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Ella Slepko and Anuk Pult

The Buddy System at Highberg DACH:

The Buddy System at Highberg DACH: Ella Slepko and Anuk Pult

At Highberg, we are deeply committed to personal development and growth. To support this, we’ve implemented various initiatives, including our Buddy System - a mentorship program that pairs experienced mentors with aspiring mentees. In this interview, we spoke with Ella Slepko (Senior Consultant and mentor at Highberg DACH) and Anuk Pult (Junior Consultant and mentee at Highberg DACH) to learn more about their experiences with the program.

Mona Heseler

Germany

<title>The buddy System at Highberg DACH: Ella Slepko and Anuk… | Highberg</title>

Highberg is happy to welcome 24 experienced leadership and training experts from LVDU.

Highberg Welcomes 24 Leadership Experts!

Han Driessen en Babette Leertouwer

By integrating Leertouwer van Dijck &amp; U (LVDU) into Highberg we build on our transformation expertise, strengthening our integrated approach of matching strategy, governance and change management to the leadership, culture and behavioral process. 
Founded in 1997, LVDU is a specialist team of senior trainers and consultants who work closely with organizations on leadership, team coaching, and cultural change. Their approach is based on co-creation, with a focus on responsibility, results, and workplace satisfaction. They collaborate with leading companies and organizations across various sectors, including business services, construction, industry, transportation, government, foundations, and sports. Among their clients are Lely, Van Oord, Kuijpers, Heijmans, Schiphol Group, the City of Amsterdam, and Ajax.

<title>Highberg is very happy to welcome 24 experienced… | Highberg</title>

Highberg is very happy to welcome leadership and training experts to the team as LVDU comes on board!

Strategy & Change

Your Path to Sustainable Transformation: A Journey with MST 3.0

Sustainable Transformation with MST 3.0

Change is no longer a choice; it’s a necessity. But successfully navigating a complex transformation takes more than just a vision—it requires a comprehensive approach. That’s where the Managing Successful Transformations (MST) 3.0 model comes in, guiding organizations like yours from initial exploration to long-term impact. 
Picture this, your organization is on the brink of significant change. There’s a shared sense of urgency, an acknowledgment that things can’t stay the way they are. The MST 3.0 model offers a structured, yet flexible roadmap to navigate this journey, ensuring that the changes you make are meaningful and lasting.

Netherlands

<title>Your Path to Sustainable Transformation: A Journey with… | Highberg</title>

Digital Strategy & Execution

How to choose the right Cloud vendor?

How to choose the right cloud vendor?

In recent years, the Cloud has grown from a trend to a strategic necessity for many organizations. The cloud brings many benefits such as flexibility, scalability and better collaboration capabilities. A crucial step in implementing cloud is choosing a cloud vendor. It may seem like an easy decision, but several factors make this a complex process. How do you choose a cloud vendor? And what do you need to consider? In this Insight, we dive deeper into the considerations an organization needs to make when selecting a cloud vendor.

Loran van den Dungen

Mathijs Dubbe

<title>How to choose the right cloud vendor? | Highberg | Highberg</title>

Digital

Technology and Telecommunications

Whitepaper: Cloudtransformation

Cloudtransformatie ENG

In recent years, cloud transformation has evolved from an emerging trend to a fundamental building block for modern IT strategies. Many organizations just struggle with maintaining control during and after transformation to the cloud. How do you maintain this control on the cloud during and after a transformation so that the intended benefits are actually achieved? And what do you need to take into account? In this whitepaper we describe the tools for a successful cloud transformation.

<title>Whitepaper: Cloudtransformation | Highberg | Highberg</title>

Business Agility

What Scaled Agile Frameworks Don’t Want You to Know

The Secret to True Agility

What Scaled Agile Frameworks Don’t Want You to Know: The Secret to True Agility

Imagine taking a ship out to sea. At first, adding more sails seems like the key to speed. The more sails you add, the faster you move, right? But eventually, the extra sails become a burden: more ropes to manage, more coordination needed, and suddenly, instead of speeding up, you’re slowed down by complexity. The ship becomes harder to maneuver in changing winds, and the crew spends more time managing the rigging than charting a course. 
This is what happens to many organizations when they scale Agile. Initially, scaling Agile seems to promise greater efficiency, better coordination, and increased control. But over time, those additional layers of governance, processes, and roles can create drag, slowing down decision-making, hindering innovation, and reducing the very agility that the organization set out to achieve.

