VR-Bank Würzburg: a leading German bank driving innovation
Founded over a century ago, Volksbank Raiffeisenbank (VR-Bank) Würzburg remains a leader in innovation, embracing agile processes and digital transformation to serve its 88,000+ customers. Headed by Sebastian Kraft, Chief Digital Transformation Officer, the bank focuses on smart data usage, process automation and organizational development.
Since 2023, Sebastian has prioritized change management and the enhancement of digital communication infrastructure across its 30 branches and 350 employees. Sebastian’s goal is to position VR-Bank Würzburg as an innovation leader, with tools like MeisterTask and MindMeister playing a pivotal role in their digital transformation efforts.
Our goal is for VR-Bank Würzburg to be a leader in innovation, which has required us to reposition ourselves. Meister software has helped us to implement this digital transformation project quickly and easily.
Sebastian Kraft
Head of Bank Administration, IT and Digital Transformation, VR-Bank Würzburg
The challenge: adapting to new tools while maintaining project efficiency and security
Sebastian introduced MeisterTask and MindMeister to his team five years ago. They started with 50 Pro licenses — and since then, team collaboration has improved significantly.
“We now have 100 Meister business bundles in use — and the number is growing. These tools are essential for supporting agile project management and communication across the organization.”
But as the bank transitions to Microsoft 365 — now an industry requirement in Germany — the need to justify continued use of MeisterTask and MindMeister has emerged. Some question whether it wouldn't be more financially savvy to reduce tools, and rely solely on Teams and Planner for team and project management.
Sebastian argues that replacing MeisterTask would sacrifice essential features like automations, reporting and authorization controls, which are critical for managing complex projects. Furthermore, Microsoft’s rigid structure could hinder the bank’s agility.
“With Microsoft Planner, we're tied to the Teams structure, which is too restrictive for effective cross-functional collaboration.”
Security is also major concern for VR-Bank Würzburg, which must comply with stringent BaFin regulations. Meister’s robust GDPR compliance and security protocols make it a reliable choice for managing sensitive data. Meister tools being hosted in Germany was a key factor in VR-Bank Würzburg’s decision to adopt MeisterTask over U.S.-based tools like Trello and ClickUp, which are not subject to the same strict data protection laws.
MeisterTask and MindMeister's security features, including Roles and Permissions, allow the team to collaborate with external stakeholders while maintaining control over sensitive information. As Sebastian notes, MS Planner does not provide the same granular level of control.
“Boards are always attached to a team in Planner. That means I can’t have any private boards, which is where it starts to get tricky. As a bank, we’re subject to regulation, and we don’t have this “everyone sees everything” principle. Teams should only have access to the information they need.”
The solution: let each tool do what it does best — and enjoy the best of both worlds
Although the move to Microsoft 365 is inevitable, Sebastian has a strong argument for keeping MeisterTask at the core of the organization's project work.
The bank has already mapped its entire project management process in Meister software, with MindMeister serving as a central hub for project overviews, linking to SharePoint files, Kanban boards, status reports and logs. This clear structure enables the team to efficiently navigate through projects and related materials.
“In our team, Meister software is the go-to for executing anything relating to agile project management or self-organization. We have a quick brainstorming session using mind maps in MindMeister, and as soon as our ideas are more “concrete,” we create actionable tasks in MeisterTask which allows us to quickly put them into practice.”
Meister’s flexibility allows employees to choose how they work, whether starting with a mind map or jumping straight into task boards. This adaptability has contributed to the widespread acceptance of the tools across the bank, even extending to the Management Board.
Even though team management at VR-Bank Würzburg will be handled via MS Teams in the future, Sebastian sees limitations of Teams and Planner in regards to self-management.
“I can’t have a personal ‘Sebastian Kraft Kanban’ in MS Teams. However, as my colleagues and I organize our workflows exclusively via Kanban, a personal MeisterTask Kanban board is essential.”
The ability to create tasks and communicate on the go in the MeisterTask mobile app is a huge benefit for Sebastian and the team. The Management Board is also enthusiastic about this flexible way of working as it ensures timely project communication.
“We have approval from the auditing association to upload confidential data to the apps. This makes work easier because you don’t have to think twice when you upload a sensitive file to a task or project. Both myself and the Management Board prefer to work in the MeisterTask app on iPad, rather than desktop. The usability of the tool is excellent — and it’s extremely fast.”
Similarly, creating tasks directly from emails via a MeisterTask integration helps Sebastian work efficiently from anywhere. Instead of sending a task to five colleagues via email, Sebastian follows up on action points by creating a task on the relevant project board in MeisterTask.
“I love sending emails to my MeisterTask project board. It makes working through my tasks much quicker. I can see the task history, add tags, and move the task to the right section on the board for a clear overview. I add all the relevant watchers to the task, which means everyone spends less time in their inbox sorting through emails.”
The outcome: ongoing collaboration for agile success
Despite the need to adapt to Microsoft 365, the value MeisterTask and MindMeister bring VR-Bank Würzburg is clear. The bank has achieved greater project transparency, reducing the need for emails and in-person meetings. Projects are easily documented, tracked, and updated, ensuring no details are forgotten.
“We have 100% more transparency in our projects. Nothing slips through the cracks anymore, we’re always up-to-date, and everything is clearly documented. We spend less time communicating project details because all updates and task-related conversations are visible in MeisterTask.”
By using MeisterTask to streamline work management across departments, teams can focus on key priorities and drive results. Ultimately, this commitment to digital innovation has cemented VR-Bank Würzburg’s reputation as a forward-thinking bank in the modern financial landscape.
“For me, MeisterTask and MindMeister are not only efficiency-enhancing tools, but also culture-changing tools. We’ve transformed our old world, where “working according to instructions” was the default, into an innovative, agile and collaborative working environment.”
