SUMMARY

As OF 1990, Siemens Nixdorf Informationssysteme was acquired by Siemens. Siemens

Nixdorf Informationssysteme, was largest European-owned computer manufacturer and
information technology. The company was formed in 1990 as a merger between Nixdorf
computers and the Mainframe computers division of Siemens AG. It offers a broad
range of products. It has employed 39000 people worldwide. SNI had not profitable
quarter since merger. The company had a weak base in the growing Asian and north
American markets. SNI was slow to response to market changes requiring more
customer responsiveness and market shifts. SNI efforts high cost and established
prorate culture during the merger.
In Mid-1994, Chairman of Siemens made decision to bring new CEO of Siemens
Nixdorf. Schulmeyer wanted SNI to become more customer driven and responsive to
the market. He wanted to create an SNI culture that enhanced entrepreneurial thinking
and Team building. He had three major objectives to accomplish these goals. 1, To
change the behavior of managers and employees with a view to achieving dramatic
improvement in performance and results, 2 To change work system to foster a culture of
operational excellence, 3 To change processes to emphasize the customer and to
ensure the primacy of customer service. He believed that SNIs radical change
requirements could only be met holistically, addressing structure, systems, behavior and
by continuous learning process for both individuals and the organization itself. In 1994,
particular importance in creating a foundation for change at SNI were the behavioral
and learning components of the Road map.

The Culture Change Program:

The process started with four major change in Hanover, Germany. Hanover 1, Held in
December 1994, was Giving employees a voice in defining the new culture over 300
employees and 75 managers known as Business leader, to agree on changes that were
worth striving for at the company. 12000 employees were shown what had been
accomplished so far on the action items and what would happen in the future. Hanover
II, Giving customers a voice in defining the new culture where managers and opinion
leaders met and decided to hear a voice of internal customers.
Hanover III. Giving partners a voice in defining a new culture. There were 350
employees and 40 SNI partners, who looked for new way to reinforce and expand the
areas in which they worked together. Hanover IV, This final event involved

decentralizing the organizations businesses and associated responsibilities and

delegating them to some 250 entrepreneurs.

The Change Agent Program:

Schulmeyer introduced the Change Agent Program (CAP) that sent 20 employees to
United states to participate in a 13-week training events addressed by a well-known
management consulting firm. The goal was to build an understanding of business
fundamental and business change along three dimensions customer, competitiveness
and Culture. CA was sponsored by two members of management: 1, a Business
Leader who was typically a senior manager in the division in which the CA worked. 2,
An Executive Sponsor one of 14 executive Board members, who was responsible for
the entire division in which the CA worked. The 13-Week program was held at MIT and
Stanford, which site visits arranged to high technology companies in the Boston and
silicon Valley Areas. The CAs discussed and defined their projects in cooperation with
their sponsors. They intended to help for the implement of their projects in innovative
and creative ways. The projects were implemented on the employees return to SNI. A
further post program task for employees over the course of 6 years and 142
participants, several changes were made but goal remained constant then finally
towards the end of third program, the participants level of discontent grew to the point
where they decided to take over a design of final module, where projects was too
dominant with the lack of constant in the program design for individual development.
In 1998, substantial changes were made to the program. An internal design team was
formed that included three CAs from the previous programs. SNI continued as a
important goal, but the development of leadership, business, and project management
skills grew in significance. Internal management of the CAP by SNI proved short-lived.
SNI was fully integrated into the parent company, Siemens AG, and ceased to exist.
Siemens had become exasperated by the perceived underperformance of its computer
subsidiary and absorbed all of its activities. A strong content program was delivered in
1999, with significant individual benefit resulting. Unfortunately, the raison deter of
inculcating the whole corporation with culture change had been lost because most
senior managers at Siemens showed little interest in learning. By 2000, the focused had
changed to become more of a leadership excellence program.