Reinier Kersbergen

<title>What Scaled Agile Frameworks Don’t Want You to Know: The… | Highberg</title>

Organizational

Data & AI

Part 3: When and where is AI ethics needed?

It's nice to know that AI ethics is a must when your organization is deploying AI to solve societal problems or better serve the public. Simply putting in the money won't take you very far. Making AI work for society is the work of people after all. But how to do it then? When and where should ethical reflection on AI be introduced in public organizations?  
In this final part of the introduction series on "AI ethics for public organizations," the separate phases of AI usage are distinguished. They are related to helpful ethical questions that are specific to those phases, and we share insights on where to situate the AI ethics capability in your organization.

Thomas Mollema

<title>Part 3: When and where is AI ethics needed? | Highberg</title>

Mitigate risks and harness potential

Part 2: AI ethics

Part 2: AI ethics: mitigate risks and harness potential

If you want to apply AI to your organization's problems, where do you start? How do you do so in line with the public values you want to protect? Like all technologies, whether AI helps or harms depends on how you use it. But ignorant use of AI is more likely to do harm than do good. This means not reflecting on how AI relates to your organization's goals and values. 'Why is AI ethics necessary for every organization using AI systems?' is therefore the second question this series of introductions on "AI ethics for public organizations" addresses.

<title>Part 2: AI ethics: mitigate risks and harness potential |… | Highberg</title>

Part 1: The basics of AI ethics

‘What really is the ethics of AI?’ We often get this question from public organizations. Joining AI and ethics might seem strange at first glance, but raising ethical questions is essential to make AI work for your organization. No automating technology is a 'quick fix' for the difficult societal problems that public organizations deal with. Only AI systems that are <a href="https://highberg.com/insights/truly-valuable-services-are-sensible-from-the-initial-design" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">'sensible by design'</a>, well thought-out, and steer clear of ethical risks succeed in helping solve large, societal challenges. Think of making health care more effective, efficiently sharing information with stakeholders, and strengthening social security and well-being.  
The role of ethics in applying AI to societal challenges is therefore worth examining.

<title>Part 1: The basics of AI ethics | Highberg | Highberg</title>

Pride Comes Before a Fall

Is Generative AI the Digital Tower of Babel?

Imagine a mysterious disease ravaging a remote tribe in Papua New Guinea. The brains of those affected degenerate rapidly, and scientists soon discover the cause—a ritual in which the dead are consumed. This disease, later known as Kuru, spreads as the tribe literally ate themselves.
Now, decades later, we see a similar phenomenon in the world of artificial intelligence (AI). No, our computers haven’t started eating each other (thank goodness!), but something disturbing is happening: Generative AI systems (hereinafter simply AI for readability) are increasingly “consuming” their own output, with potentially disastrous consequences.
Welcome to the world of 'model collapse' and 'shitification' - two-dollar words for a multi-billion dollar problem.

Erik de Ruiter

<title>Is Generative AI the Digital Tower of Babel? Pride Comes… | Highberg</title>

Is Generative AI the Digital Tower of Babel? Pride Comes Before a Fall

How do I know I’m safe enough?

A Safe IT Environment

How do I know I’m safe enough?  Anyone concerned with making their IT environment secure will at some point ask themselves, am I on the right track? Am I doing enough about information security? Is my most important information (crown jewels) secure? What is good enough? 
Implementing a security framework (such as the BIO or the ISO27001 and NEN7510, for example), combined with a risk assessment is often the most commonly followed path. Implementing a framework does not directly answer the questions above. The use of a structured approach will help. Also, in the future, with new threats, this approach can easily be gone through again, to efficiently determine where additional measures are needed. So that one always knows that they are safe enough.

