Interim CIO: Specialty Chemicals, Germany

The Client

Our client is a leading global manufacturer of chemical auxiliaries for various industries. It is a family-owned company whose business areas include B2B with, for example, the ceramic industry, textile, chemical fiber, and leather industries, as well as manufacturers of cosmetics and cleaning products. In addition, other chemical sectors are also served.

The Challenge 

The position of CIO in the company is being filled. Due to the previous poor project management and inadequate leadership of the employees, core projects in the company have become unbalanced and at the same time cannot be postponed. The department is therefore supported by an interim CIO in order to improve the situation until the new incumbent takes up his post. The main task is to modernize the old IT infrastructure and eliminate the deficits in the entire process chain. This is preceded by a detailed analysis of the structure's responsibilities, functionalities, and transparency. The lack of system transparency impedes efficient work. The interim CIO's priority is to review the company's business processes with regard to optimized IT support and the opportunities for increasing efficiency and effectiveness and establishing improvements.

The Solution 

At the beginning of the project, a detailed survey of all SAP users was conducted to evaluate the current situation. This quickly identified prioritizations to improve the status quo (troubleshooting, optimization, documentation, etc.), iteratively in a 2-week rhythm. Effective project management tools were introduced with a focus on transparency and collaboration. The IT organization was restructured and rebuilt based on the realities (personnel, skills, and competencies) and future orientation. A cooperative and participative management style in terms of employee empowerment was introduced. As a communication channel, direct communication with the CIO was always enabled. In coordination with HR and the Works Council, direct reports were implemented in the IT area and a multidisciplinary project organization was established with the participation of various departments in the value chain and in IT. The IT infrastructure was modernized and the supply chain optimization project was significantly improved by outsourcing shipping processing, among other things.

The Results

The following results were achieved by the time the permanent CIO took over the position:

• Achievement of SAP's business performance
• Alignment of the necessary organizational structures and responsibilities with the process model
• Error-free forms/documents
• Transparency of the schedule sequence in the sales order process
• Confirmation of the order to the customer
• Development of dashboard for visualization of relevant key figures
• Initiation of an S & OP process as well as inventory management
• Increase in user satisfaction