Please share your experiences with the global LDF program: How long have you been part of it, and what are your responsibilities within the program?
I have been actively part of the Digital Future program for the past four years, ever since I joined Ledvance. Initially, as the Group CFO, I took on the key responsibility to help provide the 'To-Be' framework and its capabilities for Finance. Later on, I moved into more of a Sales and Marketing responsibility as the Executive Senior Vice President.
I have consistenly been a member of the LDF Steerco and actively contributing to the decision making and ensuring the program's success. Currently, my role within the Steerco involves addressing challenges, driving decisions and helping to drive the program forward from an executive perspective.
What do you consider to be the main challenges within the LDF transformation, and what strategies do you think could effectively address these issues?
Transitioning Ledvance towards increased digitalization is an ambitious goal, especially when it involves shifting mindsets and processes that have been in place for more than 10-20 years. I understand that introducing Salesforce, S/4 Hana, SAP Ariba, Team Centre, aEWM, Sucess Factors all at once is an incredibly complex task, but it is crucial for improving effciency, speed and product time to market.
This journey is not only about harmonizing data and standardizing processes but also fostering a business mindset transformation, where key users and end users need to embrace the benefits of Global processes and new state of the art systems. We need to acknowledge that people will need to understand the vision and advantages of the complex program, but with open communication, trust in our team members and willingness to adapt, we will find our own way forward. We need to harness the potential of these new digital tools, which will pave the way for Ledvance's future success as a modern, digitalized company.
The advantages and opportunities of this transformation outweigh the challenges.
How will the LDF program help in realising Ledvance's vision and future operating model?
A lot of competition is entering the industry and LED is becoming more common. I've recognized the increasing challenges posed by a competitive landscape and growing demand for innovation. To maintain our market leading position, it's crucial to prioritize agility, respond promptly to local market needs and continue to deliver premium products.
By harnessing the power of advanced tools and technologies, we can significantly enhance our speed and decision-making capabilities. A critical aspect of this strategy involves cultivating a digital focused mindset within the company, focusing on sales digitalization and eventually embracing AI, Chatbots and other cutting edge solutions. The LDF transformation is an ambitious program and to ensure success we need to retain our premium brand, as well as having a competitive footprint across the world.
What significant benefits or outcomes do you expect from the LDF program for the entire organization?
The B2C world has undergone a significant transformation due to digitalization and it's crucial for the B2B sector to follow suit. LDF is poised to lead this change within Ledvance by adopting a more agile and data-driven approach.
We have already been recognized as a top supplier by famous industry providers, which serves as a strong foundation for further growth and success.
Key strategies to drive LDV's digital transformation in the B2B realm include:
1) Leveraging data for sales and marketing campaigns, harnessing the power of data analytics will enable us to create
a targeted impact for marketing initiatives that cater to our B2B partners.
2) Working closely with our partners to shape our business will ensure that our digital transformation aligns with their
evolving expectations and requirements.
3) Understanding the perspectives and experiences of our employees is vital to the success of these initiatives by
maintaining the pragmatic approach and addressing potential concerns we can facilitate a smooth transition
towards the more digitized B2B landscape.
4) By embracing digitalization we can enhance efficiency and speed up our product to market process and ultimately
improve our overall performance to drive more sales.
Ledvance Digitial Future is our future engine to drive growth.
