Strengthening market position and achieving synergies through cooperation

Two independent organisations under a joint umbrella association wanted to cooperate on a broad scale to be better equipped to face the challenges of the market, exploit synergies, and show one face to the market. The cooperation was to involve realigning the structural and process organisation, overall strategy, internal and external communication, and leadership. Once particular challenge was the long history of the two organisations, which had led to very different working methods and cultures.

Together with first- and second-level management from the two organisations, IFOK developed the goals for the cooperation process. The new organisational and committee structure was defined and implemented in an “alternating” procedure and with the involvement of teams of employees from both organisations. Joint pilot projects, the definition of global leadership rules, continuous collaboration in the project, and transparent communicate were able to gradually build up trust and form the basis for fruitful cooperation. When the project came to an end, the developed concepts had either already been implemented or were ready to be used in the planned cooperation, which was officially launched with an opening ceremony. Because employees and managers from both organisations had been involved systematically from the start, the prerequisites for a far better marketing positioning were met and the two organisations presented one face to the public. Not only that, the work processes had become leaner and a new culture of leadership, responsibility, and service had been established. The cooperation has gained wide acceptance, internally and externally.