Edward Matray

<title>A Safe IT Environment | Highberg | Highberg</title>

AI ethics for public organization: A introduction series

AI ethics for public organizations

AI ethics for public organizations: A primer series

In the public debate, artificial intelligence (AI) is seen as means to increase worker productivity and provide better and more health care. AI could also speed up and automate administrative processes, distribute energy and resources more efficiently, and better detect natural hazards. AI is simultaneously a technology and a social promise. Public organizations are raising questions about AI. Should they do something with AI? How does AI relate to the problems that they must solve?

<title>AI ethics for public organizations: A primer series |… | Highberg</title>

AI ethics for public organizations: A introduction series

Risk, Resilience & Compliance

Striking a balance between security and privacy

Ethics and Zero Trust

Ethics and Zero Trust: Striking a balance between security and privacy

In the modern digital world, organisations are increasingly dependent on technology to protect their data and systems from increasingly sophisticated threats. To deal with this threat, an approach has been developed that has received a lot of attention in recent years: Zero Trust. This approach to information security is based on the principle that organisations do not automatically trust any part of the network, or the user. While Zero Trust can be an effective way to protect organisations, it also raises ethical questions regarding privacy and trust. In this article, we will explore the ethical implications of Zero Trust and how to strike a balance between security and privacy.

Martijn Hunsche

<title>Ethics and Zero Trust: Striking a balance between security… | Highberg</title>

Applying Agile and Lean practices to Semiconductor Development

Applying Agile and Lean practices

The semiconductor industry is the cornerstone of modern technology, powering everything from smartphones and home appliances to automobiles and medical devices. Historically, semiconductor development has adhered to the waterfall model, characterized by sequential phases, rigid processes, extensive documentation, and prolonged lead times. While effective in certain contexts, this approach often struggles to keep pace with rapid technological advancements and dynamic market demands inherent to the modern semiconductor landscape.
Applying Agile and Lean principles and working methods to semiconductor development promises to address many challenges faced by traditional models, offering a pathway to more efficient, responsive, and innovative design processes.

Ralph Hofman

Davar Azarmi

<title>Applying Agile and Lean practices to Semiconductor… | Highberg</title>

Whitepaper: FinOps - The Key to Cloud Cost Management

Whitepaper: FinOps

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Organizations are struggling with rising cloud costs. FinOps* enables them to gain insight into costs and continuously optimize them, leading to more control and better decisions around cloud usage.
*The term FinOps has been around for a while, but in 2019 The FinOps Foundation set itself the goal of promoting best practices, training and standards around financial management of the cloud.

<title>Whitepaper: FinOps - The key to cloud cost management |… | Highberg</title>

Business Agility: Eight Key Market Developments

Eight Key Market Developments

Business agility has evolved far beyond its roots in software development. Today, it’s reshaping not only IT organizations but entire businesses and industries. As technology continues to influence business processes and more tech-savvy leaders rise through the ranks, agile principles are being applied in areas such as product development, marketing, sales, and strategy execution. The agility mindset, designed to manage uncertainty and complexity, is becoming essential across all business functions. In this article, we’ll explore eight key trends that are shaping the future of business agility.

Florian van Santen

Koen Harbers

<title>Business Agility: Eight Key Market Developments | Highberg | Highberg</title>

Even without a plan, GenAI finds its way into your organisation

GenAI finds its way into your organisation

‘Our employees know the risks of ChatGPT’ is a statement we hear in our daily work, but does this ring true? There are plenty of examples of generative AI (genAI for short) that have been deployed in less than optimal ways. That is why it sometimes seems better not to use it at all. Advisors and users think that deploying genAI will save costs and that you will escape all the risks everyone orates about on LinkedIn. In this blog, we offer practical guidance on how to get started with a genAI strategy.

Jules van den berg

Daan Smits

<title>Even without a plan, GenAI finds its way into your… | Highberg</title>

The Practice of Applying a Customer-Centric Mindset

Applying a Customer-Centric Mindset

In today's competitive business landscape, adopting a customer-centric mindset is paramount for the success of any organization, especially those that are, or aim to be, <a href="https://highberg.com/nl/insights/product-led-impact">product-led</a>. This article explores the practice of applying a customer-centric mindset within such organizations, emphasizing the unique advantages of a network organizational structure over traditional hierarchical models.

