The HR Lab served as an incubator within Bosch that rejuvenated the company with a history of more than a hundred years. Agile transformation solutions debuted in the Power Tools (PT) business unit, driven by the industry’s evolutionary needs. Bosch used to sell Power Tools to two separate groups of consumers: Professional tools for users in trade and industry, and DIY, accessories and garden tools to amateur crafters like families or avid gardeners. However, e-commerce brought disruption to the past business model and threatened the unit’s competitive advantage.

To proactively provide employees with innovative solutions geared towards consumer needs, Rosa Lee, Executive Vice President of Bosch China, came up with the idea of the HR Lab. The idea followed rounds of discussions with Uwe Raschke, Bosch’s board member responsible for Consumer Goods (including the Power Tools division and BSH Hausgeräte GmbH), and Elly Siegert, Bosch’s Vice President for Human Resources in the Power Tools BU. HR Lab products such as Individual Development Dialogue, Team Staffing, Peer Recognition and Development Navigator were implemented in various Power Tools offices worldwide and received very positive feedback.

However, new emerging issues pushed Lee to reflect and rethink how to measure the tools’ efficacy and collect valid feedback for the initiative. After years of launching so many new HR Lab products, what should the team do next to achieve agile transformation for the entire company? Should Lee keep running the HR Lab or press pause to consider the future first?