The modern business world faces a multitude of challenges that make it increasingly complex and unpredictable. This phenomenon is often referred to as the "VUCA world", an acronym that stands for Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity.
The VUCA world is characterized by rapid change, economic turbulence, technological progress, political instability and global challenges such as pandemics. These factors lead to increased volatility, as the framework conditions for companies can change drastically in a very short space of time. Uncertainty increases as forecasts and long-term planning often become unreliable in such an unstable environment. Complexity increases as companies are confronted with a multitude of factors, players and interests in their markets and in the world at large. Finally, ambiguity means that it is often difficult to obtain clear information and make appropriate decisions.
We have realized that in this world, things no longer work the way they "used to". Digitalization in particular will fundamentally change our working lives. Progress will not be stopped from advancing. Nothing can be planned for one or more years. Permanent upheaval is normal. We will now have to set off without knowing the exact path. This has a fundamental impact on the organizational structure and culture of a company.
We are a medium-sized family business with over 70 years of tradition. Nevertheless, change, transformation and simply doing things differently are on our agenda every day. For us, standing still means going backwards. That is why we have made a conscious decision to move away from fixed structures and introduce agility and flexibility where it makes sense. Without hierarchies and long decision-making processes.
The digital transformation has revolutionized the business world in recent years, forcing companies to adapt and rethink. A key insight is that the change is not only technological in nature, but also requires a comprehensive realignment of corporate culture and structure.
Corporate culture plays a central role as it forms the basis for change. It is important to create a culture that promotes openness to innovation, agility and continuous learning. Employees should be encouraged to bring in new ideas, take risks and continuously develop themselves.
The company structure must also be adapted to meet the requirements of the digital world. This often involves dismantling hierarchies and promoting agile, networked teams that can react quickly to changes. The integration of digital technologies and data into all business processes is also becoming increasingly important.
We have developed so-called Big Pictures for our most important topics, which create a kind of target image - where do we actually want to go? They give us orientation and a focus.
The digitalization target picture illustrates our subject areas - processes, products and production. It shows which core topics and projects are the focus.
The sustainability big picture illustrates our most important project areas. Among other things, we refer to renewable energies, material cycles, our products and also our employees.
We have defined nine core values that are particularly important to us. These include, for example, openness, respect and honesty. We believe in the strength of the team and promote a working environment in which ideas and opinions are valued. We encourage our employees to take responsibility and learn from mistakes. For us, open communication is the key to successful collaboration and innovation.
Independent, cross-departmental working groups meet regularly to work together on overarching topics - these may well be topics that are not necessarily part of employees' day-to-day work, such as the further development of our culture, projects relating to sustainability or the design of the company. This allows everyone to contribute their individual strengths and grow.
In an open space workshop or meeting, participants are encouraged to bring in topics and questions that interest them or are relevant to the group. The participants then organize themselves into small working groups to discuss these topics and develop solutions. It encourages commitment, personal responsibility and the development of creativity and ideas in group work.
In 2019, we closed our business for two days to hold an open space event with all 200 employees. This laid the foundation for the development of recent years. Every employee was able to contribute topics and ideas, which were then worked on together in working groups. Agile working methods were explained and practiced, which are still part of everyday working life today.
The culture of innovation at BEULCO is an integral part of our corporate philosophy. We firmly believe that innovation is the key to the long-term success and further development of our company. Our culture of innovation is characterized by agility and the ability to adapt quickly to change. This has also given rise to our BEULCO Digital and Clean business units, for example.
After intensively exploring the topics of digitalization, Industry 4.0 and AI, we have recognized the benefits and infinite potential that digitalization offers for the company in all areas. This has also led to the conviction that digitalization also offers precisely these opportunities, possibilities and potential for companies in the water supply sector. This gave rise to our BEULCO Digital division.
For years, we have had disinfectants in our range for disinfecting standpipes and drinking water distribution systems. When disinfectant was simply sold out at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, but was urgently needed in schools, hospitals and nurseries, we further developed and approved our product as a surface disinfectant, resulting in an environmentally friendly product without alcohol - the basis for today's wide range of disinfectants and cleaning products.
Our corporate culture has a significant influence on the topic of sustainability. A culture that values and promotes sustainability helps to ensure that sustainability goals and practices are better anchored at BEULCO. Among other things, we focus on our employees - because sustainability is not just about nature and the environment, but also about the well-being of each individual.
Drinking water is the focus of our actions - by working on products, systems and solutions for drinking water supply every day, we have a major influence on our most important foodstuff and therefore also bear a social responsibility. Our vision and mission is focused on drinking water - and gives every employee a meaningful task.
We have recognized the digital transformation as a decisive step in our corporate development and initiated the process years ago. We have developed a clear vision for the digital future and are continuously working on aligning our corporate structure and culture accordingly.
We have recognized that flexibility and agility are of crucial importance. We have started to dismantle rigid hierarchies and rely on networked teams instead. These teams are able to react quickly to changes and develop innovative solutions. We have also invested in integrating digital technologies and data into our business processes in order to increase efficiency and transparency.
We place great value on openness to innovation and continuous learning. Employees are encouraged to contribute new ideas and take risks. Training and development is an integral part of the culture to ensure that all employees can develop the necessary digital skills. This process never ends - but it is an indispensable part of our culture.
Our management philosophy is based on transparency, communication and continuous improvement. We attach great importance to an open corporate culture in which ideas and suggestions from employees are welcome. This helps us to grow and continuously develop as an organization.
Our managers are aware of the importance of sustainability and social responsibility and are committed to environmentally friendly practices and ethical behavior. They strive to lead BEULCO as a responsible and future-oriented company.
Our management system has been audited by Bureau Veritas and meets the requirements of DIN EN ISO 9001:2015.
This applies to the development and manufacture of components, assemblies, systems and software for water supply in the field of civil engineering and building services.
In our white paper, we shed light on the effects of digital transformation and the VUCA world on organizations and employees. What are the challenges? What role do managers play? What needs to change? The "Change in practice" section provides a practical look at how an organization changes.