- Rapid international growth via M&A
- Legacy structures and decentralized decision-making
- Diverse systems, tools, and processes
- Varied corporate cultures and leadership styles
- Regionally specific regulations and raw material availability
- Varying levels of digitization and automation
- Rising cost pressures
- Talent availability and demographic shifts
- Supply chain risks and delivery pressure
- Increasing complexity in food safety, sustainability, and animal welfare regulations
- Uneven volume growth across locations
THE BELL FOOD GROUP - LEADING IN FOOD
"TopX" program – together towards a "Leader in Food"
Launched in 2017 by the Bell Food Group and EFESO Management Consultants, the "TopX" program is a unique initiative aimed at creating a unified mindset, shared working methods, clear goals, and measurable results across all company locations. Since its inception, the program has systematically developed standards, leadership, culture, and efficiency in line with global operational excellence — all aligned with the shared ambition: "Leading in Food".
The result
Results of the "TopX" program
EFESO supports Bell Food Group through "TopX" in various areas and functions – including processing plants, maintenance, quality assurance, production planning to IT, ordering and master data management, development, warehousing and logistics, HR development, internal and external communication, procurement, and S&OP.
- "Best in Class" management system award by the University of St. Gallen
- Alignment of all units with the group strategy
- Empowered employees and leaders at every level
- Realization of efficiency potential across divisions and countries
- Unified mindset and language across sites, countries, and business units
- Effective production system for operational excellence is part of the BFG DNA
- ”TopX” as a catalyst for internal career development
*Despite rising costs from inflation, sustainability initiatives, energy prices, and 12% growth, "TopX" helped maintain a delivery readiness level above 98.5% through efficiency and productivity improvements across the value chain.
Alexander Duss
Head of Poultry Bell Switzerland
Michael Baumann
Program Manager TopX Bell Food Group
Marc Spanuth
TopX Coordinator Bell Germany
Benjamin Stalder
TopX Coordinator Bell Switzerland
Our approach
UNITY IN DIVERSITY
Establish a unified Bell Food Group way of thinking and working, embedded in the company's DNA. Systematically implement strategic ambitions and elevate performance and outcomes across the organization.
A collective narrative for the global organization:
-
Unified thinking and communication:
Develop a common language, vocabulary, and comparable processes across all sites. -
Shared metrics:
Drive improvement by focusing on loss reduction and unlocking potential throughout the production network. -
Linking strategy with practice:
Translate strategic goals into concrete operational measures so that each site understands and contributes to the group’s success.
"TopX" program
ACTION AREAS
To bring the vision into reality, "TopX" focuses on three key action areas:
Strategy deployment
What actions are required within the controllable supply chain to achieve strategic goals?
Target setting and breakdown
What are the key priorities and objectives for the fiscal year? What roles and responsibilities must be defined?
Goal planning and performance management
How do we ensure targets are met? How do we respond to deviations?
Our method
EFESO Management Consultants developed a robust framework for strategic goal management and continuous improvement at all sites and levels –
a core identity of the "TopX" program.
Initial situation and program streams
Challenges
"TopX" program streams
- One direction for all // strategy deployment
- Everyone knows their contribution // target setting & breakdown
- Clear path forward // goal planning & performance management
- What gets measured gets done // KPIs & loss transparency
- Strong foundation // standardization & stabilization
- Waste-free future // systematic loss elimination
- Daily on-site leadership & improvement // shopfloor management
- Consistent leadership at all levels // role-based leadership
- Everyone can do what they need to // employee qualification
- Maximum process support // organization & technology development
- Parts of a whole // customer network optimization
Success factors
- Equal, partnership-based collaboration between EFESO and Bell Food Group
- Integration of the program into the group strategy
- Consistent communication and stakeholder management
- Immediate, visible, and measurable results
- Deep cultural and linguistic understanding across the group
- Development and global rollout of a shared management toolbox
- High-speed implementation of sub-projects
- Branding and active marketing of the "TopX" program
- Empowering employees and leaders at all levels
- Integration of project streams into a unified management and production system
Philipp Allemann
Head of Supply Chain Management
Bell Schweiz AG
Sebastian Diers
Managing Director
EFESO DACH
BELL FOOD GROUP
Facts & Figures
The Bell Food Group (BFG), founded in Basel in 1869, is one of Europe's leading suppliers to the food industry and is number one in Switzerland. Its portfolio includes meat, poultry, seafood, and a broad range of fresh and ultra-fresh convenience products. BFG employs more than 13,000 employees at 69 locations in 14 countries.
The shares of the Bell Food Group are traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange. The group's net sales amounted to CHF 4.7 billion in the 2024 financial year.
BFG operates with five business divisions, supported by central functions and corporate services. Its operational activities are decentralized – positioned close to customers and markets.
BFG's vision is "Leading in Food". All of the group's strategic and operational activities are geared towards this ambitious goal.
Bell Food Group brand world
