Transforming Corporate Planning: How GEWOBAG Achieved Greater Agility Through a Strategic Software Upgrade

About Gewobag

Gewobag Wohnungsbau-Aktiengesellschaft Berlin is one of Germany’s largest municipal housing companies. With an extensive portfolio of residential and commercial units in Berlin, it actively shapes urban development and assumes significant social responsibility for providing diverse and affordable living space.

The project in detail

The Challenge

Gewobag faced the challenge of modernizing its planning and forecasting processes, which were hampered by inefficiency and a complex, confusing vendor landscape.
Recognizing that a new software decision is a long-term strategic turning point, the central challenge was to design a selection process that was both legally compliant and would secure the best qualitative solution. Therefore, Gewobag had to ensure the process would deliver a result that was convincing on every level—technologically, procedurally, and economically—thereby guaranteeing sustainable improvements for the Controlling department.

The aim

The main objective was to enhance agility in corporate planning by:

Accelerating the entire planning process.
Mapping an integrated planning process across all sub-plans (P&L, balance sheet, cash flow).
Establishing system-supported, driver-based forecasts.

Project phase 1

BARC guided the entire tender process to methodically ensure both legal compliance and the quality of the final outcome:

Precise Requirements Definition: Requirements were jointly formulated to create a foundation for tailored proposals, an objective evaluation matrix, and to ensure the direct comparability of all offers.
Legally Compliant Process Guidance: BARC supported the organization and moderation of the formal procurement procedure to ensure transparency and equal treatment.
Practical Validation: A Proof-of-Concept (PoC) was designed as a central element to practically verify the performance of the shortlisted solutions.

Project phase 2

Key Takeaways:

Methodical process design is the key to success in complex tenders.
Independent market and process expertise minimizes both legal and qualitative risks.
Clear scheduling and trust-based communication are critical success factors.

The result

The structured approach led to a successful and timely conclusion of the tender with clear advantages:

A Robust Final Selection: The final selection included only vendors who fully covered Gewobag’s comprehensive requirements catalog.
High-Confidence Decision: With the PoC serving as a key part of the evaluation, the risk of a poor decision was minimized, creating a high degree of investment security for the future.

Looking Ahead:
With the selection of the new planning software, the foundation for agile corporate planning has been laid. Following implementation, the solution will be gradually expanded to become the central planning platform. BARC has proven to be a trusted partner for future initiatives.

We approached BARC because we needed an independent consultant to guide us through the tender process after our own market review. We were convinced by their high level of expertise in the process and their detailed knowledge of the solutions on offer. The quality of advice on how to structure a tender significantly reduces the risk of the outcome.

Sven Zumkley

Head of Financial Services, Gewobag