Diederik Adema

<title>The Practice of Applying a Customer-Centric Mindset |… | Highberg</title>

Sustainability

Whitepaper: Opportunities in Sustainability

Achieving the European Green Deal’s ambitious goal for the EU to become the world’s first climate-neutral bloc by 2050 hinges on the actions of businesses. Companies play a pivotal role in driving the sustainability transformation essential to tackling climate change, reducing waste, and promoting social responsibility. As sustainability becomes an integral part of modern business strategy, Highberg understands the importance of staying at the forefront of this shift. This research delves into the commercial opportunities for Highberg in sustainability consulting by exploring client needs, strategies, and challenges. Through a deeper understanding of the sustainability landscape, Highberg aims to strengthen its consulting services and support clients in embedding sustainability into their core operations.
This whitepaper presents research based on qualitative interviews with nine organisations across various industries. Using thematic and content analysis, the study identified key trends, drivers, and barriers in sustainability practices. The findings highlight the challenges companies face and reveal opportunities for Highberg to assist them in overcoming these hurdles. As one interviewee insightfully noted, “Currently, sustainability is still a competitive advantage; soon it will be a right to play.

Gijs Verkooijen

<title>Whitepaper: Opportunities in Sustainability | Highberg</title>

Government and Public Sector

Leveraging the Enterprise Architecture Lens in the Quest for Business Agility

Whitepaper: Enterprise Architecture Agility

Whitepaper: Leveraging the Enterprise Architecture Lens in the Quest for Business Agility

Today's organizations need a strong vision and a long-term strategy to transform their business operations, ensuring they remain competitive and sustain high performance. In the fast-paced, digitally connected world, it is crucial for organizations to adapt continuously. This quest for adaptability is central to the concept of business agility, which is the ability of a company to effectively sense and respond to fast changing requirements. Achieving this requires a transformation across organizational structure, processes, products and services, and IT systems. Taking the Enterprise Architecture lens for a more holistic approach in your transformation could foster more aligned changes and decisions in the organizational, product/service and Data and IT layer. Many organizations face obstacles due to isolated or partial transformations and therefore, misaligned strategies. In this whitepaper we will examine and describe these challenges and offer an important perspective to address them effectively.

<title>Whitepaper: Leveraging the Enterprise Architecture Lens in… | Highberg</title>

Device-independent development

Construction principles 11

Construction principles for the IT architect (11) Device-independent development

In this series of blogs, I will reflect on the still valid information science construction principles that guarantee better "information structures". This 11th blog in the series continues with the second informatics principle (see my <a href="https://highberg.com/insights/construction-principles-for-the-information-professional">starting blog</a> for the distinction<a href="https://www.vka.nl/publicaties/constructieprincipes-voor-de-informatiekundige/"></a>). Why and when to develop device independently? It's always so nice in the architecture principles at company level or in a policy document "Our employees can work independently of time, place and device". But the impact of the desire to be able to work device-independent on the design of the IT landscape and the software to be developed is not small.

Rutger Gooszen

<title>Construction principles for the IT architect:… | Highberg</title>

Highberg podcasts

Employer NPS 27

Highberg has various podcasts about Sustainability, Digitalization, Transformation, Europe and the Government. Curious about these topics? Listen to the podcasts via the links down below.

<title>Our podcasts | Highberg | Highberg</title>

People, Leadership & Culture

HR & People Analytics

An HR-Analytics perspective

Is a 50/50 Gender Ratio Smart Business?

Does a 50/50 gender ratio target make business sense? An HR-Analytics perspective

BHP Billiton recently announced they aim for a 50% female workforce by 2025. This target is one of the boldest gender targets any global company has set, especially since mining is often regarded as a men’s world. The driver behind this decision is value creation. The miner says that a better gender balance in the workplace will improve performance and ultimately improve shareholder value.
When I read this news, as a Data &amp; Analytics professional, a number of questions immediately popped up in my mind. Let me share the four most relevant ones. Does diversity indeed improve performance? Should there be a 50/50 ratio, or could a similar performance impact be achieved at a different ratio? Is this ambition realistic? Will this decision indeed create shareholder value? Let’s have a closer look at these questions. Can they already be answered and/or how could HR Analytics help in answering them?

