Working towards a future-proof organisation

In the previous years, the organisation had twice attempted to professionalise its operations in a more structured way. On both occasions, these efforts failed to gain sufficient momentum. Bright & Company was therefore engaged to support the development of a widely supported multi-year strategy.

Based on this strategy, we designed an integrated professionalisation programme and led its implementation. Key priorities included revisiting the organisation’s strategy and establishing clear priorities across the objectives of the various departments.

Close collaboration with employees across the organisation was at the heart of the approach. We began by analysing why previous attempts at professionalisation had failed to deliver the desired results. To do so, we spoke with all managers as well as a broad cross-section of employees. These conversations also helped identify the areas that required the greatest focus and attention.

The findings were translated into an organisation-wide professionalisation programme. Each department was given its own roadmap, with clear objectives and concrete actions. Alongside this, five cross-functional improvement projects were launched to address priorities that were important to the organisation as a whole.

Throughout the programme, considerable attention was devoted to strengthening ownership among department managers, their teams and the executive leadership team in its role as the organisation’s guiding body. The approach was characterised by a clear structure, deliberate choices, active engagement, perseverance and a strong focus on development. Throughout the process, energy, accountability and progress remained central.

Over the course of two years, the organisation made significant progress in its professionalisation. Revenue grew by more than 30%, while the quality of execution also improved demonstrably. This was reflected, among other things, in a reduction in the number of incidents and an increase in customer satisfaction.

The results were also strategically significant. While the original plan had been to integrate the organisation into the parent company, its accelerated professionalisation contributed to the decision that it could continue to grow as an independent organisation.