Proper IT operation also includes compliance with legal requirements and internal security guidelines. The Corporate IT-Security department is responsible for defining these requirements relating to IT compliance for the core security-related objectives confidentiality, availability and integrity. To achieve an acceptable level of risk, employees in this department are also responsible for creating and maintaining a set of rules and standards for internal security (IS framework). They trace the results of auditing procedures, provide advice within the group regarding information security, handle security-related incidents, provide support for IT Risk Management and assist with the disaster recovery process. In addition, the team provides advice and support regarding every aspect of Internet security to the various departments and divisions.
In 2010 alone, more than 300 million customers visited the stores belonging to the Media-Saturn Group worldwide. Behind the scenes is a global supply chain that supplies the over 850 stores in 16 countries with durable goods and fast-moving consumer goods reliably and economically. Employees in the Logistics department provide their know-how to the group’s foreign subsidiaries, individual divisions and all the consumer electronics stores throughout Europe. The tasks they perform include the definition of supply chain standards for topics such as procurement, transport and distribution. Employees optimize logistical processes with regard to the availability of goods, inventories and cost, thus providing the greatest degree of transparency possible. The flow of goods and information is carefully synchronized together with Media-Saturn IT Services GmbH.
In a dynamically growing enterprise like the Media-Saturn Group, with its decentralized organizational structure, it is important that all business workflows and structures are coordinated and managed efficiently. Responsibility for this task is assumed by the Organization & International IT Expansion department. Process Management optimizes and harmonizes international business processes together with business operations. Demand Management creates the transparency needed for the optimum use of financial resources and members of staff. In addition, it promotes the exchange of information and ideas between the foreign subsidiaries and the headquarters. The insights and information gained is, in turn, incorporated in international projects. IT Expansion transfers the IT business model to new foreign subsidiaries and adapts it to accommodate the special characteristics of the country involved. Within the framework of global master data management, the division is also responsible for coordinating the topic master data for the group. The Organization & International IT Expansion department also ensures that business operations continue as normal even in crisis situations.
Media-Saturn IT Services GmbH is a separate company with approximately 400 employees who provide internal operative services. The work performed by the company includes making the requisite IT applications available and ensuring their efficient operation. This means that so-called solution teams analyze the problem at hand, come up with suitable solutions and then implement these solutions in cooperation with external partners. The International Solution Competence Center tests these solutions together with the foreign subsidiaries to determine whether or not they are ready for implementation, provides support for international rollout, trains internal instructors and ensures smooth operation. These activities are performed on the basis of ITIL process standards. Media-Saturn IT Services GmbH is also responsible for internal, cross-divisional functions such as IT Commercial Management, IT Architecture and IT Purchasing & Supplier Management, to allow uniform processes to be implemented internally across all solutions.
The Technical Innovation team identifies innovative ideas and technologies in cooperation with group’s strategic suppliers, partners from other retail enterprises and the group’s own foreign subsidiaries. Primary focus is always the potential benefit to business operations. The potential that suitable solutions offer to the group is assessed within the framework of a proof of concept or on the basis of a prototype. If an idea or technology shows significant potential, it is then introduced internationally.