Ensuring sustainable future
We enable decision makers to consistently drive their strategy and future transformation – across all sectors. With excellence in performance management, HR, sales, technology, digital innovation and compliance.We guide organizations through their transitions: safely, precisely and sustainably with a measurable impact on overall performance.
We enable publicly traded corporations, large companies as well as owner managed companies and public organizations to ensure a sustainable future. We would like to let them speak for themselves. On this page you will find a selection of our clients and their opinions, exciting case studies and deep insights into our cross-sector work as a management consultancy.
What some of our more than 540 customers say about 4C
"With its HR expertise, pragmatism and know-how on HR trend topics, 4C convinces me and my whole team time and again. Thanks to their support, we were able to achieve successes in a very short time, which still have a lasting effect on our organisation today and have brought our HR department a long way forward. From the development of the HR strategy to the implementation of measures and process optimization. The cooperation is always absolutely professional and trusting."
Thomas Kruer, Head of Personnel, Lebensversicherung von 1871 a. G. München
"With the IBM platform we have created a solution with which we have integrated and automated consolidation, forecasting, planning and reporting. The 4C GROUP supported us fully from the conception to the implementation and rollout. At the same time, an internal team was set up and trained so that we are able to carry out further developments ourselves as far as possible and use Planning Analytics as our "performance hub"."
Oliver Markert, Head of Accounting / Financial Reporting / Planning / Controlling / Tax bei UTA UNION TANK Eckstein GmbH & Co. KG
"The participants' assessment of the workshops was extremely positive, because it provided clarity in many areas about what changes with SAP S/4HANA compared to SAP R/3. It is also useful for the participants to know which steps need to be taken now and before the changeover to S/4HANA and how S/4HANA will affect their future working methods.
Dr. Volker Obermann, Global Head of Group Corporate Finance & Shared Service Areas Viessmann about S/4 HANA Discovery Workshops with 4C GROUP
"The 4C GROUP pursues a consulting approach that is rarely found today. The combination of professional know-how, procedural expertise and technical competence offers considerable added value, especially in performance management. Concept and implementation go hand in hand and you get not only a presentation of options, but real consulting based on individual requirements".
Oliver Braun, Head of Corporate Development, BHS Corrugated
"Working with the 4C GROUP as an external sparring partner, who not only talks about general topics on the surface, but also provides us with concrete approaches and methods for linking key figures, allows us to independently develop a transparent and meaningful management system. The mentoring is reflected positively and sustainably in our daily work".
Thorsten Celary, Director, University Hospital Duesseldorf
"It is difficult to agree on uniform occupancy and treatment processes across all types of service. With the support of the 4C GROUP, we have managed to fundamentally reorient the cross-disciplinary and cross-functional cooperation throughout the entire hospital towards the patient."
Dr. Gunther Essinger, Director, zfp - Klinikum Nordschwarzwald
"We did not want to delegate necessary restructuring within the group to external consultants, but rather to take it into our own hands. As mentors, the 4C consultants provided pragmatic support to responsible employees at the beginning of the change processes that were initially unfamiliar. In this way, the company's competence in project management was strengthened and can be called upon for future projects".
Hans-Joachim Lenke, Vorstandsvorsitzender, Ev. Diakoniewerk Schwäbisch-Hall
"The cooperation with Felix Hesse and his colleagues was extremely enriching for my team and me on several levels. The 4C GROUP combines very good methodology with a high degree of individualisation and adaptation to the needs of the client. The colleagues work very precisely, reliably and bindingly. The work results are very rich in content and consistent. They are very appreciative and accommodating, despite all their goal orientation, which makes the cooperation pleasant for all project participants. And decisive for their mission - they bring along knowledge, ideas and impulses, thus enriching the process of strategy design or the detailed preparation of a development project with important aspects of content."
Marta Steib, Head of Workstream Law Firm Management at DATEV eG
"The challenge of mapping an integrated business model of a global industrial group was big. Markus Noçon and his team masterfully implemented it and created a system that convinces through layout and usability. Despite the different business plans of the individual companies, from construction to production and service, it is thanks to the competence of the team that this has been implemented in Planning Analytics in a user-friendly way. By implementing Cognos Controller at the same time, an integrated system was created that maps the business processes from budgeting and planning to consolidation and reporting. The training of users at our locations in the USA and the Caribbean allows us to develop analyses and reports independently (cultural and language barriers were never an obstacle). Schedule and budget were always adhered to. 4C has repeatedly provided us with valuable ideas and impulses, and through professional methodology has created a system adapted to our specific needs."
