Case studies

Results from real client engagements.

Four examples show the initial situation, what Bergkreuz changed and the result achieved.

Industrial company

From recurring delays to reliable fulfilment.

Initial situation

The company had accumulated a large backlog because regulatory obligations were repeatedly not completed on time.

A large number of parallel initiatives, unidentified dependencies, conflicting functional priorities and unclear responsibility repeatedly left work waiting.

What we changed

Established the full picture.

All initiatives relevant at this level became visible together for the first time – from regulatory obligations and improvement initiatives to other complex projects.

Prioritised jointly.

Dependencies became visible, and the initiatives were prioritised against one another across functions.

Anchored accountability.

A member of the senior leadership team took responsibility for each prioritised initiative. The change itself was anchored as a prioritised initiative with an internal sponsor in management. Bergkreuz designed the approach and implemented it with a six-person team across the first three leadership levels.

Consulting company

Connect strategy and Lean Portfolio Management effectively.

Initial situation

Client work, internal initiatives and strategic initiatives competed for the same capacity. There was no shared framework that made initiatives comparable and enabled deliberate decisions about priorities, focus and what not to pursue.

At the same time, the company continued to develop its strategy in a dynamic environment strongly shaped by AI. Yet strategic decisions and hypotheses were not systematically connected to the portfolio and ongoing initiatives.

What we changed

Established Lean Portfolio Management.

Together with those accountable inside the company, Bergkreuz developed an LPM approach. It made initiatives transparent and comparable and created the basis for clear portfolio decisions.

Connected strategy and portfolio.

Strategic decisions, objectives and hypotheses were translated into concrete initiatives. Traceable criteria made it possible to prioritise them.

Connected decisions and learning.

Shared formats for strategy and portfolio connected prioritisation and investment decisions with insights from execution. This created a continuous learning cycle.

Automotive

Scale, achieve objectives more reliably and respond faster.

Initial situation

The business area comprised two departments with around 200 employees and was responsible for developing software across a broad technological range – from cloud-based systems to components closely coupled with hardware.

Numerous dependencies on other business areas and hardware development, as well as the involvement of many suppliers and partner companies, made coordination difficult. Across three-month planning cycles, the area often achieved only around 30 per cent of the agreed objectives. At the same time, it was expected to grow to six departments with around 600 employees.

What we changed

Took on operational responsibility through interim management.

As part of an interim management engagement, Bergkreuz shared operational leadership of the area with an internal manager and shaped its scaling from two to six departments.

Clarified decision-making levels and boundaries.

Responsibilities and decision levels were clearly separated. Departments and teams could therefore act independently within defined boundaries without leaders continually intervening in the levels below.

Managed work, dependencies and interfaces.

Parallel work was limited and dependencies within the area, with hardware development, suppliers and partner companies were actively managed. Vertical and horizontal interfaces within the area, as well as communication with external stakeholders, were clearly defined.

Paidy

Delivering a complex payment integration under high uncertainty.

Initial situation

The integration of a payment gateway had not succeeded despite substantial prior work. One significant cause was the provider's incomplete and partly incorrect documentation.

What we changed

Established short feedback cycles.

A two-person development team delivered concrete, verifiable results in fixed two-week cycles.

Integrated end to end from the outset.

The payment workflow was integrated and tested end to end from the outset. Components that were not yet available were replaced by placeholders or deliberately simple interim solutions – including a purpose-built dummy app. This exposed open questions, false assumptions and gaps in the documentation early.

Continuously safeguarded quality.

Test-driven development, pair programming and test coverage of almost 100 per cent kept the implementation stable and adaptable at all times.

A first conversation

What is it you want to achieve?

Book a free, no-obligation introductory conversation. Whether it's a growing backlog or a strategy that needs to reach daily work — we talk about what you want to achieve or change, and whether Bergkreuz is the right partner.

Your specific situation at the centre
No finished diagnosis required
An honest assessment of whether Bergkreuz is the right partner

Sebastian Nickel Co-founder of Bergkreuz · Your contact

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