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

Netherlands

Organizational

Highberg ESG Report 2023

ESG Rapport 2024

As Highberg, we are committed to achieve lasting impact on organizations, people, and the environment. Therefore, we are very proud to publish our first ESG report.

Selma den Hartog

Ben ten Dam

Strategy & Change

Risk, Resilience & Compliance

Eight Things You Need to Know About NIS2

The European Union (EU) is deeply concerned about the cybersecurity of organizations within vital sectors. The EU has introduced the Network and Information Security 2 Directive (hereinafter: NIS2) to enhance the cyber resilience of these organizations. Organizations within vital sectors are obligated to comply with NIS2 from October 18, 2024. Organizations belong to the vital sector when their service provision (temporarily) disrupts and has a significant impact on the economy and society.
In this Insight, you will read about the eight things you absolutely need to know about NIS2.

Nino van Leeuwen

Shankar Sahtie

Digital

Build your own CIA

Portfolio Performance Measurement #3

Portfolio Performance Measurement #3: Build your own CIA

Many business school classrooms echo with lectures on the value of precise, analytic approaches to management. Yet when we look at what’s happening all around us, there is a big gap between what we are taught and what we do in our own organizations. 
Measuring the value of we are delivering, and how we are delivering it, is not always obvious to leadership teams. A reason can be found in the varying opinions on measurement effectiveness in the first place. Some organizations are doing just fine without too much measurement. To others, these systems might seem more like a luxury than a necessity given their day-to-day worries. It is not seen as critical for survival, yet.

Koen Harbers

Government and Public Sector

Case study 'Redesign HR Operating Model' NS

Highberg collaborated in a transformation with the HR Department of Dutch railroads on improving the HR service delivery model. Subsequently the HR Target Operating Model was newly developed. Read below about the context, approach, and the results which were achieved.

Mariëlle van Tilburg

Heiko van Eldijk

Case study: Redesign HR Operating Model for NS

Three reasons why as a CIO and CSO you should hold each other's hands

Why should CIO and CSO hold hands?

In my daily work in the field of responsible digitization, I see that sustainability and digitization have a lot in common. Both strive for value creation, involve substantive complexity, and require a similar search for ownership.

Anne van Esch

As an organization, how do you take the first steps toward sustainability?

Sustainability in your organization

The-first-step-to-sustainability-in-your-organization

In today's rapidly evolving world, sustainability is increasingly seen as not only an ethical, but also a business sense. Organizations committed to a sustainable path are experiencing numerous benefits, including cost savings, increased efficiency and a positive impact on the environment. But as an organization, how do you take the first steps toward sustainability?

Miriam Maan

The first step to Sustainability in your organization

Gamification is a scalable change approach to achieve sustained desired behavior

Gamification for behavioural change

whitepaper-gamification-for-behavioural-change

Gamification is a scalable change approach to achieve sustained desired behavior and improve performance in the workplace.

Whitepaper: Gamification for behavioural change

Challenges around organizational transformation within large, Dutch organizations

Organizational transformation challenges

whitepaper-five-challenges-around-organizational-transformation

Five challenges around organizational transformation according to leaders within large, Dutch organizations and our reflections on them.

Whitepaper: Five challenges around organizational transformation

Innovative compliance therefore creates more ethical behavior.

Research compliance and innovation

white-paper-research-compliance-and-innovation

An innovative compliance program makes for an effective compliance program. Innovative compliance therefore creates more ethical behavior.

White paper: Research compliance and innovation

Exemplary behavior of leaders is crucial with integrity issues.

Moral leadership – the theme of this time

whitepaper-moral-leadership-the-crucial-theme-of-this-time

The exemplary behavior of leaders is crucial to reduce the reputational risk of integrity issues within your organization.

Whitepaper: Moral leadership – the crucial theme of this time

For an effective game fulfilling the conditions is crucial.

The 6 ingredients of an effective game

whitepaper-the-6-ingredients-of-an-effecitve-game

To ensure that a game is truly effective and contributes to the organizational objectives, fulfilling the conditions is crucial.

Whitepaper: The 6 ingredients of an effective game

Shadow IT, how do you deal with it?

