October 02, 2024 – Katrin Lehmann, the new Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Mercedes-Benz since April 2024, is pushing ahead with the data and process landscape. In this interview, she explains why radical standardization and a new self-image of IT are more necessary than ever.
The interview with CIO Katrin Lehmann first appeared on automotiveIT
Frau Lehmann, you haven’t even been at Mercedes-Benz for a full year – and now you’re the head of Group IT. How much of a surprise was this promotion for you?
Katrin Lehmann: It is a great honour to take on this role at the most exciting time for IT ever. This wonderful and challenging role will give me the opportunity to shape a lot of things. What I’m particularly appreciative of is the dynamism and commitment within my team. I work with highly professional colleagues who bring a lot of expertise to the table and who are, simultaneously, also open to new approaches. This also reflects the spirit we have here at Mercedes-Benz. You can tell that the inventors of the automobile work here – there is a great deal of curiosity, the will to constantly create new things and to break new ground.
Sweep(ing Up) Week: Clumps out, speed in
Since your move to Mercedes, you’ve already had the opportunity to get acquainted with IT in Sales and Marketing as well as in some of our software hubs. You now have overall responsibility for Group IT and have gained comprehensive insights into our IT processes. What’s your assessment of IT at Mercedes-Benz, and where would you say the greatest challenges are at present?
Katrin Lehmann: We will only be able to build the most desirable cars in the future if we have the best IT. This goal, this aspiration, is of paramount importance! As we all know, Mercedes-Benz isn’t a startup: the company has a long history and has grown over decades. This naturally entails certain tasks, such as the need to revise and modernise older structures and systems. Above all, we are tackling the issue of data integration. A lot of data needs to be integrated even more deeply in order to boost efficiency and our ability to innovate. To improve upon this, I have launched an initiative called “Kehrwoche” – or, in English, we’re calling it “Sweep(ing Up) Week” – which encourages teams to review their systems and processes to eliminate unnecessary complexity. Clutter out, speed in. We’ve even introduced a ‘golden broom’ as an award to make it more fun and to motivate our teams (laughs). It’s all about creating a ‘clean’ basis upon which we can then build new innovations. Without a solid foundation, even the best innovations won’t be effective.
Can you give us a specific example of where this “Sweep Week” was especially necessary?
Katrin Lehmann: One major issue facing us is the handling of data. If you don't continuously work on data quality and establishing standardised semantics, this can easily lead to challenges. In our committees, for example, we only use real-time data. This encourages teams to stay organised. This approach helps to create a culture of accuracy and accountability. And a bit of competition between the teams, like a "Bundesliga ranking" for which team has the ‘tidiest’ data, also boosts the incentive to continuously improve data quality.