DIFKO is an investment company with 110 employees developing and selling investment projects in Denmark and other nearby European countries. Their project portfolio consists of big ships, buildings and environmentally friendly energy projects. DIFKO has a strong position in its market as a trustworthy partner for investment projects.
Through the implementation of the QPR ScoreCard, DIFKO’s strategic management information is available where it makes sense.
“Relevant business information is the basis for all management disciplines. Only when core management information is available to key personnel as a basis for direction setting and decision making it makes sense to talk about softer leadership disciplines such as coaching in an organization.”
Thomas Boll Matthiesen, Chief Marketing Officer
CEO Stig Holst Hartwig and Thomas Boll Matthiesen wanted more focus on the company strategy throughout the organization. The link from the overall objectives to operational tasks was not clear: In order to achieve the goals for a fiscal year, what do we need to do on a day to day basis?
One Man, Two Jobs – and a Great Challenge
Thomas Boll Matthiesen has the responsibility of more than one area in the organization of DIFKO. He is responsible for marketing activities as Chief Marketing Officer for the private investment company and also personal assistant to the CEO of DIFKO.
When getting assigned to the project of deploying strategic intentions and making strategy operational, Thomas started a series of workshops where key success factors for each business area were defined in order to make it clear how the groups and teams were supposed to contribute to corporate business goals.
Development projects, tasks and initiatives were defined and the teams were entitled to come up with the success criteria for each topic. This way the KPIs were identified and agreed upon.
Setting Free Management Resources
It is claimed that the main threat to modern companies active in several different business areas is no shortage of capital or lack of competent employees: Too many companies the real economic question is how to make management capable of managing the more and more complex organizational challenges and process information without too much waste. Therefore, it becomes essential to maximize the middle managers’ understanding of strategic issues and make it easier to communicate strategic implications to their teams or groups.
Difko head office in Holstebro, Denmark
Deployment of strategy can even become an important business advantage if general problems and smaller issues can be solved according to the business strategy but on the lowest possible organizational level.
And there are quite a few other private investment companies in Denmark, so the objectives for Thomas Boll Matthiesen’s project were to improve company efficiency through the deployment of the overall company strategy and create a stronger commitment to the corporate strategy.
It was necessary to make corporate strategy visible in daily work so after the process of deployment of strategy and definition of KPIs, Thomas looked for a system to make objectives, initiatives, and especially their connections and implications visible for a greater part of the organization.
After a few meetings with Amplio Management discussing the basic functionality of QPR ScoreCard, it was decided to use it as the business information tool.
“QPR ScoreCard improves organizational knowledge, business understanding, and commitment to the company’s strategy. All employees at DIFKO have now access to the relevant information on the same portal.”, says Thomas Boll Matthiesen.
Making Information Available throughout the Organization
The experience from Thomas’ past as a Management Consultant tells him that strategy information management is the basis for all corporate controlling and coordinating activities.
“Think of the pyramid of needs by Maslow. Food, sleep, and clothes most people need to be satisfied for humans to be able to enjoy other aspects of life on a higher level of needs. In the same way relevant and precise information on strategic goals – together with implications for the individual functions within the organization – must be clear and visible to the members of the organization.
Difko’s project portfolio consists of big ships, buildings, and environmentally friendly energy projects.
When this is secured, you can start working with softer disciplines such as personal leadership and coaching in the organization. In this way you create a commitment to mission, vision, and strategy and become successful,” Thomas Boll Mathiesen says.
View of Difko’s QPR Portal
Improving Organizational Knowledge
Middle managers at DIFKO are now able to make the link from strategy to everyday business procedures and communicating objectives is no longer a struggle.
Thomas Boll Matthiesen highlights the following benefits of using QPR ScoreCard for strategic development at DIFKO:
- It’s simple to use
- It’s easy to implement
- It’s easy to make strategy and strategic goals visible
- It’s easy to communicate day-to-day development in strategic goal realization to the organization
- It improves organizational knowledge, business understanding, and commitment to the company’s strategy
- All of the 110 employees have now access to relevant information on the same portal
Through the implementation of the QPR ScoreCard, DIFKO’s strategic management information is available where it makes sense. So the company is now ready to focus on developing personal leadership skills.
Setting Free Management Resources
It is claimed that the main threat to modern companies active in several different business areas is no shortage of capital or lack of competent employees: Too many companies the real economic question is how to make management capable of managing the more and more complex organizational challenges and process information without too much waste. Therefore, it becomes essential to maximize the middle managers’ understanding of strategic issues and make it easier to communicate strategic implications to their teams or groups.
Difko head office in Holstebro, Denmark
Deployment of strategy can even become an important business advantage if general problems and smaller issues can be solved according to the business strategy but on the lowest possible organizational level.
And there are quite a few other private investment companies in Denmark, so the objectives for Thomas Boll Matthiesen’s project were to improve company efficiency through the deployment of the overall company strategy and create a stronger commitment to the corporate strategy.
It was necessary to make corporate strategy visible in daily work so after the process of deployment of strategy and definition of KPIs, Thomas looked for a system to make objectives, initiatives, and especially their connections and implications visible for a greater part of the organization.
After a few meetings with Amplio Management discussing the basic functionality of QPR ScoreCard, it was decided to use it as the business information tool.
“QPR ScoreCard improves organizational knowledge, business understanding, and commitment to the company’s strategy. All employees at DIFKO have now access to the relevant information on the same portal.”, says Thomas Boll Matthiesen.
Making Information Available throughout the Organization
The experience from Thomas’ past as a Management Consultant tells him that strategy information management is the basis for all corporate controlling and coordinating activities.
“Think of the pyramid of needs by Maslow. Food, sleep, and clothes most people need to be satisfied for humans to be able to enjoy other aspects of life on a higher level of needs. In the same way relevant and precise information on strategic goals – together with implications for the individual functions within the organization – must be clear and visible to the members of the organization.
Difko’s project portfolio consists of big ships, buildings, and environmentally friendly energy projects.
When this is secured, you can start working with softer disciplines such as personal leadership and coaching in the organization. In this way you create a commitment to mission, vision, and strategy and become successful,” Thomas Boll Mathiesen says.
View of Difko’s QPR Portal
Improving Organizational Knowledge
Middle managers at DIFKO are now able to make the link from strategy to everyday business procedures and communicating objectives is no longer a struggle.
Thomas Boll Matthiesen highlights the following benefits of using QPR ScoreCard for strategic development at DIFKO:
- It’s simple to use
- It’s easy to implement
- It’s easy to make strategy and strategic goals visible
- It’s easy to communicate day-to-day development in strategic goal realization to the organization
- It improves organizational knowledge, business understanding, and commitment to the company’s strategy
- All of the 110 employees have now access to relevant information on the same portal
Through the implementation of the QPR ScoreCard, DIFKO’s strategic management information is available where it makes sense. So the company is now ready to focus on developing personal leadership skills.
