Rethinking the Transformation Process – Project Example 🌐 KBC
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Strategy | Automotive | Industry & Mechanical Engineering

Transformation Process for BMW's E/E Development

At the BMW automotive group, electrical and electronics development was facing a fundamental realignment: new organizational structures and roles, and a new development process. KBC played a key role in the overarching development process and guided three departments with over 1,000 employees through the transformation. From the design of a modern line organization to the successful integration of the new E/E process into day-to-day operations, this case study demonstrates how a complex transformation process can succeed despite a tight timeline and a multitude of stakeholders.

The Transformation Process in Numbers

Process started
Workshops held
Employees Involved in the Project

The Customer

International automotive group in southern Germany

The client, the BMW Group, is one of Germany’s largest automotive groups, headquartered in Munich. As a global OEM, the company develops and manufactures vehicles in the premium segment—with development centers in Europe, North America, and Asia, as well as several hundred thousand employees worldwide.

Within the group, the electrical/electronics development division faced increasingly stringent customer requirements for E/E systems—a constantly evolving “digital car.” As a result, this division has gained significant strategic importance in recent years. Accordingly, the client sought to restructure not only the processes but also the organizational structure and workflow of E/E development.

At the time the project began, the relevant organizational unit comprised three departments with eight cross-functional teams—and was facing a major structural reorganization.

The Project

Agile Transformation
Process in E/E Development

The goal was to establish new organizational units, clearly define roles and responsibilities, and establish an end-to-end E/E development process across five departments. To this end, KBC’s consulting team designed and facilitated a workshop-based transformation process that actively involved all employees from the very beginning. In doing so, we gradually aligned three key elements—team, process, and organization—and drew on our more than 20 years of experience in the automotive industry.

In more than 15 facilitated workshops, we brought departments together into cross-functional teams, developed and evaluated organizational scenarios, and derived guidelines for a stable, cross-cycle E/E system. Together with the employees, we were able to define new roles and responsibilities—with the goal of strengthening acceptance of and identification with the new process from the very beginning.

KBC not only handled the preparation of content and facilitation, but also ensured coordination with top management and key partners across a total of five business units. Our team of consultants played an active, hands-on role throughout the entire two-year project—not merely in an advisory capacity.

Portrait photo of Larissa Fahrmeier, Director at Kemény Boehme Consultants (KBC). A woman with shoulder-length, curly dark brown hair, smiling broadly and warmly at the camera. She is wearing a white blouse with ruffle details and black accents, as well as a delicate necklace and a silver wristwatch, with both hands on her hips.
Portrait photo of Larissa Fahrmeier, Director at Kemény Boehme Consultants (KBC). A woman with shoulder-length, curly dark brown hair, smiling broadly and warmly at the camera. She is wearing a white blouse with ruffle details and black accents, as well as a delicate necklace and a silver wristwatch, with both hands on her hips.

This is how we view transformation processes

Transformations don't happen on the surface, simply by applying methods. Trust is built only when we, as consultants, take responsibility and delve deeply into the substance of the project.

Larissa Fahrmeier, Director at KBC

The result

Sustainable Development for the “Digital Car”

Our transformation consulting project culminated in an integrated solution comprising a new line organization, defined roles, and an end-to-end E/E development process. By the end of the project, the new organizational unit comprised more than 40 employees and was structured into three departments, within which eight cross-functional, agile teams worked together.

The new E/E process integrates the core areas of architecture, integration, and validation. Strategic guidelines ensure its compatibility across the entire group and enable further development in short cycles—even as market conditions change. The new process now provides transparency regarding tasks and responsibilities.

By communicating the goals early on, implementing cross-functional review processes, and engaging key decision-makers, we were able to gain acceptance for the new structures at all levels. Overall, this enabled us to successfully involve more than 1,000 employees in the transformation process.

What the Customer Says

The way KBC guided us through this transformation process was crucial for us. Through the workshop-based approach, we not only created new structures—we also got our team on board and built genuine commitment to the change. The result is an organization that is truly equipped to meet the demands of the “software-defined vehicle” and enables the continuous development of the E/E system while maximizing reusability and ensuring a short time-to-market.

Andreas Bonfert,

Department Head, BMW Group

Other Projects That Make a Difference

Portrait photo of Larissa Fahrmeier, Director at Kemény Boehme Consultants (KBC). A woman with shoulder-length, dark brown curly hair smiles broadly at the camera. She is wearing an elegant white chiffon blouse with black ruffles and a button placket over dark blue dress pants, as well as a delicate silver necklace and a silver wristwatch; both hands are confidently placed on her hips, and she has an energetic and open posture.
Portrait photo of Larissa Fahrmeier, Director at Kemény Boehme Consultants (KBC). A woman with shoulder-length, dark brown curly hair smiles broadly at the camera. She is wearing an elegant white chiffon blouse with black ruffles and a button placket over dark blue dress pants, as well as a delicate silver necklace and a silver wristwatch; both hands are confidently placed on her hips, and she has an energetic and open posture.
Larissa Fahrmeier
Director

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