Transformation Every Day

Swiss Special: Migros-Logistik, SAP und die Kunst der Frische mit Daniel Balmer (Migros Ostschweiz) und Christiaan Carstens (leogistics)
Diese Episode von Transformation Every Day ist eine kleine Besonderheit. Normalerweise erscheint der Podcast auf Englisch – heute sprechen wir Deutsch.
Der Anlass: eine Swiss Special Edition über eine der spannendsten Logistiktransformationen im europäischen Retail.
Gemeinsam mit Daniel Balmer, verantwortlich für die Palettenlogistik bei Migros Ostschweiz, und Christiaan Carstens, Geschäftsführer von leogistics, sprechen wir über die Realität operativer Logistik in einem Umfeld, das anspruchsvoller kaum sein könnte.
Migros Ostschweiz versorgt Filialen von den Tälern bis in alpine Regionen – teilweise mehrmals täglich, mit einem Sortiment von bis zu 30.000 Artikeln, darunter ein hoher Anteil an Frische- und Ultrafrischeprodukten.
Wenn hier etwas schiefgeht, steht nicht einfach eine Maschine still – dann fehlt das Brot im Regal.
In diesem Gespräch geht es darum, wie Prozessdenken, Technologie und Partnerschaft zusammenkommen, um eine Logistik zu ermöglichen, die präzise, flexibel und gleichzeitig extrem robust ist.
Ein Gespräch über Transformation in der Praxis, weit weg von Buzzwords – und sehr nah an der operativen Realität.
Wichtige Themen dieser Episode
Die besonderen Herausforderungen der Retail-Logistik in der Schweiz
Warum Frischelogistik eine völlig andere operative Präzision verlangt
Wie Migros Ostschweiz ihre Logistik über Jahrzehnte kontinuierlich weiterentwickelt hat
Warum in erfolgreichen Transformationen der Prozess vor der Technologie kommt
Welche Rolle SAP-Technologie und moderne Logistiksoftware in dieser Entwicklung spielen
Wie enge Partnerschaften zwischen Business und Technologiepartnern Innovation ermöglichen
Zentrale Takeaways aus dem Gespräch
Das Wetter beeinflusst Logistik stärker als viele denken. In alpinen Regionen wird es zu einem echten Planungsfaktor.
Anpassungsfähigkeit ist entscheidend. Erfolgreiche Logistikorganisationen reagieren schnell auf Veränderungen im Tagesgeschäft.
Langjährige Beziehungen zu Lieferanten sind ein echter Wettbewerbsvorteil. Vertrauen und Zusammenarbeit erhöhen die Stabilität der Lieferketten.
Technologie ersetzt keine Prozesse – sie unterstützt sie. Gute Systeme verstärken menschliche Entscheidungen, statt sie zu verdrängen.
Transformation ist kein einmaliges Projekt. In der Logistik ist sie ein kontinuierlicher Prozess.
Partnerschaften zwischen Unternehmen treiben Innovation. Die Zusammenarbeit zwischen Migros und leogistics ist ein gutes Beispiel dafür.
Kundenbedürfnisse bestimmen die Logistik. Am Ende zählt nur eine Frage: Liegt das Produkt rechtzeitig im Regal?
Die Branche muss sich ständig an verändertes Konsumentenverhalten anpassen. Sortiment, Frequenz und Geschwindigkeit steigen.
Automatisierung kann enorme Effizienzgewinne bringen – wenn sie richtig integriert wird.
Qualität und Frische bleiben der Kern der Retail-Logistik. Alles andere ordnet sich diesem Ziel unter.
Links
Daniel Balmer auf LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-balmer-0b7b2b1b8/
Christiaan Carstens auf LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christiaan-carstens-611a40a9/
Follow Alexander: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandergreb/
Follow Johannes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johanneslangguth/

Thanks to Steven Spears for lending his voice for our podcast intro.
Theme music by Luis Álvarez a.k.a. Fourth Dogma

What happens when a private-equity carve-out meets a heavily customized 20-year ECC system… and leadership decides there is no way back?
In this special Transformation Every Day episode, recorded live as an ASUG / cbs Fireside Chat, I’m joined by Zara Horn, CIO of Current Lighting, and Geoff Scott, CEO of ASUG, to unpack one of the most impressive S/4HANA journeys I’ve seen firsthand.
Current Lighting didn’t just migrate.
They executed a full carve-out and S/4HANA transformation on RISE in record time. Five months!!
No 24-month program.
No endless blueprint debates.
No “we’ll fix it later” customization spiral.
Instead:
• A radical commitment to clean core
• A strict “If it doesn’t make money, we don’t build it” rule
• One year of data instead of twenty
• Executive alignment from day one
• Business transformation, not IT modernization
Six months after go-live, the results spoke for themselves:
From incremental improvements to multi-million-dollar value creation cycles every quarter.
We discuss:
– Why legacy customization kills innovation
– How to convince the business to embrace fit-to-standard
– Why partner culture matters more than technical skills
– The real role of change management
– Why speed can be a strategic advantage
– And what’s next: BTP, public cloud, and continuous transformation
This episode is not theory.
 It is what happens when leadership aligns, discipline replaces nostalgia, and cloud becomes a business decision — not a technical one.
If you are still debating brownfield vs. greenfield, clean core vs. customization, or whether RISE is “worth it,” this conversation will challenge your assumptions.
Follow Zara Horn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zarahorn/
Follow Geoff Scott here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoff-scott-ugs/
Follow Alexander: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandergreb/
Follow Johannes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johanneslangguth/