Shadow IT appears unstoppable

shadow-it-appears-unstoppable-how-do-you-deal-with-it

Shadow IT is defined as the IT within an organization that does not fall under the responsibility and management of the organization's (central) IT department. There is an increasing presence of shadow IT in organizations, especially due to the wide range of cloud services available and the increasingly adopted bring-your-own-device policy. It seems to be an ever-growing challenge for IT departments to manage shadow IT. IT departments will need to let go of some responsibilities while setting clear boundaries for shadow IT.

Pim Schouten

Shadow IT appears unstoppable, how do you deal with it?

Embracing Polysourcing: Hybrid IT governance for decentralized success

Polysourcing demands different IT governance

polysourcing-demands-radically-different-it-governance-2

In this second blog on the consequences of IT decentralization, I will address how organizations should reshape their IT governance.

Polysourcing demands radically different IT governance (2)

Polysourcing and decentralized IT governance: strategic responsibility balanced

Polysourcing demands for different governance

polysourcing-calls-for-radically-different-it-governance-1

IT is becoming increasingly decentralized. This leads to fragmentation of IT activities. To ensure that IT still contributes maximally to the organization's strategic objectives, you will also need to decentralize parts of your IT governance. In two blogs, I will explain the cause of decentralization, its impact on outsourcing, and how organizations should restructure their IT governance. This first blog focuses on the cause of decentralization and introduces polysourcing, a new sourcing form that goes beyond multisourcing.

Polysourcing demands radically different IT governance (1)

Media and entertainment

Effective growth strategies for media firms

Media growth: Organic or acquisitions?

organic-or-acquisitions-which-growth-is-more-effective-for-media-companies

"Anyone who does what they can already do, always remains what they already are." This quote from the American automotive pioneer Henry Ford is more relevant than ever. Today, innovation and investment are required. Growth is not just an option, but a necessity for media companies.

Hendrik Langen

Germany

Organic or acquisitions – which growth is more effective for media companies?

A Highberg customer story: European procurement through green glasses

European procurement through green glasses

Groene bril bud helisson kqguzgv Yrt M unsplash

Every four or five years it comes around again: procurement. The Dutch government constantly has to deal with contracts expiring that then have to be put out to tender again. So too do the Dutch provinces. Their telephony contracts expired in 2018, so in 2017 they joined forces (for the 3rd time) to jointly market their telephony with Provincial Telephony 2017 (PT2017). This is more efficient than each on their own and because of the size, they are an attractive party for the market. This allows them to make serious cost savings, both on the procedure (working together more efficiently) and on the contracts (buying larger). This involved fixed and mobile telephony connections, mobile devices and the construction and maintenance of indoor (in-house) coverage facilities for telephony, divided into five lots.
Cooperation with Highberg (fka VKA) was sought and found early in the process for the additional procurement and telephony expertise for the core team of provinces.

Rick de Rooij

The Next 5 years decide

Transformation endgame (part 1)

transformation-endgame-the-next-5-years-decide

Newspaper publishers are facing the biggest challenge they have ever faced in their history. The next few years demand radical action. Even if you only hear the wind rustling softly in the distance: the storm is coming, and it is brutal.

Christoph Mayer

Transformation endgame (part 1) - the next 5 years decide

A Highberg customer story: The Nutrition Center's new canteen scan

The Nutrition Center's new canteen scan

The Nutrition Center is the authority that gives consumers reliable and independent information about a healthy, safe and sustainable diet. The 'Disk of Five' is familiar to many people, but in addition the Nutrition Center also provides advice on 'eating environments' and how organizations can achieve a responsible food supply. The starting point is to let the healthy choice be the easy choice.

Wilbert Enserink

A Highberg customer story: Cals College Digital, Secure and Transparent

Cals College Digital, Secure and Transparent

Good ICT support as key to flexible education

Due to the increasing digitization of education and the introduction of the AVG, security and careful handling of (personal) data and supporting resources have become increasingly important. This is also observed by the Cals College, a secondary school community with two branches: one in Nieuwegein and one in IJsselstein. The Cals has recently taken a professionalization step in the field of information management, privacy and information security. In this process, Highberg advised and provided and implemented methods to get a better grip on the management of ICT, privacy and information security. In addition, Highberg fulfills the role of Data Protection Officer (FG) and Privacy Quartermaster.

