Futur Zwo

Herbert von Kaufmann

Work Management Platforms

Key and Core to Digital Transformation

Context - A classification

In today's digital world of work, it is about networked working, learning and using knowledge, gaining insights for future decisions, becoming better as a company, making information quickly comprehensible at all levels, and always communicating in the context of tasks, processes and decisions.

Thus the English term "Work Management" has been established, Gartner defines it as follows:

Work management is a set of software products and services that apply workflow structure to the movement of information as well as to the interaction of business processes and human worker processes that generate the information. Work management streamlines and transforms crucial business processes and thus can improve results and performance.”

Now it is about the balancing act between specific tools for each topic and the desirable state of a unified environment, thus the term "work management platform" comes into play:

“A work management platform is a software application that enables individuals and teams to organize, plan, track, and collaborate on their work. It provides a centralized platform for managing tasks, projects, and workflows, allowing team members to work more efficiently and effectively.

Work management platforms typically offer a range of features, such as task and project management, calendar integration, team collaboration tools, and reporting and analytics. They may also integrate with other productivity tools such as email, chat, and document sharing applications.

Some popular work management platforms include Asana, Trello, Basecamp, Jira, and Microsoft Teams. These tools are commonly used in various industries, such as software development, marketing, and project management, to improve team productivity, communication, and overall workflow.”

ChatGPT, retrieved 3 April 2023

However, I would relate the term to the organisation as a whole, also and especially in order to take into account the requirements for the exchange of knowledge, the company-wide acquisition of knowledge, and the necessary company-wide control.

A contemporary work management and collaboration platform also supports companies in implementing desired changes in working, organising and leading and a corresponding culture, such as cooperation across structures and hierarchies up to co-creation in the network of companies and/or with customers, more transparency, trust and self-organisation, learning, agile and above all contemporary digital working.

Above all, such a platform must meet the technological and functional requirements of larger organisations at enterprise level, especially with regard to data storage, security and access rights, business intelligence, and integration with the corporate IT ecosystem, mostly Microsoft.

Use Cases for Work Management Platforms

The possibilities are enormous in the context of projects, processes, rules & procedures and corporate management. Depending on the inherent logic of a use case or entire application fields, there is also a great benefit in standardisation and replication (e.g. organisation of events, mapping of routines, implementation of construction projects, M&A projects) or in flexibilisation and agility (KanBan-driven processes, Scrum and Sprints, projects with fuzzy solutions or solvability, OKR).

The following list provides a brief overview:

  • Processes (internal and external customer requirements, task management, purchasing, applicant management, HR onboarding, creation of ideas or measures, ...)
  • Projects (simple to X-functional and complex, merger and post-merger, with or without external participation, co-creation spaces,...)
  • Portfolio management (projects, initiatives, overview of performance of local and global units, linking to strategic KPIs,...), any other dashboards
  • Standard routines (simple or extensive, internal audit or compliance checks,...)
  • Planning, implementation and follow-up of events, trade fairs and other firmly scheduled and multi-layered events and events.
  • Innovation processes & idea creating and development
  • Integration with ERP-Workflows (SAP, MS Dynamics 365,...)
  • Administration & Coordination (team and department management, secretariat,...)

Approach for selection and implementation

The introduction of a work management platform entails significant changes for the affected company departments and levels. In the context of unknown possibilities, it makes little sense to retain previous working methods, processes and management tasks and merely "translate" them into a new technology. The introduction is therefore always a transformation process, and it is essential for the success of the transformation and the achievement of the qualitative and quantitative goals to determine the appropriate steps (which topics/areas first, with whom).

Approach (example):

Topic/ step 1:

Evaluation of work management platforms (e.g. Asana, KanBo, Wrike, Clickup, Workfront) - definition & prioritisation of requirements, strategic fit, application breadth and depth (best of bread or one app approach), piloting, decision, outline migration & transformation

Topic/ step 2:

Design & Transformation - Design & management process for transformation, advice on architecture & design of company-specific application fields; advice on work, control, information flow & reporting across all levels including C-level.

My Services

  • Selection of suitable platforms - design & control process & procedures
  • Design & management process for the transformation of existing processes, ways of working, information flows and control instruments
  • expert and systemic support for pilot groups - design of company-specific fields of application, advice on change and transformation aspects
  • Systemic support in the context of the introduction of work management platforms - enhanced competences and change in terms of leading, communicating, deciding, dealing with transparency and conflicts etc.

My expertise in relevance to the topic

I get to the heart of the matter. Strategically, functionally and technically on the platform side, with extensive experience in the relevant application fields and at all levels of organisations/corporations, the design and management of company-wide transformation processes, as well as extended systemic competence in organisational development.

  • Almost 10 years of experience with work management platforms - selection, piloting and implementation for the various business scenarios
  • Thought leader and co-designer of the next generation of work management platforms in the enterprise environment - special expertise and insights into the KanBo platform
  • Deep knowledge of all relevant issues (technical, functional, strategic) and conceptual/ architectural approaches
  • Long-term expertise in management and organisational consulting (e.g. PwC, IBM and KPMG) - 10 years application development and implementation SAP, then 8 years management and strategy as well as M&A
  • Management of a cc unit "Strategic Projects" at MLP Finanzberatung
  • Appropriately extensive experience of managing projects​ (simple to X-functional and complex, merger and post-merger, with or without external involvement) and the information and control needs at all levels of an organisation.
  • Extensive expertise with transformation processes in organisations also from a systemic process perspective

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