The starting point: four failed initiatives, €23M without ROI
When a Fortune 500 company with 95,000 employees approached us, the situation was complex: four failed digitalisation initiatives in three years, €23M invested without measurable ROI, and an increasingly sceptical workforce.
Our approach: people first, then technology
Our approach differed fundamentally from that of the previous consultants. Instead of starting with technology, we began with a company-wide analysis of energy and workload. The result was sobering: the average burnout index stood at 67 — well above the critical threshold of 55.
Phase 1 (months 1–6): human performance as the foundation
The first phase (months 1–6) focused exclusively on human performance:
- 120 executives went through the BIOS programme
- 800 team leaders received VMS training
- Synergy-team structures were introduced in 45 pilot departments
The first measurable results
The results were measurable:
- The burnout index fell to 42
- The escalation rate dropped from 38% to 15%
- Meeting quality rose by 44%
Only on this foundation did we start the actual digitalisation — and this time with an adoption rate of 91%.
Phase 2 (months 7–18): operational lift and scaling
Phase 2 (months 7–18) covered the operational lift:
- Process digitalisation in 12 core areas
- AI integration in quality control and customer service
- Introduction of company-wide innovation management with 35 innovation fields
The overall result after 24 months
The overall result after 24 months:
- €47M in additional annual revenue
- EBITDA margin up from 14% to 19%
- 2,300 internal innovation proposals, 340 of them now being implemented
- The ROI: 14:1