Ulrich Wrabetz, Finance Director at Proman AG
"My first experience with the 4C GROUP was in 2014 in the context of the 'NextGeneration HR' reorganisation. Dr. Mauterer impressed me very much with his relevant wealth of experience, professional competence, methodology and personal commitment at that time. On the basis of this positive experience, I recruited Dr. Mauterer to work in the DIN standards committee 'Human Resources Management', where he is still an internationally sought-after expert and partner at DIN/ISO level with a current focus on 'Human Capital Reporting' (ISO30414). Dr. Mauterer has played a major role in shaping the core elements of this standard and has syndicated them in international committees."
Hilger Pothmann, Berlin Personalleiter und Mitglied der Regionalen Geschäftsleitungen (Nord und Ost) at Deutsche Bank AG
„The Banking industry is already following strong compliance and regulatory standards, however compliance management systems are yet not so established in other industry sectors. Dr. Heiko Mauterer and Daniel Lovric from 4C GROUP AG joined my team to give us a presentation on the recent market developments and covered the German Corporate Liability Act. The draft law will regulate the offenses by companies in a new way, allowing adjusted and significantly higher penalties regarding to the size of companies. On the other hand it takes penalty mitigation through effective Compliance Management Systems and internal investigations into account, offering the opportunity to make professional Compliance Management a real asset [...].“
Anna Issel Head Anti-Financial Crime International Private Bank at Deutsche Bank
"4C GROUP and the digital business team around Felix Hesse supported us in developing new growth areas in the shortest possible time and preparing them "investor-friendly". What I really appreciate about the collaboration is their intuition for new technologies and trends as well as the derivation of customer-centric use cases, paired with pragmatic implementation competence - which is especially crucial for us as a startup. In addition, 4C acts as a strategic partner for us in the expansion of the API platform. Here we benefit greatly from their innovative character and implementation excellence in the corporate environment."
Werner Kräutlein, CEO and founder WechselGott GmbH
Convince yourself
...of our work: Browse through our numerous competence brochures and case studies, e-booklets and other publications.
4C Study 2023: "Success Factors of Innovation Labs"
Initial observations and research from "lab practice" show that there are significant differences in key practices between innovation labs/digital hubs & co. The aim of the study was to work out which factors lead to increased chances of success in innovation labs.
Thank you for understanding that we can currently only offer our studies in german. For more information feel free to contact us directly.
4C Study: The CDO Role in Transition - Future Scenarios for Positioning the Role in Companies
The role of the Chief Digital Officer is being debated across various industries in line with advancing digitalization. We have inquired further.
4C Study 2024: Patient Portal
Find out in our study how the Hospital Future Act (KHZG) is driving digitalization in the healthcare sector.
4C Study 2023: "Effective Governance of IT/OT Convergence"
The main focus of convergence to date has been on IT security. We shed light on other aspects of governance for successful convergence.
4C Study 2023: "Contribution and Success Factors of Sustainable IT"
Sustainability or CSR in IT is a new management challenge. But how do CIOs and IT sustainability managers benefit from CSR practices?
4C Study 2022/2023: "Leadership styles of successful CIOs"
Leadership is a daily exercise practiced with consistency. We focus on identifying the leadership styles of successful CIOs.
Study and thesis paper CSR Reporting
Discover in our new study and position paper on CSR reporting how companies are learning to optimize their CSR reports through their own experiences. Learn about the motivations behind these reports and prepare for the key issues that will be crucial for successful reporting in the future.
4C Study 2022: "Implementation of cybersecurity strategies in the energy sector"
Discover in the 4C Study 2022 how Germany's largest electricity grid operators are implementing cybersecurity strategies to counter cyberattacks, optimize role distribution, and manage risks. This report provides insights into top management's awareness of cyber risks and highlights security challenges in the supply chain as well as the integration of future technologies.
