Work is carried out in groups and decisions are made jointly. © B.I.G., Harry Schnitger

Intensive discussions with the workforce revealed that hierarchies and the resulting coordination loops generated a great deal of emotional pressure, as did rigid planning and control systems. The Scansonic development department became the blueprint for new structures and processes. Initiated and driven by the shareholder, one of the largest restructuring processes in the company's history began.

Employees take responsibility

Haschke is convinced that everyone strives for self-determination and creativity, but that the existing structures too often restrict them. He found inspiration for the planned reorganization from former McKinsey consultant Frédéric Laloux. He analyzed companies that had successfully broken new ground and were extremely successful on the market. They all have three things in common: teams organize themselves and take responsibility for their decisions. The focus is on people as a whole, because where status and competitive thinking disappear, it becomes possible to make an authentic and empathetic contribution. And thirdly, these companies allow for an evolutionary development of the company by not bindingly defining strategies.

Scansonic systematically eliminated management levels and replaced them with teams, which are now located directly below the management level. Decisions are made in the teams. Scansonic follows the Scrum method for collaboration. Originally used in software development, Scrum has long since proven itself in agile project management in other areas too. Projects are not planned down to the last detail. The illusion of predictability is abandoned. Instead, only the most important milestones are defined. The team works its way forward in bi-weekly sprints. Modifications can be taken into account immediately and customers also gain flexibility as a result. A so-called product owner keeps an eye on the topics. The days of contractually stipulated specifications are a thing of the past at Scansonic.

The experience gained at Scansonic was incorporated into the establishment of Gefertec, which was founded in 2015. The start-up developed 3DMP, a new process for the 3D printing of metallic components of up to 3 m³. Over the past four years, Gefertec has grown from three to 42 employees. From the very beginning, the company has focused on agile working methods and flat hierarchies. The newest member of the B.I.G. family, flying-parts, is a laboratory for new working structures. The company uses Gefertec machines to produce everything from individual parts to small batches. Three employees take turns, sometimes in unison, to take on the tasks of work preparation, production and customer support. Each employee can make almost every decision on an equal footing with the managing director.

The heart beats high-tech

How can the experience at B.I.G. be summarized? Like all major changes in organizations, the restructuring at Scansonic initially caused unrest. Not all employees wanted to go down the new path. Nevertheless, the majority were open-minded. "Change doesn't happen overnight and requires patience and trust from the company management," emphasizes Haschke. Perhaps the biggest challenge was to give the teams the necessary freedom. He sees this as the most important reason for the failure of many companies to switch to agile working methods: Teams are formed, but decisions are still ultimately made by the line manager. "If necessary, you have to protect the teams from the managers!"

The transformation has paid off for Scansonic. Development cycles were shortened. Customer satisfaction, measured in regular surveys, increased. The company is increasingly perceived as a partner rather than a supplier. Identification with the company and its own role has increased and continues to do so, as shown by the employee survey conducted twice a year. Last year, over 70 employees took part in focus groups to develop the new employer branding strategy. The apt claim combines people and product and gets to the heart of the matter for everyone: "My heart beats high tech". The open cooperation - even across company boundaries within B.I.G. - even catches the eye of visitors.

Leisure activities ensure a pleasant working environment. © B.I.G., Florian Alt

All of this is accompanied by a series of measures on campus that you would expect to find in Silicon Valley: from vending machines with free coffee specialties and the barbecue hut on the flower meadow to the beach volleyball court and free yoga classes during working hours. "But that's really just the icing on the cake - not the core of a New Work strategy," emphasizes Haschke. His tip for companies that are just starting to deal with the topic of New Work: "Don't start implementing it until the most important decision-makers in the company are really on board."

Christiane Herzer, Press & Public Relations, B.I.G. Marketing Consulting