Thanks to Steven Spears for lending his voice for our podcast intro.
Theme music by Luis Álvarez a.k.a. Fourth Dogma

Guest: 
 Christian Straub - Head of Customer Advisory Finance - SAP 
Hosts: 
Alexander Greb - Consulting Director - cbs corporate business solutions
Johannes Langguth - Head of Business Transformation and Architecture - SAP SE
What does it take to be a modern CFO when AI, data, and complexity are reshaping the enterprise?
In this episode of Transformation Every Day, Alexander Greb and Johannes Langguth speak with Christian Straub about how the CFO role is fundamentally evolving — from managing numbers to driving measurable business impact. Success today is no longer about closing the books faster, but about generating real outcomes across the value chain.
Christian explains why AI is not a “finance topic,” but a business topic that will impact every function — with finance right at the center. The discussion breaks AI’s value for CFOs into three key dimensions: efficiency, better decision-making, and risk mitigation — and why only efficiency is easy to quantify, while the other two often define competitive advantage.
The episode also explores why CFOs must embrace technology as a transformation lever, how the finance function is shifting toward true business partnering, and why data governance has become one of the most critical responsibilities for finance leaders. Without clean data, clear ownership, and integrated processes, AI simply amplifies existing problems instead of solving them.
You’ll hear practical perspectives on:
Why organizational silos block effective, AI-supported decision-making
How incremental AI use cases can deliver fast, visible returns
Why stakeholder alignment across business, IT, and leadership is essential
How finance is becoming increasingly AI-driven and data-centric
Whether you’re a CFO, finance leader, transformation professional, or consultant, this conversation offers a realistic and experience-based look at what it takes to lead finance into the future — balancing innovation with control, speed with trust, and ambition with execution.
Follow Alexander: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandergreb/
Follow Johannes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johanneslangguth/

Thanks to Steven Spears for lending his voice for our podcast intro.
Theme music by Luis Álvarez a.k.a. Fourth Dogma

Guest: 
 Bob Evans - Founder and Host of Cloud Wars
Hosts: 
Alexander Greb - Consulting Director - cbs corporate business solutions
Johannes Langguth - Head of Business Transformation and Architecture - SAP SE
In this special episode of Transformation Everyday, Alex and Johannes sit down with Bob Evans, the creator of Cloud Wars and one of the most insightful voices in the tech industry. Known for breaking down complex topics with nothing more than a marker and his trademark whiteboard, Bob shares the story behind his unique approach and reflects on a career that started in journalism and evolved into decades inside the world’s largest tech companies.
Together, we explore why he chose the name Cloud Wars, how to separate real innovation from industry noise and why today’s CIOs must shift their mindset from internal operations to customer outcomes. Bob also tackles some of the biggest topics shaping the future: the rise of AI, the challenges and opportunities it brings, and the growing importance of collaboration and co-creation in the tech ecosystem.
This conversation is filled with sharp insights, humor and the kind of clarity Bob is famous for. From changing customer expectations to the need for more childlike curiosity in business, this episode offers a grounded and refreshing look at where the tech world is heading and what leaders must do to stay ahead.
Whether you follow Cloud Wars or you’re new to Bob’s work, this is a must-listen for anyone navigating the next chapter of digital transformation.
Follow Bob: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobevansit/

Follow Alexander: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandergreb/
Follow Johannes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johanneslangguth/

Thanks to Steven Spears for lending his voice for our podcast intro.
Theme music by Luis Álvarez a.k.a. Fourth Dogma

Guest: 
 Jon Reed - CoFounder diginomica - Enterprise Analyst
Host: 
Alexander Greb - Consulting Director - cbs corporate business solutions
Summary:
In this conversation, Jon Reed discusses the role of AI in business transformation, emphasizing that AI should be viewed as an accelerant rather than a standalone solution. He highlights the importance of having a well-structured transformation process and a strong data platform to effectively integrate AI into business operations. Without these foundational elements, simply adding AI will not resolve underlying organizational issues.
Takeaways:
AI is an accelerant for business transformation.
A strong data platform is essential for AI integration.
AI cannot fix poorly organized business processes.
Customer service should be a priority in transformation.
Judicious use of AI can enhance existing processes.
AI should complement a well-structured transformation.
Businesses need to be organized to compete effectively.
AI is not a magic solution for all problems.
Transformation requires a holistic approach, not just technology.
The success of AI depends on the existing business framework.
Follow Jon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonerp/
Follow Alexander: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandergreb/
Follow Johannes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johanneslangguth/

Thanks to Steven Spears for lending his voice for our podcast intro.
Theme music by Luis Álvarez a.k.a. Fourth Dogma