German manufacturer Wanzl, the global market leader in the shopping cart segment, was among the many companies that introduced Microsoft 365 tools during the pandemic. To ensure that the digital workplace is properly embedded and used within the organization, Wanzl is working with Campana & Schott to create the right structures. The strategy for this was mapped out on the basis of the Campana & Schott DWP best practice approach.
Wanzl GmbH & Co. KGaA, based in the German town of Leipheim, is a manufacturer of shopping carts and luggage trolleys. The company offers over 100,000 high-quality products and solutions for the areas of shop solutions, retail systems, logistics, airports, access solutions, and hotel service. Owned and operated by the third generation of the same family, Wanzl has over 4,600 employees at production sites and sales branches spread around the world.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the company rolled out Microsoft 365 cloud solutions at its central locations to make it possible for people to work together virtually from home. Over time, it turned out that working processes using these tools were not very firmly embedded within the organization, nor were they being used as efficiently as desired. In response, Wanzl launched the Business Partner IT program to position its IT closer to the business units and actively support value-creating business processes.
The white paper titled „IT at the crossroads“ discusses where IT departments stand today, the challenges they are grappling with, and the possible solutions when it comes to positioning themselves as shapers of innovative processes. Wanzl shows to impressive effect how IT teams and business units can work together to drive digitalization.
Wanzl chose Campana & Schott as the implementation partner for this project.
The consultants initially held workshops and interviews with Wanzl employees and stakeholders from the specific departments involved. This served as the basis for identifying these groups’ needs and goals for the project: getting Wanzl ready for the future by having the IT team support the departments so they could take the next steps in the products’ evolution. Additional objectives included using the applications provided more efficiently and refining and further developing the digital workplace at Wanzl.
To achieve the latter aim, the partners launched a subproject with a focus the digital workplace. The goal for this strategic project was to develop specific steps, including a roadmap for putting them into action. The customer’s needs and the requirements from the business units were identified to create structures for more-efficient use of the Microsoft 365 tools and the accompanying operational processes. The biggest challenge at this stage turned out to be balancing the wishes and requirements of the departments with existing IT resources and restrictions such as ongoing software licenses and consolidation of legacy systems. Prioritization from the departments served as the basis for the roadmap.
Based on its own best practice approach, Campana & Schott created a decision-making document for the implementation of the project. The team first worked with Wanzl to develop a sound, forward-looking strategy with a focus on the benefits to be realized.
To this end, Campana & Schott analyzed the requirements and potential of the digital workplace based on ten collaboration scenarios: file sharing, teamwork, communities, corporate news, business applications, search and people, learning, hybrid work, self-organization, and onboarding. These scenarios match those found in the German Social Collaboration Studie.
Finally, the key modules from the roadmap were depicted based on 12 project profile cards. The cards encompass various tools and the areas of file and document management in the cloud, intranet, newsletters, onboarding hub, change management, and governance. For each area, the project profile cards describe upcoming tasks, project goals, risks in case of non-introduction, necessary resources, the time horizon, and the expected time, effort, and expense. This forms the basis for short-, medium- and long-range project planning for the further development of the digital workplace at Wanzl.
The strategy devised is to serve as a basis for rolling out and optimizing the structures for the digital workplace largely uniformly around the world. This will simplify operation and support, along with cross-location cooperation. Plans call for increased use of a further developed and adjusted digital workplace by frontline workers as well in the future so all employees can benefit from the new solution.
Wanzl is now giving more consideration to the needs of specific departments with the introduction of Microsoft 365. An overarching strategy, comprehensive structures, and adoption and change management are optimal ways to support the further development and refinement of the digital workplace with an eye to establishing its benefits in the long term. Campaigns help to raise awareness among employees so they can use the DWP effectively and truly advance toward the business units’ goals.
Digital Workplace
Collaboration Strategy
Strategic IT Management
Adoption & Change Management
