Structure instead of chance: How we effectively embed innovation management at BSR

Innovation management is not an end in itself. Especially in municipal companies such as Berliner Stadtreinigung (BSR), innovation must be strategically anchored, structurally secured and implemented in practice. As part of the public tender for the ‘Framework Agreement on Innovation Consulting’, adesso has developed a concept that pursues precisely this goal: systematic empowerment instead of isolated impulses. In this blog post, I provide insight into our methodological approach and show how innovative strength can not only be initiated, but also sustainably integrated into the organisation.

Initialisation with substance: project launch through clarity

The starting point is not a whiteboard, but a structured kick-off. Together with BSR's Organisational Development, Digitalisation and Data Management (ODD) department, we draw up a company-specific support plan. This plan specifically maps out the roles, requirements and formats in the innovation process. Which departments need what support? Where are the interfaces with ongoing BSR processes? Which formats promise the greatest added value? The basis for this is also the BSR's internal milestone plan, which we review together in the initial workshop and integrate into our planning.

Methodological foundation: the adesso innovation toolkit

At the heart of our approach is an adaptive toolkit based on tried-and-tested best practices. These include:

• the Interaction Room workshop format for synchronous idea prioritisation,
• structured use case cluster explorations (e.g. for city logistics),
• proven funnelling and ideation processes from similar transformation projects, and
• tried-and-tested prioritisation models (business value, feasibility, reach, impact, etc.).

Our certified coaches (including digital design professionals, Scrum Masters, and Interaction Room Facilitators) accompany the teams through all stages of an innovation project – from the early phase to MVP validation to decision-making.

Governance and integration: systematic innovation

Innovation management requires not only good ideas, but also a structural framework. That is why we support BSR not only in project implementation, but also in establishing a sustainable governance model. This includes:

• the co-creation of decision-making models (go/no-go, stage gates),
• the establishment of continuous KPI-based reporting,
• the development of formats for idea generation and pitch preparation,
• coordination with existing BSR strategies (digitalisation, sustainability, AI) and
• linking with existing processes such as the employee suggestion scheme.

The aim is to design decision-making and communication channels in such a way that they combine efficiency with transparency – for specialist departments, steering committees and the ODD team alike.

Flexible, plannable, scalable: collaboration on an equal footing

In our collaboration, we rely on a lean yet reliable structure:

• weekly check-ins (30 minutes),
• monthly planning meetings,
• half-yearly retrospectives for strategic adjustment,
• flexible availability with 7 days' notice,
• two designated contact persons and a scalable pool of consultants to ensure redundancy.

This enables us to respond dynamically to changing needs (e.g. in workshop phases or during platform rollouts) – without any loss of quality or communication breakdowns.

Conclusion: Empowering innovation management instead of just supporting it

Our conviction: Innovation consulting must build competencies, not just support projects. Only when internal roles are strengthened, processes are interlinked and governance is anchored can innovation management be effective. adesso's offering for BSR shows exactly how this can be achieved: in a structured, practical manner and with the aim of making innovation a matter of course within the organisation.