Facts & Figures.

How does a vision actually emerge? Who are the stakeholders? How do the processes work? What does an EBT margin of five percent or more actually mean. A look behind the scenes of Vision 2030.

The art of crafting Bechtle’s Vision 2030.

Visions have multiple stakeholders, including customers, vendor partners and shareholders. In essence, however, it is a company’s employees who transform this envisaged future into reality. Ideally, they identify with the vision’s aims and are involved in creating it.

At Bechtle, 40 participants from various departments did just that, representing a slice of our staff’s diversity. Attendees at the kick-off event, held in the  monastery in the southern German town of Bad Wimpfen, worked together with the Executive Board to lay the vision’s foundation.

What time period would the vision span? By when should it be fully formulated, and what aims should it contain? Should it specify figures or forge a strong sense of purpose—or, better yet, both? After two intense days, they had cleared the path for six working groups to begin their sessions. During these sessions, ideas for the vision were brainstormed and evaluated. The results were consolidated and crafted into a vision “prototype” by the Executive Board. This was then returned to the working groups, who tested and honed it to perfection. Some six months and 12 rounds of optimisation later, 60 hours of work had been completed. One final round was undertaken to finalise the vision. Each word was carefully weighed to ensure that Bechtle’s Vision 2030 was flawless. The Executive Board then shared it with Bechtle’s employees in a live stream on 14 December 2018.

Consistently visionary.

For 30 years, Bechtle has been consistently setting new goals for itself. On top of this, we have formulated a forward-facing vision every ten years, starting in 1988.

These visions, which invariably focus on the coming 12 years, have always been challenging, but we have met each one with astounding accuracy. You could say that visions have become somewhat of a tradition at Bechtle. But most important of all, consistently updating our visions is an expression of our sustainable corporate governance.

We always pair our growth targets with healthy profitability; acquisitions are as important as dynamic, organic revenue growth. We integrate new employees for the long term using established measures ensuring a high degree of continuity. And our intake has been remarkable, with staff numbers more than doubling between 2010 and 2020, according to plan. As a rule, visions always come with operational challenges—but we’re as prepared as ever, thanks to the practice we’ve had over the years.

Our Visions at a glance.

Revenues × 5 ÷ 100 = entrepreneurial freedom.

It’s our formula for success. Company visions don’t generally define a target margin. But since when has Bechtle followed the crowd? Moreover, Bechtle has always set quantitative goals. A 5% EBT margin provides security, as it allows us to freely shape and invest in our future. With no-one to answer to.

We alone are the force driving our business forward. And we believe this is an immense asset. Other companies may generate a higher return on investment or prioritise growth over profit. These are their strategies, their business models. But we’ve decided to go our own way. Our margin serves as a safety rail that lets all our stakeholders know where we’re headed. And that means safety and security in the long term.

Freedom to drive progress.

Bechtle is imbued with an entrepreneurial mindset that is embodied by our employees. They are given the freedom to work independently, laying the groundwork for significant progress. This means mastering challenging tasks autonomously, thinking long-term and taking action to produce successful outcomes. That’s quite a tall order. But our employees also receive the necessary support to do so. We consistently help them to grow their skills and take on responsibility. And we demonstrate that we have confidence in them—a vital ingredient.

Experiences and expertise are shared. Mentors and coaches work one-on-one with junior employees and fresh hires. Bechtle is an example of strong, close-knit teams able to work together, even across multiple sites, on specific topics, products or projects. If it’s freedom you’re looking for, Bechtle offers it. Freedom to act and to achieve. Freedom that’s fuelled by one’s own ideas—and Bechtle’s corporate vision.

Overview.