects of the transformation is absolutely essential to achieving successful change that the workforce and other stakeholders will want to get behind. With our support, you will be able to keep sight of customer needs and the business's long-term success and initiate a workforce transformation aligned with the core competencies and key skills the future demands. As consultants with the experience of hundreds of corporate transformations under our belt, we help our clients take the necessary steps towards a future-proof structure for their business. We work with management and consider the standpoints of significant stakeholders to develop strategies for the business's transformation, which we then guide and implement.
In a workshop or other collaborative setting, we work with our clients to design a suitable, lean, and agile organizational structure for their business, develop a clear HR strategy including delivery model, steer the entire organization through the digital transformation and other change processes, and build up the required leadership skills within the company, including through coaching and cultural audits. With our expertise as advisors, we also support stakeholder communications.
Depending on client needs, we either guide the processes or take the role of Chief Transformation Officer and manage them centrally. Zero-based redesign is also possible.
We understand, however, that organizational challenges – and particularly full-scale digital transformation – impact each company differently due to their unique characteristics, different business models, and diverse business environments. Working hand in glove with our experts in restructuring and performance improvement, we support the transformation of your organization to achieve higher adaptiveness and better competitiveness. Our transformation projects also benefit from the expertise of Roland Berger industry experts who will be familiar with the market trends, competitive environment, and benchmarks applicable to your industry and your company. With our global positioning, we cover all of the key industries and business sizes around the world and can thus offer a tailor-made solution to suit each client's individual situation.
We offer strong expertise in several areas closely related to corporate transformation. These include organization, people, and transformation and stakeholder communications. We can support you with scenario planning so that you are ready for any wild card or black swan events, however unlikely they may be. We also have essential experience of tackling the digital transformation of companies and business models, making change management work (including coaching), and working with agile methods.
Organization, people & transformation
With our seasoned team of consultants and experts experienced in the various business functions, we ensure organizational excellence for our clients by transforming their processes, workforce/HR, leadership style, and corporate culture. We can also guide the digitalization or digital transformation of your company and business lines as needed. We implement efficient overhead structures – particularly, a state-of-the-art HR function (which we can digitalize for you if required) with a modern service delivery model – and work closely with you to develop a human resources strategy that is in line with your corporate strategy and supports the business objectives. We plan staffing needs and workforce deployment using a proven approach that makes negotiations with employee representatives and labor unions easier and creates measurable P&L effects. We also keep an eye on SG&A costs and implement global business services or outsourcing models where appropriate.
Talent management: All topics related to attracting and retaining employees; this includes driving state-of-the-art talent management, recruiting, learning, and development as well as establishing a strong employee value proposition. Talent Management also covers implementing a people-driven organization and enhancing the employee journey/experience
Worforce transformation: Major global trends such as digitalization, scarcity of talent and changing business model lead to a constant need to reshape the workforce in terms of more efficient and effective ways of working - including skilles, roles, and allocations within the organization. Workforce transformation ranges from understanding the workforce demand (and supply based on strategic scenarios to performing a valid gap analysis and action planning, e.g. transformations of performance improvements, driving negotiatios with employee reps, or the feasibility / cost of reskilling / upskilling programs
Culture and leadership: Large transformations require a shift in mindsets. Modern leadership models need to change and incentive systems are needed to foster the intended behavioral change. Culture and leadership also covers implementing a purpose-driven organization and establishing new ways of working to engage employees and their needs, e.g. across-generations
Diversity & inclusion: Diversity and inclusion is a crucial topic requiring sponsorship and bold actions from top management. Setting clear and quantified objectives is key. Applying diversity in employer branding, cultivating corporate language, targeting work-life balance, and new ways of working are just some of the measures to embrace diversity and inclusion sustainably in the organization
HR operating model: This aspect covers analyzing, benchmarking and designing the target operating model for the HR function, including HR strategy, products/services, processes, roles, and responsibilities, as well as the HR IT landscape and governance. The objective is to infuse people aspects with CEO/CHRO perspectives and CFO-related financial considerations to support business transformation while enabling efficiencies and automation where possible
Developing a target structure for your organization that takes into account the requirements around digitalization and the needs of the current and future business and fits the defined strategy; deriving any necessary transformation measures; guiding the change process and sharing best practices from our broad-ranging and diverse pool of consulting projects; targeted digital transformation of the entire company or individual areas such as Marketing, Engineering, or Production.
Developing and delivering interventions that encourage and empower managers and employees to behave in desired ways; promoting a corporate purpose; measuring the impact of interventions; applying a people and staff centered approach that combines practical experience with insights from neuroscience and other disciplines to create the motivation for change.
Establishing lean, efficient, and agile overhead functions and reducing SG&A costs; applying insights-based approaches to modernize and digitalize the corporate headquarters, including establishing or optimizing global business services; state-of-the-art structures and (digital) processes for the business functions such as Finance, Marketing, and HR. This goes hand in hand with establishing or optimizing the corporate headquarters based on jointly defined needs, resizing the workforce accordingly, and ensuring the desired value-adding capabilities, such as digital expertise.
We help you make your company both more efficient and more powerful and support you in transforming into a future-proof organization. We can also offer you the right solutions for the digital transformation you need.
Our in-depth knowledge on all aspects of organization, people, and transformation puts us in a position to advise corporations large and small, as well as public-sector institutions such as public utilities and hospitals.
Our goal is to make your company or organization fit for the future. Depending on project needs, the key to success may lie in reorganizing your corporate headquarters or digitalizing your processes, including workforce transformation. We help you define a transformation strategy and support you in delivering it, always with one crucial goal in mind: to ensure a successful corporate transformation.
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