Wim Kok

Technology and Telecommunications

The challenge for Philips is to involve all employees in the execution of commitments

The Philips Sustainability Challenge​

The philips sustainability challenge

In 2020, Philips announced its ESG commitments for 2025: a comprehensive set of key commitments and ambitious targets across all the Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) dimensions. ​Currently, the main challenge for Philips is to involve all employees in the execution of these commitments. This requires employees to become aware of the ESG commitments and ambitions, understand how they can contribute from their own role and context, and requires them to adopt and execute new behaviors. ​

Jody Pietersz

The Philips sustainability challenge​

Retail and Consumer Goods

Ndugu Coffee's mission is to make agribusiness sustainable for all stakeholders involved

Dashboarding & business development

dashboarding-business-development-for-sustainable-growth

Ndugu Coffee is a social enterprise with a mission to make agribusiness sustainable for all stakeholders involved.

Dashboarding & business development for sustainable growth

Optimize IT governance: from central control to decentralized autonomy

IT Governance, can it be more decentralized?

it-governance-can-it-be-more-decentralized

Departmental applications have been replaced by large, cross-departmental applications. Registrations are reused. Underlying infrastructure has been standardized or moved to the cloud. The control of this IT is detailed and mostly centralized. This way, the current stability can be ensured, and changes can be controlled (and compliance checkboxes can be ticked!). But are the primary processes still adequately supported? Do we still know centrally for whom and why we do things? Or do we let things slide?

(High Tech) Manufacturing and Logistics

Pon had the need for support in initiating a group-wide digital transformation

Pon - Initiating digital transformation

Pon digitale transformatie opstarten

Pon is a global player in the field of mobility products, services, and solutions, also offering hundreds of industrial solutions. Within the Pon Equipment &amp; Pon Power (PEPP) division, discussions about the opportunities and possibilities of digitization had been ongoing for some time. However, the implementation of these digital opportunities faced challenges, and the desired results were not forthcoming. This led to the need for support in initiating a group-wide digital transformation to better leverage the opportunities offered by (further) digitization.

Financial Services

Ymere aims to become an efficient and results-oriented organization

Cost-effective through data-driven working

Ymere cost effective through data driven working

Ymere is driven by its mission to provide more people with modest incomes a good home in the Amsterdam metropolitan region and aims to become an efficient and results-oriented organization.

Ymere – Cost-effective through data-driven working

AFM is optimizing and digitizing its levy process

Establishment of the levy process at AFM

Establishment of chain collaboration and control of the levy process at afm

The Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) is optimizing and digitizing its levy process. An advisory report has been developed by Highberg, and the next step is implementation. This involves setting up cross-departmental (chain) collaboration with effective governance and meeting structures, communicating the change, and involving the organization.

Establishment of chain collaboration and control of the levy process at AFM

Healthcare and Life Sciences

As the existing strategy was no longer current, Menzis aimed to establish a new vision

Customer service strategy development

Menzis strategieontwikkeling klantbediening

Menzis has the mission to strengthen the vitality of every individual by ensuring high-quality and affordable healthcare. Customer &amp; Operations (C&amp;O) is responsible for all operational insurance processes, customer interactions, and is the largest cluster within Menzis with 600 employees. As the existing strategy was no longer current, the director of C&amp;O, who took office in 2020, aimed to establish a new vision that transcends the cluster.

Menzis – Customer service strategy development

Energy and Utilities

After a long period of stability, Enexis is under pressure

Guiding year plan process for the BOD and EB

guiding-year-plan-process-for-the-board-of-directors-and-executive-board

After a long period of stability, Enexis is under pressure to increase productivity and reduce costs to accelerate the energy transition

Guiding year plan process for the board of directors and executive board

UNICEF has the ambition to be as agile as possible to help more children, faster

Leadership development UNICEF

leadership-development-UNICEF

UNICEF provides assistance to children worldwide and advocates for their rights. As the world's largest child rights organization, UNICEF reaches more children in more places than anyone else, with the ambition to be as agile as possible to help more children, faster.

