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Challenge
Having grown to 140 people, Sweco’s Gebiedsadvies department was ready for “cell division”, or a split, according to the Sweco model. Our challenge was to create a new organizational structure, from which this split would follow naturally. Moreover, we wanted to leverage the organizational redesign as an opportunity to strengthen Sweco’s approach to market themes, their connection to (local) customers and their internal collaboration and cohesion.
Approach
We divided our approach in two tracks. In the first track, we explored, detailed and evaluated criteria and scenarios for the new organizational structure with the core team. In the second, parallel track we involved a larger group of employees from the department and allowed them to provide input and feedback on the new organizational structure.
Result
We co-created a new organizational design, consisting of two departments with their own distinct structure. The Gebiedsontwikkeling department is structured in multidisciplinary regional teams, such as Rotterdam, Groningen and Eindhoven, to strengthen Sweco’s connection to local customers. This department primarily focuses on transforming areas and sites from function A to function B, involving disciplines such as area planning, design and project and process management.
The other department, Natuur & Klimaat, consists of multidisciplinary, national theme teams. These teams reinforce Sweco’s approach to market themes such as circular economy, climate adaptation and biodiversity. The focus of this department is on activities that foster the development and conservation of nature, climate and sustainability. Examples of disciplines that belong to this department are ecology, sustainability advice and process and program management.
In both departments people from the same discipline are also organized in discipline teams for sharing knowledge, contributing to internal collaboration and cohesion. The new organizational structure is currently being implemented.
