W&W needed more than devices—they needed secure, flexible technology that empowers mobile sales teams to work safely from anywhere.
With a history stretching back to 1828, and a list of ‘firsts’ including being the debut German pension insurance and building society, the 16 companies that make up Germany’s Wüstenrot & Württembergische (W&W) Informatik Group delivers everything from investment products to risk protection to 6.5 million customers. W&W Informatik Group relies on a highly connected mobile sales force of 8,000 people spread across 2,500 service centers and offices. With contracts increasingly being signed digitally, W&W needed a new device and services strategy to ensure its team had the support required to bring new customers on board.
For W&W’s front-line salespeople, it was essential for the devices to be fast and reliable and secure for processing customer data, with security and sustainability also critical business considerations. W&W Informatik Group is committed to a sustainability strategy focused on reducing the company’s carbon footprint and lessening the environmental impact of its operations. Therefore, it was crucial that the devices used by its mobile sales force were shipped, built and recycled in a way that aligned with W&W’s sustainability strategy.
Uli Linko, Head of Client System Technology, at the group’s technology arm W&W Informatik GmbH, said, “We are always looking for ways to further improve data protection and device security. And with AI-supported tools being developed, we needed to equip our sales force with powerful devices that can handle larger amounts of data and more demanding workloads.”
W&W had been using Lenovo ThinkPad laptops at its head office for many years and relying on Lenovo server infrastructure. So the team spoke to Lenovo to find the right approach, settling on Lenovo’s ‘two-in-one’ ThinkPad X13 Yoga Gen 4 laptops, powerful machines which can switch from a laptop mode with a traditional keyboard, to a ‘tablet mode’ where users can write on screen, perfect for when customers need to sign contracts. To help W&W make its decision, Lenovo was able to provide rapid access to different test devices through its local European lab in Bratislava.
Across the lifecycle
W&W was looking for more than just devices. For mobile teams dealing with financial products, it was key that the solution could deliver high levels of security, alongside the flexibility for salespeople to work safely from anywhere.
The ThinkPad’s touchscreens and built-in styluses meant that W&W could keep costs down and reduce the need to carry additional external hardware. Lenovo also helped W&W find a solution that helped its salespeople stay connected on the go, including eSIM functionality for mobile connectivity and remote management of future network upgrades. For additional security, W&W also opted for a Near Field Communication (NFC) reader which could be used to verify customers using ID cards, or for staff to log in using multi-factor authentication. With the devices rolling out to a first wave of 1,400 users with Lenovo’s partner Bechtle, W&W’s experts opted for Lenovo ThinkShield Remote Supervisor Password (RSVP) service, which enables remote management of passwords on a large scale.
Linko said, “Lenovo understands what is important for us, proactively suggesting features like the new password service to increase device security. The eSIM functionality means we will no longer need to deal with faulty SIM cards and we will be able to change connectivity providers much more easily in the future.”
Delivering sustainably
Lenovo also considered sustainability impact from shipping through to end-of-life. W&W opted for Lenovo’s Maersk ECO Delivery for many of the devices, using second-generation biofuels to reduce shipping CO2 emissions by more than 80%. The ThinkPad laptops also offer real-time performance reports via Lenovo Device Intelligence (LDI) Plus, an AI-powered Software as a Service (SaaS) PC health management tool which provides detailed device analytics and real-time utilization reports to extend their life.
These measures were supplemented by Lenovo CO2 Offset Services, allowing W&W to purchase carbon credits with each device, which support a range of United Nations and Gold Standard® vetted climate action projects around the world. In addition, Lenovo’s Asset Recovery Services provide secure, documented disposal and recycling of IT hardware when it has reached the end of its useful life.
John Stamer, Vice President & General Manager, Global Product Services at Lenovo said: “By optimizing the shipment of ThinkPad devices and collaborating closely with our lab in Bratislava to minimize road miles for testing, our team supported W&W in significantly reducing the carbon footprint of their devices and services. Additionally, Lenovo Device Intelligence Plus enhanced the company’s visibility into device usage, empowering W&W to make informed decisions and drive operational efficiency.”
Linko said, “At our head office, we often use ThinkPad laptops for as long as eight years without issues. With LDI Plus, we can better understand what features are important for our teams and where the bottlenecks are. Using the new metrics and data, we can proactively optimize device configurations and make much better-informed decisions about upgrades and configurations.”
Future-ready results
The W&W team have high standards for their hardware, and even the most exacting users have been happy with the Lenovo devices. The ThinkPad machines are also ready for future upgrades to NFC-based security, AI workloads and for the move to Windows 11. Lenovo’s software has enabled W&W to manage laptops more intelligently, enabling managers to see how teams are actually using them, offering insights which will be useful for choosing future upgrades.
Linko said that the initial rollout has been met with a ‘very positive’ reaction. He added, ‘The high-spec configuration gives everyone an impressive performance boost across many complex business applications, increasing staff productivity and satisfaction. Together with Lenovo, we have created a sustainable, future-focused, AI-ready workhorse for our distributed salesforce.”
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