<title>Does a 50/50 gender ratio target make business sense? An… | Highberg</title>

Separating application function from data storage

Construction principles (10)

Construction principles for the IT architect: (10) Separating application function from data storage

In this series of blogs, I dwell on the still valid information science construction principles that guarantee better ‘information building’. This 10th blog in the series continues with the first informatics principle (for the distinction, see my <a href="https://highberg.com/insights/construction-principles-for-the-information-professional" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">starting blog</a>). This one is about the construction of data processing. 
We don't dwell on it but every screen we process information on hides an underlying construct that extracts data from a storage and allows us to access or modify this data or add new data. If the processing function and the data storage are separated, this has great advantages. In fact, this is the information science principle of decoupling but applied in computing.

<title>Constructieprincipes voor de informaticus (10) | Highberg</title>

The risks of IT visions

As Highberg, we create many different visions for our clients. These can be visions on topics such as: cloud, the digital workplace, data sharing, data-driven working, 5G, wireless connectivity, etc. Name any information technology (IT) related topic and you can create a vision for it. But what is the use of a vision if we don't act on it in practice? Or what use is a nicely formulated vision if it subsequently gets shelved. In this insight I elaborate on the different pitfalls in the creation and implementation of visions that I encounter with my clients.

Daan van Horssen

<title>The risks of IT visions | Highberg</title>

Digital Ethics

Data-Driven Work

In an era of rapid technological advancements, healthcare organizations face the significant challenge of not only exploring the possibilities of data-driven work but also ensuring compliance with the appropriate legal and ethical frameworks.

When implementing technological innovations, organizations must not only consider what is technologically possible but also carefully assess whether choices align with the values and principles of the stakeholders within the organization.

Justine de Boer

<title>Data-Driven Work: How Does Your Organization Handle Data… | Highberg</title>

Data-Driven Work: How does your organization handle data responsibly in the healthcare domain?

Culture Development

The impact of a corporate culture without psychological safety: causes and consequences

The impact of a corporate culture

What happened at Boeing?

Over the last three weeks, I've talked about how a positive culture can help an organization succeed. However, a poor culture can have the opposite effect and harm the organization. In this article, I will explain how problems with Boeing's corporate culture led to their recent setbacks. 
In case you missed what happened: a Boeing-manufactured Alaska Airlines plane door panel blew out midair over Portland, Oregon, on January 5th, forcing an emergency landing. Now there are a lot of concerns about safety and quality at the airline, as this was not the first time something went wrong with a Boeing plane. So, what happened and what role did their organizational culture play?

Niek Klaver

<title>What happened at Boeing and what role did their corporate… | Highberg</title>

Ethical considerations when dealing with ransomware: ‘To pay or not to pay?'

‘To pay or not to pay?’

You have been hit by a ransomware attack, your files have been encrypted and a ransom sum is demanded, will you pay or not?[1] On principle, this may seem like an easy choice: ‘I won't pay, because I don't do business with criminals’.[<a href="https://www.digitaltrustcenter.nl/informatie-advies/ransomware/wat-te-doen-bij-een-ransomware-aanval" rel="nofollow">2</a>] And the NCSC, the IBD and the Police also have this as their starting point.[<a href="https://nos.nl/artikel/2398399-overheid-in-actie-tegen-betalen-van-losgeld-aan-ransomware-criminelen">3</a>] After all, by paying you sponsor new criminal activities as well as giving criminals a reason to try again. However, practice is more recalcitrant. Every ransomware situation is different. Depending on which files are encrypted, to what extent backups are available and whether there is enough in-house knowledge to restore files, the decision may be to pay. Often in an attack, files are encrypted or there is a threat of data being put online. I researched what you need to consider in such a ransomware situation. Here are the six important considerations to make:

Marlijn Mulder

<title>Ethische afwegingen rondom het betalen van ransomware: ‘To… | Highberg</title>

Amadeus DTS Transforms with Highberg

Clay banks O4 Tu Xd Mlvk unsplash

This year, Highberg successfully transferred full responsibility for the Agile transformation to the local transformation team at Amadeus Digital Transformation Services (DTS). Using our framework, 'Managing Successful Transformations' (MST), the team initiated, validated, scaled, and sustained the transformation. In this whitepaper, we will explore the various phases, steps, and learnings from this journey. If you have any questions about this framework or inquiries about starting a transformation, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Noah van Kessel

