Middle-European Wholesale Specialized Building Supplies - IT Strategy, IT Operating Model and CIO Change

The in middle-Europe well-suited wholesaler is specialized in building supplies, which he delivers to selected B2B client segments. Continuous investments in logistics concepts, novel marketing concepts, process optimization, and digital innovations put the wholesaler in a unique position, offering an attractive USP to their clients.

The CIO has served for many years and wanted - in alignment with his managing director - to actively shape his last years before retirement, including succession planning.

Challenges and opportunities in further scaling digital capabilities, integrating international subsidiaries, making decisions on their ERP system, and strengthening their cross-departmental objectives, such as IT security and data management, are ahead.

The goal of the project was to develop an up-to-date IT strategy as well as an aligned IT target operating model, considering the following key points in particular:

• Align with the overall corporate strategy
• Reflect the needs and priorities of the business functions
• Understand the strengths and weaknesses of the current IT landscape, the IT operating model as well as the context of architecture, IT sourcing, the project portfolio, and business / IT alignment
• Derive scenarios for the succession planning of the CIO
• Consider the identified challenges and opportunities in further scaling digital capabilities, integrating international subsidiaries, making decisions on their ERP system, and strengthening their cross-departmental objectives, such as IT security and data management

The following approach has been taken to develop the new IT strategy and a corresponding target IT operating model:

• Interviews with selected business executives, board members, the CIO, and his management team
• Analysis of the existing IT strategy and key documents, as well as a briefing workshop series with the CIO
• Development of an updated IT vision and guiding principles
• Workshop series with the CIO and the managing director on the options and cornerstones of the envisioned IT strategy and the target IT operating model
• Iterative development of the new IT strategy and related target pictures
• Communication to the board, the IT team, and relevant stakeholders

The project length for developing the IT strategy and the target IT operating model was approximately 7 months.