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Quotation
“Departments are separate, segregated entities. But in a highly networked, highly complex corporate environment, departmental thinking is the last thing you need.“
Dr. Ralf Schneider, CIO of Allianz Deutschland AG
Résumé
Dr. Ralf Schneider: A mathematician with a master’s degree in information technology. After completing his studies, he joined a mid-sized management consulting company. In 1995, he joined Allianz as an assistant to the executive board. Unusually for an IT professional, he also spent two years working in sales at Allianz. He was named CIO of Allianz Deutschland AG after occupying a variety of IT-related positions.
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“IT is providing the impetus”
T-Systems Account Director, Michael Cebulsky, talked with CIO of Allianz Deutschland AG, Dr. Ralf Schneider, 46. They discussed hiring new staff in the midst of the financial crisis, innovations and changing values.
Dr. Schneider, what will be the greatest challenges for CIOs in the future?
There are a lot of issues. The number of handhelds is on the increase, mobility is on the increase. So we want to provide apps for Smartphones, for example. To meet the growing needs of Allianz and its millions of customers, our IT systems are becoming smarter. Semantics will play a pivotal part in making our systems more intelligent; for instance, proactively alerting employees when, say, a response is needed to a customer request or when address data needs updating. For IT, the challenge is to remain practical while being visionary; to be a problem-solver, an integrator, a motivator. There’s no either/or anymore. You have to get your basics right, availability, performance, costs, but at the same time, to be a business enabler and business model developer.
There are a lot of issues. The number of handhelds is on the increase, mobility is on the increase. So we want to provide apps for Smartphones, for example. To meet the growing needs of Allianz and its millions of customers, our IT systems are becoming smarter. Semantics will play a pivotal part in making our systems more intelligent; for instance, proactively alerting employees when, say, a response is needed to a customer request or when address data needs updating. For IT, the challenge is to remain practical while being visionary; to be a problem-solver, an integrator, a motivator. There’s no either/or anymore. You have to get your basics right, availability, performance, costs, but at the same time, to be a business enabler and business model developer.
Innovation versus cost cutting – has the crisis led to a shift in your priorities?
The crisis has meant a greater focus on costs. But where costs are concerned, we are a step ahead of our competitors. And we have the resources we need to actively shape the future course of events. I am consciously avoiding complaining; I don’t want to join the moaners.
The crisis has meant a greater focus on costs. But where costs are concerned, we are a step ahead of our competitors. And we have the resources we need to actively shape the future course of events. I am consciously avoiding complaining; I don’t want to join the moaners.
The IT department is expected to rapidly model an increasing number of new products. How do you keep up?
That’s a good question. Getting the right product to the right place at the right time is becoming more important. And costs, including loss of potential earnings, are incurred when a new product doesn’t pass quickly enough through sales channels to the market.
That’s a good question. Getting the right product to the right place at the right time is becoming more important. And costs, including loss of potential earnings, are incurred when a new product doesn’t pass quickly enough through sales channels to the market.
But that doesn’t answer my question.
You’re right. You have to look for similarities in new products. At Allianz, for instance, that would be the processing of business transactions, such as claims and loss adjustments. The principle is practically identical for all of our products, whether it’s health, life and property insurance, or bank products. It’s standardized and works across all communications channels: voice, mail, email, Internet portal. The idea is to build a new dialog system for a new product, and at the same time, roll it out to the branch offices, the portal and maybe deploy it as an iPhone app. That’s the challenge we face.
You’re right. You have to look for similarities in new products. At Allianz, for instance, that would be the processing of business transactions, such as claims and loss adjustments. The principle is practically identical for all of our products, whether it’s health, life and property insurance, or bank products. It’s standardized and works across all communications channels: voice, mail, email, Internet portal. The idea is to build a new dialog system for a new product, and at the same time, roll it out to the branch offices, the portal and maybe deploy it as an iPhone app. That’s the challenge we face.
How quickly can you respond when a product is successful, or when it’s not?
We’re a lot more flexible now than we were just a few years ago. Take the introduction of new apps for processing business transactions. It’s become much more important to rapidly incorporate customer and employee suggestions into the design.