<title>Amadeus DTS transforms with the Highberg transformation… | Highberg</title>

Whitepaper: Amadeus DTS transforms with the Highberg transformation framework

Cyber Security & Continuity

Cloudsourcing

Crowdstrike (major) malfunction: 4 Valuable BCM Lessons for the Future

Crowdstrike malfunction

Patrick tomasso 61 Mt R Bl1qe E unsplash

Last Friday, many organizations worldwide were affected by a serious malfunction on Windows laptops caused by a bug in Crowdstrike's antivirus software. This incident underscores the importance of a robust Business Continuity Management (BCM) plan. Below, I will discuss the events and share lessons that can help your organization be better prepared for such incidents.

Floris Baauw

<title>Crowdstrike Outage: 4 Valuable BCM Lessons for the Future | Highberg</title>

Two pager: sustainably implementing Data ethics

Two pager: Data ethics

Joshua sortino Lq Khn Dz SF 8 unsplash

In recent years, data ethics has become an important topic when utilizing data and data applications. Responsible data usage is often taken as a starting point. However, in practice, sustainably implementing data ethics within organizations proves to be challenging. Over the past few years, Highberg has undertaken various projects related to data ethics. Our experience has shown that data ethics is closely linked to organizational change. Read our two pager and let us know what you think!

<title>Two pager Data ethics | Highberg</title>

From Trainee to Senior Consultant at Highberg: Jerom Fiedler

Trainee to Senior Consultant at Highberg

Jerom Fiedler

Jerom Fiedler, Senior Consultant at Highberg, began his career in consulting more than 6 years ago as a Trainee. In this interview, he discusses how the traineeship fostered his growth, as well as how the unique culture at Highberg and opportunities for professional development helped him develop in his role.

<title>From Trainee to Senior Consultant at Highberg: Jerom… | Highberg</title>

Summer Tradition at Highberg: New Summer Director Takes the Helm!

Summer Tradition at Highberg

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Solaiman Boubkari (26) is stepping in as the summer director for Highberg Digital. With the theme #PowerofDifference, Solaiman aims to emphasize the importance of recognizing and embracing differences among employees to enhance collaboration.

<title>Summer Tradition at Highberg: New Summer Director Takes… | Highberg</title>

Enhance your organizational culture with best practices from industry leaders

Enhance Your Organizational Culture

Joakim nadell K67s B Vq L Luw unsplash

<a href="https://highberg.com/insights/enhance-your-organizational-culture-with-best-practices-from-industry-leaders-decision-making-values-and-rituals-traditions">Last week</a>, we discussed best practices for the organizational from industry leaders, specifically focusing on decision-making, values, and rituals &amp; traditions. In this article, we show how some of the biggest companies improve their organizational culture, through psychological safety, leadership, and DEI.

<title>Enhance Your Organizational Culture with Best Practices… | Highberg</title>

Enhance your organizational culture with best practices from industry leaders: Psychological safety, leadership & DE&I

Enhance your organizational culture

<a href="https://highberg.com/insights/enhance-your-organizational-culture-with-best-practices-from-industry-leaders-feedback-collaboration-and-learning-development">Last week</a>, we discussed best practices for the organizational culture from industry leaders, specifically focusing on feedback, collaboration and learning &amp; development. In this article, we show how some of the biggest companies improve their organizational culture, through decision-making, organizational values, and rituals &amp; traditions.

Enhance your organizational culture with best practices from industry leaders: Decision-making, values, and rituals & traditions

Enhance your organizational

A strong cultural identity is essential for businesses success. It helps to keep employees happy, encourages new ideas, and leads to overall success. But what makes the best companies stand out? The secret lies in how they build and maintain their workplace culture. In this article, we explore some of the successful strategies used by top companies. You can apply these practical tips and examples to enhance your organization’s culture and achieve excellent results.

Enhance your organizational culture with best practices from industry leaders: feedback, collaboration and learning & development

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