4C Study 2022: "IT Business Value"
Download the "4C Study 2022: IT Business Value" to explore a multidimensional approach to measuring and communicating business IT value. Dive deep into the challenges and potential solutions, and understand the fundamental aspects of IT Business Value: What, Why, Who, and How.
4C Study 2023: "Success Factors of Customer Centricity"
Discover in our 4C Study how customer-centric companies distinguish themselves from the competition by consistently focusing on the customer, resulting in long-term success. This comprehensive study, developed in collaboration with leading CSOs, reveals the crucial success models and factors that set these companies apart.
4C Study 2023: "Attracting and retaining IT talent"
Discover key insights on how to attract top IT talent in our latest 4C study, "Attracting and Retaining IT Talent." This study answers crucial questions about what IT professionals look for in potential employers, their expectations from the recruitment and interview processes, and the most effective ways to engage them.
4C Study 2022: "Measuring and communicating IT business value"
The following key questions are answered in the study:
- What is IT Business Value?
- How can IT Business Value be measured?
- What does IT business value show?
- How high is the share of IT in the company's success?
4C Study 2023: Collaboration of Innovation Departments - Successfully Organising Cross-Departmental Collaboration
Collaboration with Münster University of Applied Sciences on the following research question: How can a balance be achieved between the freedom and creativity of innovation departments and successful collaboration with specialist departments from the core business?
Thank you for understanding that we can currently only offer our studies in german. For more information feel free to contact us directly.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) for HR – Just Another Hype or the Future of Human Resources?
How Artificial Intelligence is shaping the future of human resources and is already being implemented in leading companies today - explore exciting use cases in action.
Whitepaper on Transformation of Business Applications
- Phase 1 - Transformation Impact & Strategy
- Phase 2 - Transformation Design
- Phase 3 - Transformation Execution
Whitepaper Digital Finance - Digitization will increasingly change finance
Download our "Digital Finance" whitepaper to learn how digitalization is driving the transformation of financial processes and roles, making strategic realignment and data-driven decision-making essential.
Whitepaper: Demographic Shift
Learn more about the framework of demographic change and its implications for you as a decision maker.
Self-Check to HCM Readiness - Checklist
Download the HCM Readiness Self-Check now!
Successful implementation of corporate goals through active management of the project portfolio
- Challenges and solutions in project portfolio management
- Methodical approach, 4C consulting approach, benefits and results of a consistent application of project portfolio management
Successfully manage service providers: Success Factors for effective Vendor Management
- Managing external service providers or shared service centers
- Factors for result-oriented and successful vendor management
- Solution: Targeted design and consistent performance of the central tasks of vendor management
Cost and activity accounting indispensable in the age of digitisation?
- Cost and activity accounting is more than a BAB or a disregarded cost center evaluation.
- 4C Healthcheck for a sound analysis of the KLR in your company
Finance and liquidity planning: Description of the Excel template
- Fundamentals of financial and liquidity planning
- Requirements in accounting
- Structure of the file and instructions for filling
Whitepaper CSR Reporting - legal duty and marketing dumb or meaningful control?
Creating the foundation for effective performance management
- The path from controlling to corporate management - basis for successful performance management
- 4C approach: creation of an instrument matrix
- Benefits and results: Support for the overarching management of the company and its individual divisions
BEPS Pillar II - Global Minimum Taxation
BEPS Pillar II
Please note that at the moment we can offer this document only in German. For further information please do not hesitate to contact us directly.
4C Whitepaper: Grid Smartifizierung and Smart Meter Rollout
Experts from European distribution network operators have shared their insights on the current state of grid smartification in Germany and how learnings from abroad can be applied to the smart meter rollout in Germany. Our 4C Whitepaper illuminates how these international experiences can pave the way for the smartification of Germany's energy infrastructure.
Whitepaper on Digital Agenda: How to ask the right questions
- Developing a finance vision
- Creating new solutions: Design Thinking Workshops
- Defining tasks and dependencies using the Digital Agenda
Whitepaper to Pay-per-use Leasing
- The increasing relevance of flexible options for service billing
- Individual and customizable concepts of a pay-per-use solution
- The targeted and individual implementation of the pay-per-use solution
Whitepaper to process mining - unprecedented transparency opens up the potential for standardization and permanent optimization!
