Strategy & Change

Technology and Telecommunications

(High Tech) Manufacturing and Logistics

How Highberg partnered with Philips to enable behavioral change through gamified learning

From Awareness to Action:

In an era of constant transformation, organizations are under pressure to adapt quickly and sustainably. Traditional training programs often can fall short: knowledge is transferred, but lasting behavioral change remains limited. At Highberg, we believe that meaningful change only occurs when learning is embedded in behavior, and tied to actual behavior and habit formation.

Jonne Tillema

Elselieke van Aken

Netherlands

From Awareness to Action: How Highberg partnered with Philips to enable behavioral change through gamified learning

Organizational

Government and Public Sector

How governmental organizations fail to execute on their policies

Overcoming the Policy Implementation Gap

What do the energy transition, the digital transformation of the Dutch National Police, and the digitalization of the Dutch National Archive have in common? These are all large-scale initiatives with high impact, crucial for the future and the greater good. Yet, despite their importance, they all ended up far from meeting their forecasted budgets, timelines, and expected outcomes. 
These failures are not simply poor planning; they reflect a much deeper issue: the inability of governmental organizations to effectively execute their own policies, regardless of how well-intentioned or carefully crafted those policies are.

Niels Groen

Noah van Kessel

In executing their strategy to improve timetables

Highberg supports NS

Untitled design 2

The NS chain “Specific Days” was facing a decline in timetable quality combined with increased workload for its employees. This was primarily caused by shifts in passenger behavior following the COVID-19 pandemic, staff shortages, and a growing number of last-minute changes in rail maintenance. Due to these developments—alongside high work pressure and the ad hoc nature of the chain—NS struggled to internally shape and sustainably implement the necessary changes.
As a result, Highberg was brought in to analyze bottlenecks within the chain, design a future vision, and implement it iteratively. This led to annual savings of €300,000, measurable cultural shifts, and improved employee satisfaction.
The project lasted ten months and consisted of analysis, design, and implementation phases, all carried out using an agile approach.

Casper Groenink

Highberg supports NS in executing their strategy to improve timetables

Strategy Development & Execution

Energy and Utilities

Unlocking the Execution Challenge of the Energy Transition

From Planning to Progress:

Energy in Transition: The Culture, The Challenges and The Opportunities

The Dutch energy sector is facing its greatest transformation since WWII, as electricity demand rapidly outpaces the grid’s capacity. Grid operators must expand, reinforce, and digitalize their networks faster and smarter, while fundamentally rethinking how the energy system is planned and governed. This challenge goes beyond infrastructure, it requires a shift in mindset, strategy, and societal responsibility. As public institutions, grid operators play a vital role in ensuring the transition is not only effective, but also fair, inclusive, and widely supported. At Highberg, we are proud to support them in shaping a resilient and equitable energy future. The transformation these companies are undergoing offers valuable insights into the broader shifts shaping the sector. From our experience, real progress depends on five key transformation themes: Operational execution, external collaboration, competency development, strategy execution and performance driven culture.

Sjoerd Hogenbirk

Ralph den Bosch

Bob Verstraten

From Planning to Progress: Unlocking the Execution Challenge of the Energy Transition

Sustainability

Performance Improvement

Organisatie

New Performance Management System at TNO

BH kantoor 2024 0130

The traditional performance review system was time-consuming for TNO’s managers but didn’t always yield valuable results. It was time for a radically new performance management approach, thought HR Innovation Manager Dagmar Beudeker and Senior Labor Law Specialist Eveline Glaser. The result: Empower.

Learn more about critical trends driving public sector transformation

Six public sector transformation trends

Abbe sublett nx ZDMU Qh N4o unsplash

At Highberg, we closely follow transformation trends among our clients. We have analyzed our experiences and insights in the public sector from last year, compiled them and translated them into the challenges and trends for 2025 in the public sector.
Our analysis reveals a complex landscape of opportunities and obstacles for large implementing agencies such as UWV, DUO, SVB and the Tax Office, among others. These organizations face the immense task of modernizing and optimizing their services while navigating between strict regulations, technological innovation and societal expectations.
We highlight six crucial observations influencing transformation in the public sector. These observations not only reflect the current situation but also provide insight into the future direction as a result of digital and organizational changes within these implementing organizations.

Ralph Hofman

Wilbert Enserink

Six transformation trends in the public sector

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.

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. 
Eight things you absolutely need to know about NIS2 are outlined below.

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 is 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 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

Case study 'Redesign HR Operating Model' NS

Highberg collaborated in a <a href="https://highberg.com/capabilities/strategy-and-change/change-management">transformation</a> 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

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.

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.

Whitepaper: 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 organizational objectives, fulfilling the conditions is crucial.

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

IT decentralization requires organizations to 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. The cause of decentralization, its impact on outsourcing, and how organizations should restructure their IT governance are explored here. This first section 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 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?

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 five 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.

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 Cals College, a secondary school community with two branches: one in Nieuwegein and one in IJsselstein. Cals has recently taken a professionalization step in the field of information management, privacy and information security. In this process, Highberg advised, 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.

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 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 and 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?

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

Person on top of a rock looking at a mountain

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 and Operations (C&amp;O) is responsible for all operational insurance processes and 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

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.

Processing time debt settlement phase shortened 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

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 was 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 a solution may be available. Looking at it from a new perspective, from a systemic lens, can help.

Lianne Swenne

Having a systemic perspective with three simple questions

Elselieke van Aken

Change Consultant

Capabilities

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