BwConsulting GmbH

BwConsulting GmbH is the in-house consulting company within the business area of Germany's Federal Ministry of Defence (Bundesministerium der Verteidigung, BMVg). It is a federal holding company (Beteiligungsgesellschaft des Bundes) and forms part of the defence portfolio; its sole shareholder is the Federal Republic of Germany, represented by the Federal Ministry of Defence. The company advises on projects that have been prioritised by the ministry's steering committee, contributing methodological and specialist expertise. The firm was renamed on 11 January 2017 from the Gesellschaft für Entwicklung, Beschaffung und Betrieb mbH (g.e.b.b.). Its remit is to advise projects within the BMVg business area that the ministry's steering committee has prioritised. It delivers methodological consulting in three fields: Strategy & Steering, Processes & Organisation, and Project Management Consulting. Specialist knowledge from relevant sectors — for example IT, personnel or supply chain management — is integrated into the consulting work across these three fields. Within Strategy & Steering, the focus is on structuring planning processes, questions of governance and digitalisation, and the development of target systems. In Processes & Organisation, consulting covers process management, cooperation management, reorganisation and organisational development. Project Management Consulting centres on changing armaments projects at the Bundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr (BAAINBw), the federal office for equipment, information technology and in-service support of the Bundeswehr. The predecessor organisation, g.e.b.b., had a different mission: to relieve the Bundeswehr of non-military core tasks and to provide impetus for modernisation and savings efforts, acting as a think tank and a so-called "engine of modernisation". Together with the BMVg it was to develop models for economical solutions for service areas and support their implementation, with options ranging from recommendations for optimisation within the armed forces, through public-private partnerships (ÖPP), to full privatisation. Service areas containing non-military tasks included fleet management, clothing and catering. The creation of the agency was agreed in the framework contract between the BMVg and industry, "Innovation, Investition und Wirtschaftlichkeit in der Bundeswehr", of 15 December 1999. Its task was to initiate and implement corporate-law solutions for Bundeswehr service functions with industry participation. The underlying idea was developed under then Defence Minister Rudolf Scharping, and former Finance Minister Annette Fugmann-Heesing was entrusted with the management. Privatisation aimed at savings of one billion DM in the first year of g.e.b.b.'s existence. Tasks were to include real estate management, the vehicle fleet and procurement — functions then performed by the Territorial Defence Administration. The consultancy Roland Berger provided the planning for the project. Later it was to have 14 business fields, including business travel and hospitals, with an annual savings potential of 1.9 billion euros. An IPO of g.e.b.b. as a holding company for the privatised service areas was originally planned, fitting the era of large privatisations such as Deutsche Bundespost. In 2002, following g.e.b.b. plans, BwFuhrparkService GmbH (BwFPS) was founded, managing the entire civilian and military vehicle fleet for the Bundeswehr; the federal shares are held 24.9% indirectly via Deutsche Bahn and 75.1% directly by the Federal Republic of Germany. Also in 2002, on g.e.b.b.'s recommendation, LH Bundeswehr Bekleidungsgesellschaft mbH (LHBw) was founded, in which the federal government holds a minority stake of 25.1%, with the private LH Bekleidungsgesellschaft mbH (LHB) holding the remainder; the company operates the Bundeswehr's clothing system.

