IT Without a Foundation
At the start of the mandate, the IT organization was not delivery-capable: An overloaded Head of IT and a young team (6 employees) were stuck in constant firefighting mode, lacking governance, processes, or clear leadership. Critical knowledge (passwords, infrastructure) was held by a single individual – an existential risk. At the same time, there were major security gaps (no established IT security), outdated systems, and licensing deficiencies. Service quality was inadequate, and internal customers were dissatisfied.
Stabilization Under Pressure
The transformation required addressing multiple critical levers simultaneously: Building trust within the team, making skills transparent, and resolving the single point of failure. In parallel, on-site resources had to be developed, a stable work rhythm established, and technical risks (security, compliance, infrastructure) tackled in a structured way – all while ensuring short-term delivery capability.
Trust as a Lever
IT was transformed from a reactive unit into a trusted business partner. The core of the strategy was building trust through visible stabilization and kept promises. First, roles, responsibilities, and a work rhythm were established – only then came systems. Transparency on costs, risks, and service quality, along with security as a leadership task (not a technical project), formed the foundation. The goal was a controllable IT with clear governance, high security maturity, and application responsibility as the interface between business units and service providers.
Stabilize and Deliver Simultaneously
The implementation followed a clear three-step approach:
- Build trust through clear communication, accessible contacts, and initial quick wins.
- Create clarity with a realistic assessment of team skills, documented knowledge, and distributed responsibility.
- Establish controllability through ITIL-based governance (ServiceNow), project portfolio management, and prioritized initiatives.
In parallel, the technical foundation was stabilized: Security framework (NIST), IAM, cloud transformation (Azure), and SIEM/SOC. Only afterward did application modernization (ERP, MES, CRM) and process optimization follow – always with a focus on acceptance and smooth transitions.