- Challenges
- Identifying potentials
- Measure the success
- Best practice approach
Whitepaper to profitability management
Increase your profitability with 4C GROUP AG - your partner for sustainable cost management and profit increase. Rely on competence, creativity and customer focus to overcome competitive pressure and promote growth. Let us optimize your costs and maximize profitability together.
Whitepaper Predictive Analytics - Take your forecast to the next level with predictive analytics!
- Classification and benefits of predictive analytics
- Requirements & limits
- Procedure for the introduction of predictive analytics
- About the cooperation of the 4C GROUP and the Controller Academy
Robust SCM - what do we learn from the crisis?
- Supply Chain Management - an elementary control task
- Safety stocks must be included in the sense of a holistically successful management of the value and supply chain
Whitepaper - The performance management method 4C MEASURE
- Topics of the 4C MEASURE method
- Essential features of the software solution
- Realization plan - implementation in five steps
- Advantages for your controlling
Thesis paper - IT control in insurance companies
- Worries about the next generation in insurance IT
- Focal points in insurance IT
- Prioritizing the IT personnel strategy
Whitepaper on transparency in IT costs
- The three core challenges of an efficient IT controlling
- Reasonable targets: Establishment of an IT controlling
- Procedure for creating transparency and controllability of IT costs
Finance and liquiditiy planning: Excel template
Competitive advantages and transparency through effective IT controlling
- IT controlling and IT management: value creation phases
- Solution und consulting approach of the 4C GROUP
- Benefits of performance-oriented IT controlling
Whitepaper on Project Governance - successfully master the change marathon
- The essential challenges and change processes in companies
- Solution: The initialization of 4C Project Governance © and 4C consulting approach
- Benefits and results of a created 4C Project Governance © - overview of key value contributions
Innovation Management - Laying the foundation for tomorrow's business
- Innovation as one of the essential success factors of a company
- Effective control and efficient organization
- 4C Consulting approach, benefits and results
Minimalism in Reporting - The 4C Notation ©
How to use a company-specific presentation to make your reporting appealing, thus increasing the acceptance and effectiveness of your top management.
Top management reporting: Focusing corporate management on real key performance indicators
- Powerful control concepts are the prerequisite for effective management cockpits
- 4C approach to developing an effective management cockpit
- Advantages and Benefits of a Management Cockpit
Cost management - more than just cost reduction: Advantages of continuous potential control
Cost management redefined: With 4C along the value chain to sustainable profitability. Optimize your cost structure with us now!
Effective planning concepts are consistent with the business model
- Efficient and coherent planning processes
- Solution: the 4C Planning Map
- 4C consulting approach: 4C planning assessment method
- Benefits/ Results and Tools
Whitepaper: Digitization and many innovative tools - and we fight with Excel and user exits!
- What's the problem?
- 4C Solutions-Navigator - take the right tool in your hand!
Whitepaper Target Operating Model
The whitepaper provides insights into the adaptation of finance in the context of CFO 4.0, including the integration of new data into reporting, the design of reporting and control in the era of Industry 4.0, as well as the impacts of moving CRM systems into the cloud on the CFO.
Whitepaper - SAP S/4HANA Discovery Workshops
Evaluate the potential of SAP S/4HANA finance for your company - individual, compact and fast!
Whitepaper to process automation using the example purchase to pay - What happens to the accounts payable accountant?
The advancing digitalization promotes a process automation of the Purchase-2-Pay process and turns the buyer into an accountant - or vice versa!
- Why process automation at all?
- The choice of a suitable change management approach is of utmost importance for the success of the project.
Integrated Reporting
Discover why Integrated Reporting is more than just a passing trend-it's the future of corporate reporting. Learn about its benefits and practical implementation. Take the first step towards a necessary paradigm shift in your reporting by contacting us for a comprehensive introduction to Integrated Reporting.