The roots of BwConsulting lie in the Gesellschaft für Entwicklung, Beschaffung und Betrieb mbH (g.e.b.b.), an agency created to relieve the Bundeswehr of non-military tasks and to drive modernisation and savings. Its creation was agreed in the framework contract between the Federal Ministry of Defence (BMVg) and industry, "Innovation, Investition und Wirtschaftlichkeit in der Bundeswehr", dated 15 December 1999. The agency's task under that contract was to initiate and implement corporate-law solutions for Bundeswehr service functions with industry participation. The underlying idea was developed under then Defence Minister Rudolf Scharping, and former Finance Minister Annette Fugmann-Heesing was entrusted with its management. Privatisation was intended to achieve savings of one billion DM in the first year of g.e.b.b.'s existence. The tasks were to include real estate management, the vehicle fleet and procurement — functions then performed by the Territorial Defence Administration. The consultancy Roland Berger supplied the planning for the project. Later the organisation was to have 14 business fields, including business travel and hospitals, with an annual savings potential of 1.9 billion euros. An IPO of g.e.b.b. as a holding company for the privatised service areas was originally planned, in keeping with the era of large privatisations such as Deutsche Bundespost. In 2002, following g.e.b.b. plans, BwFuhrparkService GmbH (BwFPS) was founded to manage the entire civilian and military vehicle fleet for the Bundeswehr; the federal shares are held 24.9% indirectly via Deutsche Bahn and 75.1% directly by the Federal Republic of Germany. Also in 2002, on g.e.b.b.'s recommendation, LH Bundeswehr Bekleidungsgesellschaft mbH (LHBw) was founded, in which the federal government holds a minority stake of 25.1%, with the private LH Bekleidungsgesellschaft mbH (LHB) holding the remaining shares; the company operates the Bundeswehr's clothing system. A pilot project for more cost-effective operation of troop kitchens at several Bundeswehr locations in Bavaria was unilaterally terminated in 2007 by the civilian contractual partner, the Dussmann Group. The company continued to seek additional revenue sources for the Bundeswehr, such as renting masts in barracks to mobile phone companies or leasing plots on training areas to wind power operators. The holding function initially performed for the ministry ceased in 2006. The ministry now administers the shares of the other holding companies (owned by the Federal Republic of Germany) itself through the Modernisation department newly created in the ministry in 2006, marking a departure from the goals set at the company's founding. Since 1 June 2008 the company has no longer been responsible for the development and marketing of properties in the ministry's business area; that task passed to the Bundesanstalt für Immobilienaufgaben (BImA). On 11 January 2017 the company was renamed BwConsulting GmbH. In its current form it is the in-house consulting company within the BMVg business area and a federal holding company whose sole shareholder is the Federal Republic of Germany, represented by the Federal Ministry of Defence. It advises projects prioritised by the ministry's steering committee, delivering methodological consulting in three fields — Strategy & Steering, Processes & Organisation, and Project Management Consulting — and integrating specialist knowledge from relevant sectors such as IT, personnel or supply chain management. Strategy & Steering focuses on structuring planning processes, governance and digitalisation questions, and the development of target systems. Processes & Organisation covers process management, cooperation management, reorganisation and organisational development. Project Management Consulting centres on changing armaments projects at the Bundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr (BAAINBw).

• 2017

  On 11 January 2017 the company is renamed BwConsulting GmbH from the Gesellschaft für Entwicklung, Beschaffung und Betrieb mbH (g.e.b.b.).

• 2008

  Since 1 June 2008 the company is no longer responsible for the development and marketing of properties in the ministry's business area; the task passes to the Bundesanstalt für Immobilienaufgaben (BImA).

• 2007

  A pilot project for more cost-effective operation of troop kitchens at several Bundeswehr locations in Bavaria is unilaterally terminated by the civilian contractual partner, the Dussmann Group.

• 2006

  The holding function initially performed for the ministry ceases; the ministry's newly created Modernisation department administers the shares of the other holding companies itself.

• 2002

  BwFuhrparkService GmbH (BwFPS) is founded following g.e.b.b. plans to manage the Bundeswehr's civilian and military vehicle fleet.

• 2002

  LH Bundeswehr Bekleidungsgesellschaft mbH (LHBw) is founded on g.e.b.b.'s recommendation, operating the Bundeswehr's clothing system.

• 1999

  Framework contract "Innovation, Investition und Wirtschaftlichkeit in der Bundeswehr" of 15 December 1999 between the BMVg and industry agrees the creation of an agency to initiate and implement corporate-law solutions for Bundeswehr service functions.

In-house management consultancy of the German Federal Ministry of Defence; a state-owned federal holding company providing methodological and specialist advice to prioritised defence projects.

• Strategy & Steering consulting

  Focus on structuring planning processes, governance and digitalisation questions, and the development of target systems.

• Processes & Organisation consulting

  Consulting on process management, cooperation management, reorganisation and organisational development.

• Project Management Consulting

  Focus on changing armaments projects at the Bundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr (BAAINBw).

1. 1BwConsulting GmbH — Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2BwConsulting — Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org