Lidl-Trek is one of the most prominent cycling teams on the international scene, with a strong presence in both men’s and women’s cycling.
Formed through a partnership between large retail company Lidl and bicycle manufacturer Trek, the team is known for its focus on performance and innovation, boasting a roster of talented riders active in the UCI World Tour.
With 65 athletes and a staff of more than 130, Lidl-Trek is the second highest ranked team in the world. Behind Lidl-Trek’s sporting success is a solid organization divided into strategic departments such as performance, logistics, sponsorship, marketing, purchasing and materials, and medical staff.
The main critical issue that drove the team to action was the need to unify on a single platform all the information that gravitates around the organization of sports events. Indeed, the management of such a complex structure of key operational departments such as performance, logistics, sponsorship, and hospitality and materials, was compromised by information fragmentation.
Previously, each department operated independently, using its own separate communication and management systems. This dispersed approach forced staff to wastefully navigate through email, WhatsApp, and a myriad of other applications to find the information they needed. The absence of cycling-specific software and the use of intranet tools lacking the necessary flexibility further aggravated the situation, preventing agile and responsive management of key data.
A further significant challenge stemmed from the inherent nature of the business, which was closely linked to athlete performance. An unforeseen injury to an athlete, for example, can disrupt the entire athletic, logistical, and personnel program, requiring constant and rapid reorganization. This dynamism dictated the need for software that would allow such changes to occur smoothly and efficiently.
To further complicate the picture, the organization has grown exponentially in recent years, from 55 to about 180-200 people. This demographic increase has greatly increased management complexity: as a global entity, Lidl-Trek found itself having to unify different educational, cultural, and work approaches.
Optimizing these aspects was therefore crucial for several strategic reasons that directly impacted the team’s competitiveness and innovation. To ensure sports performance, reducing errors was a primary KPI, as was the use of a high-performing tool even from mobile. Finally, improving efficiency was critical to reducing the workload of office staff.
Huware supported Lidl-Trek in its strategic decision to implement monday.com to overcome information fragmentation and optimize its operations. Through an approach marked by continuous innovation and change, Lidl-Trek was able to centralize and unify all information on a single platform, both office-side and performance-side.
For the office, this has allowed crucial data such as:
For performance optimization, monday.com specifically enhanced visibility, across areas such as:
Project implementation was managed with a strategic and collaborative approach, with Huware emerging as a true innovation partner.
The first step was process mapping through an immersive methodology. This gave Huware granular visibility into Lidl-Trek’s operations, 85 percent of which are performed in the field.
The second step involved identifying project stakeholders. The COO and performance manager teams were most involved in the initial phase, coordinating with Huware consultants to operationalize the solution. Subsequently, cascading training was provided to all users, particularly office staff.
Despite the complexities inherent in the environment and the initial undefined user flows, the project delivered an operational system within the first 6 months. Thereafter, the system was continuously improved and modified to adapt to daily changes.
The implementation of monday.com, the result of the strong partnership with Huware, triggered a significant technological evolution within Lidl-Trek’s operations, translating into tangible and measurable benefits.
The primary benefit has been the complete centralization of information. Where previously multiple channels had to be consulted, everything is now on a single platform. The flexibility and adaptability of monday.com has proven to be a distinguishing factor: it is not people adapting to the tool, but the tool adapting to people’s needs. This centralization has resulted in a drastic reduction in workload and a significant improvement in efficiency.
The standardization of communication represents another key achievement. The adoption of monday.com has standardized language and working methodologies among all departments and with athletes.
A key, quantifiable KPI of this project is the significant reduction in error rates. Prior to the implementation of monday.com, the total error was estimated to be around 5%. With the adoption of the platform, the error rate has been reduced to around 1%.
"Managing a global sports team imposes enormous challenges, such as centralizing the continuous flow of information and structuring unique processes for which no software offers standard solutions. Here, Huware’s service proved to be a game changer: thanks to its flexibility and a tailored study of our needs, we created a system where it is the technology that adapts to the people, not the other way around. The result is a significant leap in daily operational efficiency that has involved the entire organization, surprising even the least digitized people on the team."
Luca Guercilena
General Manager, Lidl Trek Professional Cycling Team