Whitepaper to key figure control: Signal for corporate management with a course towards strategic and operational goals
- Challenges of key figure control
- Potential of key figure control: on the way to the key figure system
- solution approach
Risk management: Ensuring long-term economic health of your company by actively managing opportunities and risks
- Challenges in managing risks
- 4C model for integrated management of operational risks
- Benefits and results: Advantages of integrated risk management
Whitepaper for Reporting Factory - Reporting and digitization
- Reporting 4.0 - digital and efficient
- Challenges of the implementation
- Best Practice - Reporting Factory in its purest form
Take your planning to a new level! Discover the possibilities of our integrated, individually adaptable planning models
- Planning as an elementary component for a successful company
- Comprehensive and tailor-made planning solutions from the 4C GROUP
- Mapping of the cause-and-effect relationships in the planning model with drivers
Thesis paper IT sourcing analysis
- The balancing act between new IT requirements and limited resources
- Use cases of an IT sourcing analysis
- Determining the right sourcing mix
Ensure IT competitiveness with a customized IT personnel strategy!
- Innovation as a new core requirement
- IT personnel strategy as a motor for cultural change
- IT personnel strategy based on the strategic service portfolio
- Recommendation for action
Competitive advantages through effective IT control - The 4C maturity model for evaluating the performance of IT control
- Challenges for the control of a modern IT area
- Determining the Maturity Level of IT Control: Establishing the Maturity Level Assessment for the IT Control Modules
- Solution and 4C consulting approach
- Benefits and results of the maturity model/ maturity assessment
- Recommendations for action and roadmap to the maturity level model
Effective IT risk management creates real value in information technology
- Risks in IT and the associated risks in the business processes of companies
- Goals of IT risk management and basis for effective IT risk management
- 4C Consulting approach + benefits and results: Enabling effective and efficient risk management
Effective group controlling ensures efficiency gains in group controlling
- Success factors for the implementation of a successful group controlling
- Solutions and 4C Method for effective group controlling
- Benefits and results
Reporting requires a structured closing process
The period-end closing is crucial for reporting and therefore for business decisions. Best practices improve its efficiency and accuracy. The 4C GROUP offers an effective approach that focuses on consistency, clarity, control and continuous improvement to optimize this process.
Whitepaper to IFRS 16
Download our Whitepaper on IFRS 16 to learn how to successfully implement comprehensive revisions in accounting and processes, achieving process improvements and clear responsibilities beyond compliance. Our standardized model efficiently supports the analysis, planning, and implementation of IFRS 16 requirements.
Checklist - framework parameters for the perfect consolidation tool
Get a summary of typical criteria for selecting a consolidation system in our checklist.
Case Study - on the way to digital transformation with innovative services for the digital further development of the existing business model
- Insight into the digitalization in a German retail bank
- Development & implementation of a personal finance management application as well as business model definition & anchoring
Case Study on Agile Product Development at a Financial Services Provider
The Lean Service Creation approach to developing digital product ideas for a Pure Digital Player in the financial services industry - with structured creativity to innovative services.
Case Study on Lean Planning at a leading global provider of special medical products - lean planning is only useful under certain conditions
Successful implementation of a worldwide lean planning
Publication - "Making the human factor visible"
Infineon Technologies AG was one of the first companies in the world to undergo the worldwide to undergo the ISO certification "Human Capital Reporting".
Publication in Personalmagazin 11/2022
4C Code of Conduct
Download our "4C Code of Conduct" and discover how we go beyond standard practices to bring exceptional values to life in our collaborations with customers, employees, and partners. Our commitment to environmental and social responsibility highlights our pursuit of excellence and integrity.
Publication - "What makes German CIOs successful"
Article is published in CIO Magazine in 2021
Publication - "Agilität ist keine Wunderwaffe"
Discover in our publication why agile initiatives fail and how to successfully transform into a flexible IT organization. Learn about delivering customer-centric IT services and the essential roles and structures required.
Article was published in CIO Magazine 2020
Publication - "Basic compensation beyond the tariff - structure and dynamics"
Basic compensation is often the largest cost item, but its development is not effectively controlled.
Publication in FAZ Personaljournal 5/2019
Publication - "Key metrics in HR - Human Capital Reporting"
First guideline for human capital reporting published: ISO 30414
Publication in HR Performance 2/2019
Publication - "Digital Business Transformation in HR - Career Planning in 5 Minutes"
The “Digital Prototype Career Management” can be seen as an example for an increasingly stronger spreading Digital Business Transformation, representing the digital change of all sectors of modern economy.
Publication in "HR Performance"
Publication to women in salary negotiations - "Tell me what to earn!"
The problem of the gender pay gap is well known. But why is it that women with the same qualifications often earn less than men? Claudia Irsfeld has conducted a number of job interviews and salary interviews and has found answers and solutions that go beyond what the literature provides.
