The interim manager was commissioned by a statutory health insurance company with around 2,500 employees as Interim Chief Digital Officer. In three years, the health insurance company had not managed to digitize various business processes and the processing of incoming and outgoing mail with satisfactory results.
Analysing the causes of the lack of success of digitization
In discussions with the board and management team, it became clear that the management had greatly underestimated the complexity of the task. The interim manager analyzed the causes of the sluggish approach using a strengths and weaknesses analysis. This revealed that, on the one hand, there was hardly any expertise in digitalization. On the other hand, the organization was not equipped to handle ambitious cross-company projects. The rigid project patterns were also preventing better results.
Breaking down silo thinking and introducing agile working methods
In one-to-one meetings with managers and employees, the interim manager identified the weaknesses and friction losses between the business units and IT in detail. It quickly became apparent that the processes between the divisions were very formalized. The employees were trapped in rigid process models. Furthermore, the employees were risk-averse. Based on these findings, the interim manager was given wide-ranging competencies to drive the digitalization initiative forward.
The interim manager began the reorganization by establishing an overarching programme structure for the federally organized projects in order to bundle competencies and promote decentralized decision-making in the matrix organization.
Based on the agile framework of SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework), he formed cross-functional teams. He established product owners and replaced the waterfall processes with an agile process model. To ensure greater flexibility in implementation in line with requirements and added value, the interim manager switched to rolling planning.
The success was not long in coming. Very good results were achieved after just the first 3 months.
Intensive training for agile methods such as KANBAN, MVP and SAFe
The interim manager also launched a comprehensive training offensive. He provided intensive training on the SAFe process model and agile working methods such as Product Owner, Scrum Master, MVP, EPICS profiles, features and KANBAN. He also trained managers in agile leadership.
In total, the interim manager organized and held more than 40 training sessions across all management levels.
Successful establishment of a digital "base plate" and digitalization centre
In another sub-project, the interim manager structured the parts of IT involved in digitalization along the value chain. He enabled the 40 or so employees to become part of the cross-functional agile teams and work through projects transparently according to priorities. He introduced KANBAN (JIRA) software to create transparency and deploy resources in a targeted manner without overloading them.
This made it possible to achieve significant results
Building a digital base plate: digital customer communication with incoming and outgoing mail, electronic files for all clerks, 360-degree view of customers and provision of a wide variety of channels for customers
Building a new digitization center, which is home to an independently operated scanning center with state-of-the-art technology
Agile working methods extended to all projects and plans with IT involvement
Because of the very good results, the interim manager has now been commissioned to scale agile methods for the entire company, in particular for all projects and plans with IT involvement.
The interim CDO instructed all divisions to list all projects, plans, change requests and IT requirements. Within 5 months, a complete overview of more than 500 projects for the next 5 years was created.
The implementation of these projects is in the hands of the new CDO, who now has access to agile processes and a highly qualified team.
