SOB – Digital Transformation

Step by step to digital transformation

The Schweizerische Südostbahn AG (SOB) is an independent, integrated railway company that provides regional and long-distance passenger transportation services in German-speaking and southern Switzerland. It combines the services of various partners to create sustainable mobility solutions and focuses on providing high-quality, individualized customer care. The company plays an important role as an innovation partner in the further development of Switzerland’s mobility landscape.

Impact

Anchoring digital topics at the strategic level in the SOB organization (top-down approach)

Documented digital capabilities for the entire company

Orchestrated implementation of the developed artifacts within the organization

What did we do?

Using a top-down approach, we worked with SOB management to develop strategic topics for digital transformation. In an iterative and participatory process, the following artifacts were identified and developed.

Target-value matrix from a digital perspective to support SOB’s long-term strategic goals and as a prioritization tool for strategic action areas and initiatives, including a suitable set of KPIs.
Capability Map summarizing all relevant and necessary capabilities for service delivery across all business areas, with a focus on digital capabilities as the adaptable, expandable, and operational backbone of the organization.
The Enterprise Architecture forms the overarching technological framework of SOB and is represented in LeanIX as an EA tool, which was evaluated in a separate project.
Basic principles of IT governance as guidelines within which employees operate. IT governance serves as a starting point that is integrated into corporate, process, and data governance.
Employee involvement, communication and change management as a central components in preparing and supporting the organization for the upcoming changes.
Development of various options for the organizational structure, including relevant competencies, project organization, and roadmap for operationalization.

Why diselva?

diselva brings together expertise and a pragmatic mindset in a small and powerful group of experienced consultants.

Our consulting services are based on methodologies and experience gained from comparable projects and problems.

We work in a participatory, iterative and solution-oriented manner – the close exchange with our partners in the SOB was decisive for the successful conclusion.

Key Takeaways

Digital transformation is not a one-off project, but rather a continuous process.

Digital transformation unfolds its full potential when company management recognizes its benefits (reason why) and actively steers the transformation process.

Employees must be empowered across departments and involved in the development process.

Persistent and regular company-wide communication and visualization of visible results from the very beginning is crucial.

«The digital transformation of SOB – in the sense of a twin transformation of digitalization and sustainability – is a complex and multifaceted undertaking. The highly regulated nature of the industry poses an additional challenge. With diselva, we had a competent and empathetic sparring partner at our side who helped us to view the transformation holistically. As a catalyst, moderator, and companion, diselva challenged us to question familiar patterns of thinking while bringing orientation, structure, and clarity to the process. This enabled us to develop new perspectives and successfully implement the first concrete steps despite tight specifications. diselva did not simply accompany us, but supported us as an equal partner and achieved tangible results together with us.»