Beyond one firm: Delivering transformation through combined expertise 

Petra Ehle at Influence People shares how a PostNord transformation evolved into a large-scale engagement, and how combining specialist firms made it possible to deliver it. 

Large transformations rarely start as large. At PostNord Sverige, what began as a focused effort to improve core HR processes quickly expanded into a full-scale transformation affecting more than 20,000 employees. Delivered in the middle of the pandemic, the program came to span everything from payroll and scheduling to workforce planning, systems, and new ways of working, all while daily operations continued. 

“What started as something quite defined grew as we began to understand the full scope,” says Petra Ehle. “It became clear that this wasn’t about improving parts of HR, it was about redesigning how the organization works end to end.” 

As the scope expanded, so did the need for different types of expertise. Rather than scaling a single team, the engagement was built by combining multiple specialist firms, each contributing depth in specific areas. 

“We didn’t grow by adding more generalists. We combined specialists,” Petra explains. “That’s what allowed us to take on something much larger and more complex than we could have done on our own.” 

The work was carried out as an integrated team, combining PostNord employees and consultants from the start. The focus was not on building a large consulting team, but on bringing in the right expertise at the right time. This was a key factor for both delivery and trust within the organization. 

Different parts of the transformation could move in parallel, while staying aligned around shared goals and outcomes. The setup made it possible to expand the engagement without losing focus or quality. 

That way of working proved critical in a transformation of this scale. Beyond systems and processes, success depended on leadership, cultural alignment, and the ability to create trust across a large organization spread across the country. Psychological safety became a prerequisite for progress, enabling people to engage, take responsibility, and actively contribute to the transformation. 

“The real strength wasn’t just in the individual expertise, but in how well everything came together,” Petra says, pointing to the interplay between structure and culture as a key factor behind the outcome. 

The result was a program delivered on time and within budget, with strong adoption and a fully realized business case. The work has also been recognized externally, with Petra and the PostNord team sharing the journey and outcomes on stage, reflecting the impact achieved and the trust built. 

The case illustrates something fundamental: combining specialist firms does not only increase capability, it changes what kind of engagements become possible.