Publication in "managerSeminare"
4C FOOTSTEPS FOUNDATION - Flyer about the foundation
The foundation's goal is to identify promising projects in early childhood education in socially disadvantaged areas and to support them sustainably financially and with the personal commitment of our employees. Support the 4C FOOTSTEPS STIFTUNG!
Communication on progress for the UN Global Compact 2022 - Reporting period June 2021 to May 2022
Content at a glance:
- Statement by our CEO on continued support
- Human rights & labour standards
- Environment & Climate
- prevention of corruption
E-Booklet - Open insurance: How insurance companies use digital ecosystems
- Insurance and digital ecosystems
- How your service offering becomes fit for digital ecosystems
- What you should keep in mind during implementation
- How the 4C GROUP supports you in the implementation
E-Booklet - Diversity, a real lever for top performance in a volatile world!
Discover in our e-booklet how diversity can act as a real lever for top performance in a volatile world. Learn to understand diversity as a business case and successfully integrate it into your HR work using an effective framework.
E-Booklet - Compliance Efficiency
- Introduction and Overview
- „Compliance Efficiency"
- Regulatory Technology
E-Booklet - agile transformation
- Why agile? - benefits
- Innovation culture
- Cross-functional structure
- Project setup and Use cases
E-Booklet - PSD2: What the IT of Third Party Providers needs to consider when providing PSD2 services
- What should be considered when mapping PSD2 services?
- What are the service-related IT requirements?
- How should framework IT requirements be defined?
E-booklet - Workforce Management & Analytics
This e-booklet shows the strategic significance of Workforce Management and Analytics, highlights trends and benefits, and provides practical project examples.
E-Booklet - ISO 30414: Our certification services
- Opportunities of Human Capital Reporting ISO 30414 at a glance
- Contents of Human Capital Reporting ISO 30414
- Requirements and successful implementation of Human Capital Reporting ISO 30414
- The most important steps: Your benefits and our certification services
E-Booklet - International guideline for human capital reporting ISO 30414
- Importance of Human Capital for Organizations
- Core content and application of the guideline
- Benefits and implications
E-Booklet - Our understanding of Change Management
- Change Management at 4C
- Transporting the right messages
- Keeping employee enthusiasm high in the long term
Cooperation with Schönhofer Sales & Engineering (SSE) GmbH – RegTech
- Presentation of cooperation between 4C GROUP AG and Schönhofer Sales & Engineering
- Core Technologies for the Next Generation of Regulatory Management: Data Fusion, Real Time Analytics, Forensics/ Visualization, Automation
- Selected examples in the anti-financial crime environment for application and implementation
E-Booklet - PSD2: Digital Transformation
- Opportunities and requirements of the PSD2 at a glance
- The regulatory challenge: What non-banks need to consider
- Approval package of the 4C GROUP
E-Booklet - Efficiency increase in regulatory reporting processes
- Reduce effort, increase efficiency, promote good decisions
- 3-step process: stocktaking, analysis of reports, optimization of processes
- Benefits for employees in the creation process and benefits for Chief Risk Officer / Boards
E-Booklet - Implementation or change of business applications
- Initial situation and benefits for the customer
- transformation drivers and 4 steps to successful transformation
- transformation strategy
E-Booklet - IT control in insurance companies
The realignment of the IT organization in insurance companies for a tailor-made, modern and sustainable IT.
E-Booklet - Robotic Process Automation
- Understanding Robotic Process Automation
- Application areas and functions
- Roadmap and market overview RPA solutions
Intercultural Readiness Quick Check
Consistently increasing cultural diversity is a key response to demographic change and the basis of the mission of the cooperation between socialbee and the 4C GROUP. With the Intercultural Readiness Check, we can determine whether you and your company are ready for the future.
Thank you for understanding that we can currently only offer our studies in german. For more information feel free to contact us directly.
socialbee | 4C GROUP
Intercultural Readiness Quick Check
Consistently increasing cultural diversity is a key response to demographic change and the basis of the mission of the cooperation between socialbee and the 4C GROUP. With the Intercultural Readiness Check, we can determine whether you and your company are ready for the future. You can find an exclusive Preview here.