Ritter Sport: an iconic institution on the path to digitalization
Ritter Sport is an institution. The iconic confectionery has been a regular treat for sweet-toothed Germans for over a century and has spread to over 150 countries in the same period. The company has stuck with its traditions, operating primarily from its traditional home in Waldenbuch, Germany. However, modern business practices are key to keeping Ritter Sport on the shelves of shops around the globe, which is why the successful implementation of MeisterTask has been such an important step.
The challenge: manual processes stifling productivity
We spoke to Torsten Schlegel, Process Coordinator at Ritter Sport with over 30 years’ experience at the company, to understand the challenges they were facing before implementing MeisterTask. It was clear that slow, manual processes and fragmented communication channels were hindering productivity.
Ritter Sport’s commercial teams — including admin, sales and support — needed a more efficient way of working. They hoped that with the right tool, they could reclaim some time – and focus their efforts where they had the most impact. Ready to move away from a chaotic system of sticky notes, pencils and whiteboards, Schlegel decided to make digital task management for Ritter Sport’s 200 office-based staff a top priority.
The solution: reimagining workflows with MeisterTask
MeisterTask’s features are powerful, but it doesn’t feel overloaded.
Torsten Schlegel
Process Coordinator, Ritter Sport
By leveraging MeisterTask's intuitive features, Ritter Sport established a streamlined workflow where teams could easily create, assign, and track tasks. Confident of MeisterTask’s capability, the team then surveyed other employees to see who would like to try the tool, and quickly decided it should be used permanently.
“Our IT team was surprised at how many employees used the tool and how quickly they got to grips with it. Initially, we only envisaged the software as a self-organization aid, but we quickly realized that it could be so much more beneficial.”
Thanks to the simplicity of Meistertask, the acceptance and usage rates among all office-based staff was high. As a result, they quickly reached a point where everyone was working more in alignment – and more productively.
“Usage of MeisterTask among our employees exploded in the first year after implementing it, because the tool is just so easy to use. There are countless benefits for our employees and it’s been key to our digital transformation process as a whole.”
The outcome: greater clarity, easier collaboration – and more time for what matters
Now, hundreds of projects at Ritter Sport are managed using MeisterTask. Managers have a better overview of work, and employees can easily keep track of their to-dos. As MeisterTask projects can be shared with anyone, the team also has better access to project-related information whenever they need it. Better yet, resources are always up-to-date, as tasks are maintained continuously.
“We use MeisterTask for departmental projects, as a basis for our Monday meetings, for shop floor management meetings and much more. When we put information in tasks, nothing gets forgotten or lost.”
Since introducing MeisterTask, meetings have become more focused and efficient and communication is smoother. As such, Ritter Sport’s teams have the clarity they need to collaborate effectively and carry out their work with confidence. Overall, the implementation of MeisterTask empowered Ritter Sport's digital transformation by enabling streamlined workflows, improving collaboration, and boosting productivity throughout the organization.
