SAP Logistics Specialist SWAN Wins Agil.Award 2021

At SWAN GmbH, agile working, New Work, and self-organized teams are highly valued. This is also recognized by the Bavarian Metal and Electrical Employers’ Associations bayme vbm, which awarded the SAP logistics expert the Agil.Award 2021 during their annual Business Excellence Day. SWAN excelled in the category of “medium-sized companies” (50 to 249 employees).

(Augsburg) “We are very honored by this award. It underscores the success of our strategy to focus on digitalization and agile working methods. We actively promote empowerment and encourage our employees to discover their own strengths and make decisions independently and responsibly. Teams can only work agilely if they are given the necessary responsibility,” says Alexander Bernhard, Managing Director of SWAN. The logistics expert relies on a culture of mutual trust, clear and transparent communication, and open feedback rounds. Thanks to the flat hierarchy, employees always have contact persons available for questions and exchanges, up to the management level.

The Augsburg team of SWAN GmbH, a project house for SAP logistics, has made restructuring efforts since Alexander Bernhard was appointed Managing Director in 2019, introducing a self-managing team with new working methods and organizational roles at the Augsburg location. With success: colleagues have since experienced complete transparency, and roles within the team change cyclically. This approach leads to efficient, quick, and fair decisions. Clear team structures and short communication paths also contribute to the success of this model.

Agile Working Opens Up Many Opportunities

Science Minister Bernd Sibler presented SWAN with the Agil.Award 2021 on July 14. He expressed his appreciation for the economy and its innovations. Agile work processes combined with digitalization are becoming increasingly important. To be successful in the long term, companies must not stand still but must continuously adapt. This requires flexible organizations and agile working methods, as well as a visionary perspective on whether the chosen path is heading in the desired direction. Agile working opens up many opportunities and strengthens companies’ positions in competition and their future viability. Over the last two decades, numerous agile methods have emerged to successfully address the challenges of self-organization and responsible working in companies. Particularly medium-sized enterprises can implement this trend quickly and efficiently. SWAN is no exception.

Self-Organization, Communication, and Trust

Structures based on agility and self-organization are essential for a project house like SWAN, which drives digitalization and provides 24/7 support to clients. Moreover, they align with the founding idea of offering a modern, innovative, and appreciative work environment where employees are the focus. Trust and communication create a pleasant working atmosphere that allows for the discovery and development of individual strengths. Problems and dissatisfaction are also not hidden but are clearly communicated and resolved. It is no coincidence that SWAN GmbH is recognized as one of the top employers both in Bavaria and nationally in 2021. In the Great Place to Work® “Best Employers Competition” of the eponymous international research and consulting institute, the SAP expert ranks among the 14 best ICT employers in the country in the size category of 50 to 100 employees and holds the 16th position among the best employers in Bavaria.

Photo: © bayme vbm / Image Caption: (l. to r.) Felix Volkmann, SAP UI5 Developer SWAN GmbH, Bernd Sibler, Bavarian State Ministry of Science and Art, Bertram Brossardt, Managing Director bayme vbm