Three perspectives, one goal
With the L2S project, we are paving the way for a future-proof IT landscape. But how is the project team actually experiencing this change? We asked them!
The Design Office is a hive of focused activity. On the 8th floor of our current temporary premises, ahead of our move, the L2S team meets regularly to discuss concepts and tackle challenges. For our discussion, we have brought together three colleagues who are involved in the project from different perspectives: Project Manager Ralf Jagow, Anna Sophia Bielecki (Deputy & Stream Head EAM & WSC) and Nicola Körtke (Stream Head LOG & CAR)
L2S: What’s it all about?
L2S, which stands for ‘Legacy to Standard’, is one of the largest transformation projects in the IT sector. The aim is to consolidate the existing core systems – WAMOS!, HERMES and its4rail.logistics – with a single central service provider. This will involve transitioning from multiple service provider contracts to a single central partner – our long-standing service provider, TCS.
Important: The WAMOS!, HERMES and its4rail.logistics systems will remain in place; there are no plans to take them offline as part of the project or at any point this year.
Rather than talking about systems, processes and technical architecture (you can find out more about that → here, by the way), today we’re interested in Ralf, Anna and Nicola’s perspectives on L2S. It quickly becomes clear that each role brings its own set of challenges, expectations and experiences. Together, they paint a multifaceted picture of the project.
The people behind L2S
Ralf: Focus on the future
For project manager Ralf, L2S has been more of an opportunity than a challenge right from the start. “Let’s get on with it – we’ve already carried this out successfully twice,” were his first thoughts at the start of the project. For him, L2S is yet another exciting project aimed at collectively taking IT services at VTG to a new level. He sees the biggest challenge as being the transfer of knowledge: over many years, valuable expertise has been built up within the existing ERP systems, which is now being handed over to the service provider TCS. At the same time, it is important to him to “convey the spirit of this outstanding IT project to the users as well”.
When would you say: L2S is on the right track?
“As far as I’m concerned, L2S is on the right track if TCS handles the tickets reliably and our IT team can focus more on value-adding tasks.”
Anna: The foundation for the next step
“Having already implemented SAP and CRM AMS with TCS, the next logical step is to do the same for our legacy systems,” says Anna. For her, the project lays the foundations for further standardisation of the system landscape. Just like Ralf, she also sees the transfer of knowledge regarding the legacy systems – which have evolved over time – to TCS as the greatest challenge. At the same time, she believes that the human aspect must not be overlooked amidst all the technical considerations: “Our IT colleagues must be properly supported throughout the project and find their place in the future way of working.”
When would you say: L2S is on the right track?
“We’re on the right track if TCS takes over day-to-day support operations and, above all, if internal teams gain the freedom to focus on new areas.”
Nicola: Cross-functional collaboration
As Stream Head for LOG & CAR, Nicola focuses particularly on the complexity of the overall project: “L2S is, of course, a highly strategic and, at the same time, complex project.” From previous projects, she knows just how challenging collaboration across different teams, systems and external partners can be. Yet it is precisely in this that she sees an opportunity to improve processes in the long term. The biggest challenge for Nicola? Coordinating the many people involved. That is why creating transparency, aligning priorities and ensuring everyone is focused on the common goal are all part of her day-to-day project work.
When would you say: L2S is on the right track?
‘As far as I’m concerned, L2S is on the right track if we have a clearly defined roadmap for our support and the solutions are running smoothly.’
Ensuring that change is successful
L2S is not just a technical project, but also a change initiative for the many people involved in IT. To ensure that these changes are transparent and that any questions or reservations can be addressed at an early stage, the project has been supported by professional change management from the outset. To this end, the project team drew on the expertise of the external change manager, Alexander Diers. Over the past few months, he has laid important foundations for managing the change, put communication measures in place and encouraged an open approach to the change process.
This conversation shows that the success of projects such as L2S depends not only on updated systems or processes, but above all on the people who work together to get them off the ground.
Would you like to find out more about the project? You’ll find plenty of further information on VIBES about the project’s objectives, timetable and progress.
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