A new service concept for the Homeless Desk of the Municipality of The Hague

From work pressure to work happiness

from-work-pressure-to-work-happiness

The Homeless Desk of the Municipality of The Hague provides assistance to the homeless, and due to the high urgency of their work, the team experiences high levels of work pressure. The goal was to establish a new service concept at a new location (driven by hospitality) with the aim of increasing the quality of service and improving the job satisfaction and working conditions of the employees. It is crucial that these improvements are sustainable and lead to lasting change.

To enhance debt relief an analysis was conducted and a game was created

Processing time debt settlement with a game

NVVK - debt settlement softened through game

The NVVK is the largest industry association for debt assistance and financial services. To enhance debt relief, Highberg conducted an analysis, implementing four interventions. The primary component was a game called the NVVK Expedition, co-created with the NVVK.

Elselieke van Aken

Processing time debt settlement phase sortened through use of game

We guided Ctac in their organizational transformation

Organizational transformation with CTAC

organizational-transformation-with-ctac

We guided Ctac in their organizational transformation focusing on the axes of processes, governance, behavior, and leadership, with the goal of achieving higher returns, increased employee satisfaction, and enhanced customer satisfaction.

Manouk Hertogs

The HR department of ProRail aimed to achieve an Agile transformation

Agile transformation ProRail

agile-transformation-prorail-increasing-agility-and-customer-centricity

ProRail is responsible for the railway network in the Netherlands. Together with transport companies, they work 24/7 to ensure that passengers and goods arrive safely and on time at their destinations. The HR department of ProRail aimed to achieve an Agile transformation.

Agile transformation ProRail - increasing agility and customer centricity

People, Leadership & Culture

Organizations cannot perform at a higher level than the awareness of its leadership

How others perceive our leadership

Leadership Circle Profile

"An organization cannot perform at a higher level than the awareness of its leadership", said Bob Anderson, founder of the Leadership Circle. This statement touched me deeply when I getting certified for the Leadership Circle Profile™, together with my colleagues.

Elise le Nobel

Leadership Circle Profile: A route to sustainable development of leaders and organizations

Having a systemic perspective with 3 simple questions

A systemic perspective with 3 questions

Systemisch werken met 3 simpele vragen

Do you sometimes notice that the energy is leaving the room? Do you keep wondering why that is, but you can't put your finger on it? Do you recognize the feeling that at the end of the working day you feel like you're moving in circles, and that your attempts to break through don't help? That the energy you put into all these attempts seems to be for nothing? ...  Yes, does this sound familiar? Then I might have a solution for you. To look at it from a new perspective, from a systemic lens.

Lianne Swenne

We all know Lencioni's pyramid, right? At Highberg, we go further than just the model

Using the Lencioni's pyramid

Our lencioni on the floor approach

We all know Lencioni's pyramid, right? At Highberg, we go further than just the well-known model. The road to a high-performing team seems simple on paper, but in truth is quite challenging. First, let's define a 'high performing team': a team that communicates and collaborates extremely effectively at the highest level to achieve common goals.

Natascha Renkers

Our 'Lencioni on the floor' approach

Aligning business needs and IT: Optimizing information management for success

Why doesn't the IT team deliver?

why-doesnt-the-it-team-deliver

Many people think that as an IT consultant, I'm primarily focused on technology. Nothing could be further from the truth. In my daily practice, I often come across IT and Information Management challenges that aren't solely about technology. In cases like these, I differentiate between cause and effect. For example, the IT department doesn't deliver the right products or services. This is an effect. Perhaps the cause is that the right products or services weren't properly described or requested. Only by asking the right question do you get the right answer (and subsequently a fitting solution). In this blog, I'll delve into the role of "the business" in IT and Information Management challenges.

Cleo van Engelen

Building truly valuable services

Valuable services are sensible-by-design

Our environment demands more and more from (government) service delivery. Service must comply with laws and regulations, restore the 'human dimension', and be more sustainable. Each organization has its own beliefs and priorities in this regard. This diversity of expectations raises the question, 'How do we make progress at all?'

Truly valuable services are sensible from the initial design

Bruno Braakhuis

Senior Consultant

Capabilities

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