Leadership at work
How TGW Logistics is rethinking the role of leadershipTGW Logistics is a specialist for highly automated intralogistics systems worldwide. The company, headquartered in Austria, implements complex fulfillment centers, among other things, for global e-commerce giants. However, growth, project diversity, and international expansion posed challenges for the organization. A shop floor management system adapted to the requirements of the project business now ensures optimized internal processes.
The transformation program launched in fall 2023 by TGW Logistics together with Staufen, part of Accenture, includes two key levers: the optimization of the project execution process and a new understanding of leadership under the title “Leadership at Work.”
Why this step was necessary is explained by Klaus Prechtl, COO Central Europe at TGW Logistics: “An analysis of the processes revealed significant potential for improvement. It was about minimizing friction losses between departments and avoiding unnecessary additional work.”
The pressure for change did not come from the customer side but from within the company itself.
Rethinking project execution
A central lever was the project execution process. Instead of the principle of planning tasks as late as possible, TGW Logistics now consistently relies on frontloading. Interfaces and risks are clarified earlier, and prerequisites for smooth commissioning are systematically created. The quality gates were streamlined, restructured, and linked to both internal and customer-relevant criteria. “Today, all parties know what is released when and who has to contribute what,” says TGW Logistics manager Prechtl.
But processes alone are not enough. What is decisive for implementation is the mindset of the leaders. That is why TGW Logistics developed its own tailored shop floor management format with “Leadership at Work.” The aspiration: moving away from a control mentality toward genuine support. “We don’t want to know if everything is green, but where there are problems so that we can find solutions together,” says Marc Victorin, one of the project managers. For this, leaders must abandon old behavior patterns and instead learn to hold back, listen, and not solve problems as a typical firefighter. The top goal now is to enable teams to remove obstacles themselves. The central question is: ‘What do you need to solve this problem on your own?’
We want to change the mindset. Away from the token question ‘Is everything green?’ – toward an open approach to problems. Because only in this way can leaders actively provide support and bring responsibility to where value is created.MARC VICTORIN
Project Manager, TGW Logistics
Mindset is more important than methods
Implementation takes place in waves, each involving 10 to 14 managers. Each group is accompanied for several weeks by internal coaches who provide feedback and reflect on the participants’ behavior. “We did not conduct pure tool training,” emphasizes Victoria Stocker-Lausberger. The Lean expert and second project leader of “Leadership at Work” is convinced: “It’s about attitude. Only when the mindset is right do methods take hold.”
This is showing results: “The longer managers apply ‘Leadership at Work,’ the more they recognize its added value,” says Marc Victorin. The so-called process confirmation – a structured dialogue between manager and employees to review and further develop current process standards – has become a popular and effective leadership task.
Despite the structure set by the “Leadership at Work” program, one thing remains clear: leadership must not be a corset. Each team develops its own ‘Leadership at Work’ board. “We don’t want a copy-and-paste or one-size-fits-all solution,” emphasizes Victoria Stocker-Lausberger. “Each team works differently, and we take that into account. That is exactly what ensures acceptance of our approach.”
This flexibility is a clear strength of the project, also for the planned global rollout. While the first fruits are already being reaped in Austria and Germany, the application in other international subsidiaries is now on the agenda. Here, too, the established standard for coaching managers and the proven tools will be used – without preventing regionally meaningful adaptations.
Quotes & voices
Our managers play a central role in the transformation process. With ‘Leadership at Work,’ we are establishing a new understanding of leadership that focuses on transparency, coaching, and problem-solving. The results show that the mindset shift is already bearing fruit.”DR. HENRY PUHL
CEO, TGW Logistics
‘Leadership at Work’ creates the foundation for consistently high quality. Topics are addressed in a fixed rhythm, improvements are implemented, and KPIs are collected, prepared, and analyzed. This allows us to determine afterward whether the measures were successful. Systematics and reproducibility are crucial.KLAUS PRECHTL
COO Central Europe, TGW Logistics
TGW Logistics is a pure project organization without large portions of serial production. This makes improvements more complicated. But thanks to clear communication structures and ‘Leadership at Work’ as a whole, new standards are created every day that enable real change and global improvement.JAN HAUG
Project Manager, Staufen, part of Accenture
Some managers report that they have solved more problems in the past six months than in the two years before. The reason for this is the consistent focus on problem-solving. Both managers and employees now approach challenges proactively and implement targeted measures. Our principle is clear: every problem requires a concrete action.VICTORIA STOCKER-LAUSBERGER
Project Manager, TGW Logistics
Conclusion
TGW Logistics has not only reorganized its processes but also changed its understanding of leadership – the central standardization factor in a project landscape characterized by individualization. The path is certainly demanding but rewarding: a new culture of dialogue, greater personal responsibility, and optimized project execution. Klaus Prechtl sums it up: “Transformation does not work by command. It has to come from within.”
About TGW Logistics
TGW Logistics is an internationally leading provider of highly automated intralogistics solutions headquartered in Austria. Founded in 1969, the company develops all core components itself – from software and robotics to mechatronic modules.
TGW Logistics employs more than 4,500 people from 69 nations and most recently generated revenue of just over one billion euros. The owner is the TGW Future Private Foundation. Two-thirds of TGW Logistics’ profit remain in the company and are reinvested in innovation, employee development, and cutting-edge technology.
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