In many digitization projects, choosing software is initially the focus. Long-term success, however, is often determined earlier — namely when existing workflows are understood, questioned, and purposefully improved.
That's exactly what the project with SchuBiL demonstrates. As a child and youth welfare organization, SchuBiL wanted to make its documentation and administrative processes future-proof. Instead of simply digitizing established workflows, these were first analyzed, optimization potentials identified, and then purposefully developed further. The result: less administrative workload, more transparent processes, and more efficient collaboration.
The project at a glance
Client | SchuBiL |
Industry | Child and youth welfare |
Initial situation | Established documentation and administrative processes with a high administrative burden |
Project goal | Make documentation and administrative processes more efficient and sustainably reduce administrative workload |
Approach | Process analysis → process optimization → digital implementation |
Result | More transparent processes, more efficient collaboration, and centrally available information |
In the following conversation, Maria Vogel, Managing Director of SchuBiL, and Benjamin Böhm describe how an efficient digital process emerged from a complex starting situation.
The challenge: when established processes reach their limits
Why documentation needs efficient processes
Documentation is part of the daily work of every child and youth welfare organization. It creates transparency, supports teamwork, and ensures that important information is documented in a traceable way at all times. However, as demands for quality, traceability, and communication increase, organizational requirements—and thus the complexity of the underlying processes—often grow as well.
For documentation to fulfill its purpose, information must be complete, up to date, and transparently available to all parties involved. However, this becomes increasingly difficult when processes grow and change over many years.
The initial situation at SchuBiL
At SchuBiL as well, documentation and administrative processes had evolved over many years. The workflows basically worked, but became increasingly time-consuming as the organization grew.
Documentation had to be collected, reviewed, and reworked in case of ambiguities. Information was often only available when it was already needed elsewhere. This led to delays, additional coordination effort, and a high administrative burden.
"For me it was incredibly tedious and frustrating to collect all the documentation, go through it, and have to speak with staff again when there were uncertainties — it was indescribably time-consuming."
- Maria Vogel, Managing Director SchuBiL
Our approach: Understand first, then digitize
Why every project begins with a process analysis
Many digitization projects start with the search for suitable software. Our approach begins much earlier. Before we talk about digital solutions, we want to understand how the existing workflows actually function. Because only those who know the current state can specifically improve processes.
That is why each project begins with a structured process analysis. Together with our clients, we look not only at individual steps but at the entire information flow: How is information created? Who works with it next? Where do waiting times or unnecessary handovers occur? And which processes cause daily effort without creating real added value?
Only this overall understanding enables well-founded decisions and provides the basis for targeted improvements.
Getting to the root of the causes
With SchuBiL, the focus was therefore not initially on introducing new software. The goal was to understand why the documentation and administrative processes had become so time-consuming.
The analysis showed that it wasn’t individual steps that posed the real challenge. Rather, over the years structures had developed that led to media discontinuities, duplicate tasks, and delays in the information flow.
Only through this complete picture did it become clear where processes could be simplified and redesigned.
From the current process to the right solution
Based on the analysis, the future solution was developed together. Existing workflows were not simply digitized, but deliberately refined and simplified.
The focus was not on which features a piece of software should offer, but on how information could be processed more quickly, transparently, and without unnecessary intermediate steps in the future.
Only after the future process was defined was it implemented digitally. The software was therefore not the starting point of the project, but the result of a previously developed process structure.
How we support digitization processes
From analyzing existing workflows to successful implementation:
Implementation: From concept to practice
Introducing the new process step by step
Based on the jointly developed process concept, the new documentation process was introduced gradually. The rollout deliberately took place in several stages so that new workflows could be integrated into daily work over time. This phased approach ensured a smooth transition and made the organizational change easier.
Why close collaboration was crucial
During the rollout, the project participants maintained close communication. Open questions could be clarified quickly and new requirements discussed directly. This allowed the solution to be continuously adapted to the practical experiences of the staff.
"...what I particularly liked about you is that we have human support here... I received answers unbelievably quickly... And, above all, that I can also adjust it so that it fits our company."
– Maria Vogel, Managing Director, SchuBiL
The close collaboration played a decisive role in ensuring that the solution evolved alongside the project and that the organization’s requirements could be taken into account at any time.
Challenges
Bringing together different requirements
A particular challenge was consolidating the documentation and administrative workflows that had grown over years into a unified digital process. Different requirements, responsibilities, and existing working methods had to be taken into account equally.
The goal was not to map as many features as possible, but to create a comprehensible process that simplifies daily documentation while meeting organizational requirements.
Maintaining flexibility during the project
During implementation it became apparent that some requirements only became visible once the new process was already in use. Instead of sticking to a rigid plan, the solution was therefore gradually adapted to new insights and requirements.
Maria describes exactly this project process as one of the biggest advantages:
“Things got done. We were able to exchange with each other, and that was incredibly important to me.”
– Maria Vogel, Managing Director, SchuBiL
It was precisely this flexibility that helped ensure the digital solution best reflected the organization's actual requirements and could be sustainably integrated into everyday work.
The result: more transparency and less administrative burden
Today, information is collected centrally and available where it's needed. Many manual steps could be reduced, coordination is more transparent, and documentation can be managed much more easily. Decisions can therefore be made based on current and consistent data.
“We're far more connected as a team. We can exchange data more quickly, are more flexible when covering for each other, and can bill much faster. Above all, everything has become clearer and more transparent.”
– Maria Vogel, Managing Director, SchuBiL
The new way of working lays the foundation for more efficient administrative processes, transparent collaboration, and noticeable relief in everyday work.
Conclusion
The project with SchuBiL shows that successful digitization doesn't start with software, but with understanding existing structures and ways of working. Only when these are intentionally developed do solutions emerge that sustainably reduce administrative burden and improve collaboration.
Maria sums up her experience in a few words:
“Don't overthink it, just do it.”
– Maria Vogel, Managing Director, SchuBiL
Ready for the next step?
Together we'll find out where your processes can be simpler and more efficient.