How Provinzial Managed to Standardize Project Planning

Following the merger of Provinzial Rheinland and NordWest, the insurer restructured its line, IT, and project planning. A unified digital solution now provides transparency across projects, resources, and capacities, ensuring more efficient workflows and comparable planning processes.

With premium income of more than seven billion euros, the Provinzial Group is one of the largest public insurance companies in Germany and part of the Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe. In the field of residential building insurance, Provinzial ranks among the leading providers and holds the second-largest market share nationwide. After the merger of Provinzial Rheinland and Provinzial Nordwest, the company sought – and found – a unified, modern software solution for project and resource planning.

Initial situation: Complex and lacking acceptance

Before the merger, Provinzial Rheinland was already using a project management system for IT project planning and internal cost allocation, while NordWest relied on a different tool. The use of separate systems prevented a unified view of projects and capacities. The goal was to find a user-friendly software solution that could support traditional project planning, IT line planning, and agile teams alike. The aim was a modern, intuitive solution that would provide transparency in the allocation of employee resources and serve as the basis for internal cost accounting.

Project planning: Decision for adaptability and usability

An external consulting partner supported the initial implementation. After a structured selection process involving five evaluated providers, one system stood out thanks to its clear interface, ease of use, flexible adaptability, and scalable licensing model.

Application areas: From PMO to IT planning

Provinzial Rheinland decided to go with the software that had already been in use before the merger – PLANTA Project. The group-wide rollout began in 2023. It is now used in group-wide projects, business development units, IT line planning, and staff departments. Agile teams also use the platform for hybrid planning approaches.

The software supports the planning, management, and tracking of all initiatives. Before a project begins, tasks and capacities are planned approximately and then updated regularly. Progress assessments by project managers form the basis for analysis. Milestones are consolidated at program level, providing an overarching view of all ongoing projects.

IT planning as a central platform

In IT, the solution serves as the central platform for annual planning and control. Standardized templates ensure consistent planning structures. All employees record their working hours in the software; this data forms the basis for internal cost allocation and capacity analysis. As a result, resources, workloads, and costs are managed transparently and traceably.

Some departments plan their line activities in detail, while others only record hours worked. The goal is to maintain an overview of workloads and establish a foundation for process improvements. The data also supports personnel decisions by making effort and responsibilities verifiable.

Use cases in project planning

Provinzial’s approximately 200 projects are managed by around 110 project managers and run for an average of 2.5 years. The software allows them to switch between traditional, agile, and hybrid methods as needed. Below is an overview of the key functions:

• Project and line planning in a shared environment

• Use of templates for consistent standards

• Aggregation of projects at program level

• IT cost allocation based on posting data

• Resource transparency for business and project managers

• Data visibility for executives

Result: Managers, project leaders, and product owners can plan in a decentralized manner – with a clear overview of available capacities.

“The high user-friendliness and adaptability of the new software have significantly increased acceptance. With PLANTA, the Provinzial Group is managing line, IT, and project planning for the first time on a shared digital platform. It creates transparency, efficiency, and comparability – and forms the foundation for data-driven multi-project management across the entire group.”