Service delivery manager frees up more time for core business at Bagger-Sørensen

Bagger-Sørensen is a family-owned holding and investment company with more than 100 years of history. With a broad portfolio of properties, companies and financial investments, their activities cover a broad scope. The same is true of their need for IT operations and support.

The company operates within three main areas: ownership of commercial properties; long-term, active investments in small and medium-sized companies with growth potential; and asset management in the form of investments in PE funds, stocks and bonds.

Together this creates a complex digital landscape where many systems and vendors need to work together. This is especially important because the company manages close to 40 different financial accounts with individual registration numbers.

According to Thomas Bøge Mikkelsen, CIO at Bagger-Sørensen, the need for application- and operations-support is not driven by the number of employees, but by business structure and complexity:

“Our need for IT support is not driven by how many people we are, but by the type of company we are.”

With many systems and vendors involved, it is essential that partners have the same formalized and structured approach as Bagger-Sørensen.

“We needed an external resource to maintain oversight and handle coordination between our IT vendors,” he says.

From strategy to operations: How Bagger-Sørensen gains value from the SDM

Through their Cepheo Evergreen managed services agreement, Bagger-Sørensen benefits from a dedicated service delivery manager provided by Cepheo, their long-standing IT partner.

The role is a core part of managed services where the IT partner ensures that Bagger-Sørensen’s IT is up to date, optimized and secure.

The SDM acts as both operational coordinator and sparring partner and should have the same approach as Bagger-Sørensen.

The CIO explains that the SDM role creates real value:

“It makes a big difference for us that we have an SDM who knows our history, understands the business and can also relate to strategy, our needs and our goals for the future.”

The SDM not only helps set direction, but also ensures that daily operations run smoothly.

“Our SDM is very proactive. He not only coordinates our managed services but also handles incidents, service requests and problem-management,” says Thomas Bøge Mikkelsen.

It is a role that creates value and is clearly missed when absent.

“We know the consequence of being without it. We have vendors without an SDM and you can feel the difference. It is very clear when the role is not active or is interpreted differently,” he says.

The SDM from Cepheo also supports coordination between Bagger-Sørensen and other IT vendors. This ensures tasks are solved quickly and with the right people involved from the start ‒ often without Bagger-Sørensen’s employees needing to participate.

“Our SDM communicates directly with the other vendors. This ensures a more efficient process for us,” he says.

Results that can be felt in everyday operations

Having a dedicated SDM ensures that tasks are solved quickly and correctly, the CIO explains.

“Availability and flexibility are key for us. Our SDM has been very responsive. It helps us succeed, for example during peak periods like month-end and year-end closing, that there is a strong understanding of how important these periods are for us,” he says.

A permanent SDM creates continuity and understanding, which is necessary to get the full value from an IT outsourcing strategy.

“It is not only about competencies but also about understanding and the ability to relate to future needs,” he says.

Choosing a dedicated SDM has allowed Bagger-Sørensen to focus on the core business:

“It has been a strategic choice to let selected external partners assist us with IT-, system- and application-support. It has created value for us that we do not need to hire these competencies ourselves.”

Next step on the journey

In collaboration with Cepheo, Bagger-Sørensen went live with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central in early 2026, replacing Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations.

The implementation of Business Central has created a new foundation for a focused effort around the efficiency and standardization of business processes. Cepheo and the SDM will continue to play a central role here.

“Focus is on increased automation and reducing manual repetitive tasks,” the CIO concludes.