Digital change has been familiar to all companies since the last two years of the coronavirus pandemic. Everyone is affected, and the most successful ones are driving change themselves. In many ways, the pandemic was an accelerator of often foreseeable changes in the world of organization and work. However, the speed and urgency of these changes came with surprisingly great force, the change brought some to their existential limits - and others to opportunities to prove their skills and even use digitalization for economic growth and internationalization.

"Die Umsetzer" is one of the latter players. Founded in Vienna in 2009 by Cornelia Steven and Matthias Prammer, the team of more than 40 consultants is one of the companies with international digital change experience. Steven, who joined Matthias Prammer in Vienna for the interview via video call, talks about a lighthouse project that clearly shows why the "implementers" have an international reputation as experts: "It involved a global rollout of an IT system that would ultimately be used by over 3,000 people. We prepared the whole thing completely remotely and then provided process support - from the business process to each individual end user as part of the change management process." Steven is proud to say that this feat took three years to achieve. In another project, Stevens also describes the diversity of the tasks, a big data analysis was used to convert a reactive system into a proactive one. "We work a lot in the med-tech sector, where employees contact customers when their devices need to be serviced or when it's time for a service technician to inspect them," adds Prammer. This is a massive cultural change for the people who work in these companies, Prammer continues, and also shows the paradigm shift, the many changes in the world of work.

What is demonstrated externally (the consultants' expertise has been in demand in more than 200 digital projects of all kinds in recent years) is practiced internally by the "implementers". Decentralized working methods, for example, have long been the norm. The 40 employees work remotely a lot, says Prammer, but they are currently moving to a larger office. Like many other companies, the "Umsetzer" also offer their employees different working time and workplace models - including a four-day week, which is still a challenging model for consultants. Many things are different at the "Umsetzer".

The name says it all: "Die Umsetzer" ("The Implementers")is a performance promise to the outside world and a work claim to the inside; it's also a unique name," says Prammer. "We don't overwhelm anyone with 200 slides," he adds, and there are no universal promises of salvation. We are pragmatic, practical and work on the pain points. Prammer: "I like to compare us to a good physiotherapist. If you have a bad knee, you go to him. He will fix your knee and generally work on your mobility. However, they won't promise that you'll be completely healthy and a better person after the treatment."

For Steven and Prammer, consulting is not an abstract, theoretical matter, as they themselves worked in different companies for many years. They both understand what makes large organizations tick, in a way that you can only understand if you have worked in one yourself. From lengthy decision-making processes to the pitfalls of "silo thinking" - knowledge and experience that help to act effectively.

Their success proves them right: in 2021, turnover was €4.3 million with around 35 employees. According to Prammer, the company will have just over 40 employees in 2022 and expects turnover of around €5 million. On average, the company has grown by 30% per year since it was founded, according to the two bosses. And they want to continue to grow. Not least because international business is increasing rapidly - so much so that an international version of the company name is being considered. Orders are coming in from India, Australia, America, everywhere, says Steven. Some people find it difficult to pronounce "Die Umsetzer", she laughs, "and 'Transformers' is already taken."