We’re a lot more flexible now than we were just a few years ago. Take the introduction of new apps for processing business transactions. It’s become much more important to rapidly incorporate customer and employee suggestions into the design.
How do older staff members adapt to this more rapid pace? And how are you addressing the issue of an aging working population?
In future, securing the right human resources is going to be a key strategic issue. How do you get your staff to mentally embrace the rapid pace of change, and how do you accelerate the change process? There are only two options: through skills development and through employee motivation. From a business standpoint, I’d say it’s always good to recruit hungry, young employees, to attract young blood from outside the organization.
In future, securing the right human resources is going to be a key strategic issue. How do you get your staff to mentally embrace the rapid pace of change, and how do you accelerate the change process? There are only two options: through skills development and through employee motivation. From a business standpoint, I’d say it’s always good to recruit hungry, young employees, to attract young blood from outside the organization.
What’s your approach to the labor market?
We have three programs that help us get the right people from the start: a degree course that combines theory and practice for young people just out of high school; grants for masters students, and trainee programs for entry-level candidates, to attract the high potentials out there that we need if we are to continue to succeed nationally and internationally. Now’s the right time to recruit these people: during a downturn, when lots of companies have hiring freezes.
We have three programs that help us get the right people from the start: a degree course that combines theory and practice for young people just out of high school; grants for masters students, and trainee programs for entry-level candidates, to attract the high potentials out there that we need if we are to continue to succeed nationally and internationally. Now’s the right time to recruit these people: during a downturn, when lots of companies have hiring freezes.
What challenges does the work-life balance concept present?
Plenty. For instance, our sales reps are always on the go. That’s the way it has to be if we’re to remain successful. But at the same time, people these days are looking for more meaning in their work. It’s got to be fun and engage their interest, time and again. As a global enterprise, we’re at an advantage. The many various types of work, different geographical locations, opportunities and career development paths can all give employees a sense of purpose and satisfaction. After all, people’s aspirations are constantly changing. You ask yourself at the beginning of the year: “What do I want to get out of the next twelve months?” And instead of more money, more prestige, the answer is often: more free time and greater satisfaction. That’s exciting. And I take it very seriously. It’s a great opportunity.
Plenty. For instance, our sales reps are always on the go. That’s the way it has to be if we’re to remain successful. But at the same time, people these days are looking for more meaning in their work. It’s got to be fun and engage their interest, time and again. As a global enterprise, we’re at an advantage. The many various types of work, different geographical locations, opportunities and career development paths can all give employees a sense of purpose and satisfaction. After all, people’s aspirations are constantly changing. You ask yourself at the beginning of the year: “What do I want to get out of the next twelve months?” And instead of more money, more prestige, the answer is often: more free time and greater satisfaction. That’s exciting. And I take it very seriously. It’s a great opportunity.
What sort of opportunity?
For example, to recognize the potential offered by well-educated, highly skilled employees if we give them the flexibility to define what “nine to five” means for themselves, depending on their needs at a particular juncture in their lives. We need to overcome the strict divide between working lives and personal lives; it’s an old-fashioned notion. We’ve got to offer flexibility or we’ll lose our best employees. They’ll go to companies that do give them flexibility.
For example, to recognize the potential offered by well-educated, highly skilled employees if we give them the flexibility to define what “nine to five” means for themselves, depending on their needs at a particular juncture in their lives. We need to overcome the strict divide between working lives and personal lives; it’s an old-fashioned notion. We’ve got to offer flexibility or we’ll lose our best employees. They’ll go to companies that do give them flexibility.
How do your digital immigrants get along with your digital natives?
It causes a rift in the organization. On the one hand, you are recruiting high potentials via hot spots; on the other, you’ve got employees who have learned to program their modules to last for all eternity. It’s not an easy gap to bridge. And our executives also have to change; they have to make this process comprehensible and transparent.
It causes a rift in the organization. On the one hand, you are recruiting high potentials via hot spots; on the other, you’ve got employees who have learned to program their modules to last for all eternity. It’s not an easy gap to bridge. And our executives also have to change; they have to make this process comprehensible and transparent.
