A Winning System of Management

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Schneider Electric’s Race to Transform  

As the digital landscape evolves and daily procedures become more automated, firms are sprinting to remain relevant. Keeping up with the digitization of the world was never an option; however, today it is not only important to keep up but to think a step ahead of the competition. Schneider Electric has always kept this in mind, ensuring safe, reliable, efficient, and sustainable management of energy and processes. As part of this, we are committed to making the most of our energy and resources, using innovative technology to do so, while partnering with other leaders.   

One of our biggest goals right now: to reduce Schneider Electric’s dependency on old systems, while improving the customer experience, increasing employee engagement, and creating value through business-led initiatives using best-in-class Agile® methodologies.  

 The Power Couple Relay  

Transformation in alignment with our company purpose and mission takes immense planning and constant re-calibration; and leading a complex transformation takes agility, patience, and trust.    

We achieve this alignment through robust internal communication and a commitment to our vision, having hand-selected subject matter experts and senior leaders who know Schneider best. The real secret though? A special partnership between innovative technology and the business that we refer to as the ‘Power Couple.’ The project team assigned to achieve this goal leverages this ideology to ensure a seamless transition of systems and synchronization of steps in the race to digitization. Leading change without this relationship is like running a relay race with a partner who doesn’t know they entered until the starting sound goes off. In this case, the baton is likely to get dropped in the handoff.  

In my previous role as a business transformation leader, I was called the “domain” leader who owned the end-to-end business process enabled by digitization. My counterpart was the “digital” leader who managed the end-to-end technology platforms and applications. Together we worked in a dual delivery leadership model to create value and alignment across the program. In practice, the Domain leader is responsible for the ‘What’ and the ‘Why’ and the Digital leader is responsible for the ‘How’ and the ‘When’.

  A Winning System of Management  

Before you get ready to run, you had better make sure your laces are tied. To ensure that these loose ends are knotted securely, our team has defined a system of management that outlines a regular cadence between the ‘Power Couple’s’ Domain and Digital leaders.  Specifically, this means that alongside Lean Agile® “ceremonies” (meetings), there is a robust series of engagements with stakeholders, an executive panel, IT (Information Technology), Finance, and more. We work in a multi-stakeholder environment, developing close relationships with other business leaders to effectively train and prepare the business for success.  

With this simplified governance structure, our team has deployed multiple solutions with NO business disruption. These releases have not only reduced Schneider Electric’s dependency on outdated systems, but expanded margins, reduced costs, automated processes, and improved data visibility, to name a few.  In doing so, the team has delivered millions in value to our P&L, while also expanding productivity for our partners and increasing our internal employee engagement.  

  Crossing the Finish Line  

We win when our customers and partners win.  With a main pillar focused on delivering real value, customers not only feel the benefits from this transformation, but our partners do, too. Without their support and commitment, crossing the finish line wouldn’t be possible. Ultimately, the collaborative approach is a testimony to how we do business and the importance we place on our partnerships, internally and externally.  

Transforming your business through automation and modernization is no easy feat. At Schneider Electric, we’re not just automating existing processes, we’re seizing the opportunity to re-engineer and re-imagine how we work. The digital complexity that exists within every large-scale company makes the need for internal buy-in and alignment much greater. Despite this, the return on the investment resulting from increased automation, speed to market, business continuity, and agility are undeniable. This all goes to show that those who dare to disrupt with a customer-first mindset will be rewarded.    

For Schneider Electric, the combination of the ‘Power Couple’ and advanced system of management enables us to run full speed ahead into completing this monumental transformation. If you’re committed to changing the way you work, we challenge you to put this system to the test and cross that finish line strong.