
As a leading company in the construction industry, Schüco develops and sells window, door and façade systems with an eye on innovative and sustainable solutions for new builds and renovations. Headquartered in Bielefeld, the company is breaking new ground and identifying advanced technologies from across a multitude of industries to benefit its customers and its business. It’s no surprise then that the roll out of Windows 11 at Schüco sowed the seeds of a vision—flexible, digital workplaces that work at all global locations regardless of the infrastructure.
“We made the strategic decision to switch to Microsoft 365 a few years ago,” explains Johannes Laukötter, Head of Digital Workplace at Schüco International KG. “The decision to allow our employees to manage their new Windows 11 clients themselves seemed like a logical next step.” In collaboration with Bechtle, Schüco launched a pilot project. “We wanted to see how far purely cloud clients could take us and if there were any stumbling blocks,” adds Johannes Laukötter.
Plug and Work – A new client freedom.
The objective was to enable employees to order their devices themselves, which would then be delivered to wherever they were needed and automatically configured. “The devices are out-of-the-box ready. We don’t need to do anything,” explains Johannes Laukötter. That means Schüco doesn’t even need to think about in-house network infrastructure wherever the devices are being used—just a working internet connection.
Based in Bielefeld, the Schüco Group develops and sells system solutions made of aluminium, steel and PVC-U for the building envelope. The product portfolio includes window, door, façade, and sun shading systems, as well as intelligent networked solutions for residential and commercial projects. Schüco also provides consultancy and digital solutions for all phases of a building project. Founded in 1951, Schüco products and services are available in 80 countries and in 2023, it and its 6,750 employees achieved an annual revenue of €2.11 billion.
This not only relieves the IT department of a considerable burden, but also supports employee flexibility as they can install the software and get their devices up and running all without any support. Instead of simply having to accept the existing configuration, Bechtle set up a proof of concept (PoC) as a greenfield model, which resulted in an entirely new baseline configuration including all relevant applications. The feasibility study quickly showed that the cloud client model was, indeed, the right path to take for the international business. “Devices now run much better and are tailored to Schüco’s working environment,” says Miles Wittenbrock, Team Lead Modern Workplace at Bechtle Bielefeld.
Maximum security.
It was clear from the get-go that Schüco’s employees needed to be actively involved in the project. “The introduction of a system such as this requires the acceptance and understanding of every user,” stresses Johannes Laukötter. With this in mind, Bechtle integrated holistic change management: “From training seminars and FAQs to video tutorials and self-service guides, we provided everything the employees needed to get to grips with the new technology,” explains Miles Wittenbrock. Various user profiles also helped to increase employee acceptance of the new device management system. “Bechtle was a truly valuable partner and the team was the driving force behind change management,” reports Johannes Laukötter.

Johannes Laukötter , Head of Digital Workplace, Schüco International KGBechtle was a truly valuable partner and the team was the driving force behind change management.
The introduction of Windows 11 and the switch to cloud-based systems has also optimised IT security—a critical benefit for Schüco. The Microsoft Security Baselines implemented by Bechtle ensure that all devices are always well-protected. Thanks to the cloud-based configuration and endpoint management solutions, Microsoft Autopilot and Intune, all Schüco’s 5,500 clients can be deployed from the cloud wherever in the world they are. The end devices can also be securely configured from anywhere without the need for an IT service provider on-site. This means Schüco can scale device deployment as required without over-stretching personnel resources.
Setting the benchmark for innovation.
From the proof of concept to implementation, Bechtle was by Schüco’s side. “The team always responded very quickly and resources could be moved around as needed, which was hugely beneficial for a project such as this.” stresses Johannes Laukötter. Every step of the way—from configuring the Windows 11 base clients to roll out and change management, Bechtle’s consultants were always on hand.
By introducing Windows 11, Schüco has laid the foundation for a modern IT landscape and future digital innovation. “The solution is extremely flexible,” concludes Johannes Laukötter. “We can roll out any number of end devices and software to anywhere in the world with minimal effort, yet maximum security. The project shows how integrating cutting edge technology takes standards to a whole new level.”

Contact.
Miles Wittenbrock
Team Lead Modern Workplace
Bechtle IT System House Bielefeld