ID.3: Volkswagen team focuses on digital project management

For Melanie Metzger’s department, the corona pandemic began at the worst possible moment: the model series manager and her team had been working for more than three years towards the launch of the all-electric ID.3. For Volkswagen, the first model of a new era. In the specially constructed project house, the team held the strings together to get the car on the road as planned. Every day, dozens of meetings with developers, purchasers or production planners. Shortly before the finish line, COVID-19 arrived – and consequently the home office. “From one day to the next, all communication had to take place online,” says Metzger.

Skype meeting instead of Project HQ

The switch was big, because in the project house everything was designed for personal encounters. 200 minds under one roof. Short distances. Fast appointments. Spontaneous discussions became more difficult from the home office – but the daily structure was largely retained. “We transferred all meetings 1:1 to Skype,” reports Metzger. One major advantage was that most of the participants knew each other well. No time-consuming introductions required. Work could continue immediately. It was more difficult to integrate new colleagues into the team though.

The longer the home office lasted, the clearer the advantages became. One plus point: more efficiency. “Many meetings that used to take an hour are now finished after half an hour. We can manage more in the same time,” says Metzger. The organizers of the meetings also no longer have to search for a suitable room. “That used to slow us down a lot in the past.”

On the other hand, the denser scheduling of appointments could become a burden. “Taking a breather is eliminated because we often jump from one meeting to the next. You notice that at the end of the day. On the other hand, the now redundant commute to work is a great benefit. “This leaves more time for the family.”

Climate protection wins

The new digital collaboration not only increases efficiency – it also benefits the environment. The calculation for the model series team looks like this: In a normal working week, each of the ten team members came to the office four times and worked from home once. Their home and work locations were an average of 35 kilometers away. The car journeys – assuming an efficient diesel engine – resulted in CO₂ emissions of almost 20 tons per year.

Today, on the other hand, the team works entirely from the home office and spends around five hours a day in online appointments. Although CO₂ emissions are also caused by the power consumption during digital meetings, the team is still very much aware of the fact that the power consumption of digital meetings is a major source of CO₂ emissions. However, over the course of a year, these emissions are only around one ton. It is one of many examples that show how Volkswagen is becoming a more digital and at the same time more sustainable company during the pandemic

Despite difficult conditions, the ID.3 has been successfully launched on the market. So, will the next project be managed completely from the home office? Melanie Metzger: “I think that after corona we will come to a 50/50 arrangement. Some employees yearn for the office because they miss the contact. Others prefer to retain the home office. That is a matter of personality. We will find a good compromise.”