TOM completed: A milestone for Wincasa

Gabriella Rutschmann, the TOM project was launched around five years ago – and today it is complete. What does this milestone mean for Wincasa?
The completion of TOM is an important milestone for Wincasa. We have realigned our property management operations across Switzerland and established a model that is consistently geared towards the different needs of our tenants and clients. I am particularly pleased that all TOM locations have been successfully opened and that the new setup is working well in day-to-day operations.

A key element was the separation of residential and commercial real estate. Today, commercial activities are consolidated within Commercial Real Estate. How has this specialisation proven itself in practice?
The separation has clearly proven its value. The requirements in residential real estate differ from those in a commercial environment. This specialisation enables us to manage both areas in a more targeted and professional manner. Within Commercial Real Estate, we now bring together our expertise in commercial properties, shopping centres and sites, allowing us to provide our clients with even more focused support.

At the same time, TOM locations with walk-ins were opened. What role do these physical points of contact play today alongside digital channels?
Our walk-ins are an important complement to our digital services. They enable personal contact without an appointment – precisely when it matters. At the same time, digital channels remain central. What matters is how the two work together: our tenants can choose the channel that best suits their situation. Our experience over the past few years shows that this approach has been very well received.

What tangible improvements has TOM brought for our residential tenants and commercial clients?
TOM has enabled us to tailor our services more closely to the different needs of our client groups. The separation of residential and commercial real estate creates greater focus and enables stronger specialisation.

In residential real estate, this can be seen, for example, in new roles such as letting specialists. They support the entire process from termination of the tenancy through to the handover of the apartment, manage the digitalised reletting process and remain the tenants’ direct point of contact throughout.

In commercial real estate, our property management teams can focus more specifically on the particular and often more complex requirements of our commercial clients. Overall, our clients benefit from clearer responsibilities, specialised contacts and services that are more closely aligned with their needs.

TOM has also brought significant changes internally – new roles and greater responsibility at the locations. How have collaboration and ways of working evolved?
With TOM, we have further developed our collaboration and ways of working in many respects. New roles and a clearer allocation of responsibilities have enabled us to strengthen specialisation and structure our teams more effectively. In residential real estate, for example, new profiles such as letting specialists and technical property managers have been established. This creates greater focus, strengthens professional expertise and, at the same time, opens up new entry opportunities – including for career changers.

Another important aspect is the stronger focus on teamwork. Our model deliberately embraces team-oriented leadership: moving away from purely individual responsibilities towards shared responsibility for portfolios and client experiences. This also includes a more transparent approach to performance – we discuss performance openly, take responsibility as a team and create the foundation for managing portfolios sustainably over the long term.

Looking back today, what were the most important success factors – and what will you take with you as Wincasa continues to evolve?
One key success factor was that we actively supported and consistently involved our managers and employees over an extended period. Change takes time – particularly when roles, responsibilities and ways of working are being rethought. It has become clear that consistently aligning our organisation with usage categories and client needs is the right approach. The separation of the business areas, which has now been fully implemented, confirms this decision.

One thing I will take with me as Wincasa continues to evolve is that change succeeds when you provide clear direction, give people the time they need and, at the same time, have the courage to take new paths. That is precisely the scope for shaping change that we have used.

I am very pleased with this strong result after an intensive period of work. TOM has been a journey that we have completed together – and I would like to sincerely thank everyone involved for their tremendous effort, flexibility and commitment.