An interview with Martin Schulze, CEO BusinessCode GmbH, Bonn
What does digitization in medium-sized businesses mean from BusinessCode’s perspective?
Digitization is not a new phenomenon but an economic reality since the 1980s. What is new today is that all areas of a company are being turned upside down by digitization, including your core processes and, above all, your products. This is where the real revolution takes place.
Has digitization thus reached medium-sized companies?
Yes, every company sees the challenges, but also the opportunities and possibilities. What is often missing is experience in implementation and know-how about the technical possibilities that exist today. The prime example is the topic of cloud computing, which can provide enormous added value, especially for medium-sized companies. The still great reluctance is mainly due to a lack of know-how. This is where our support comes in.
Digitization equals replacement of Excel – is this the prevailing opinion in medium-sized businesses?
I like to say that every successful digitization starts with an Excel sheet. It becomes problematic if a shadow IT develops from it. Here we help companies with pragmatic approaches to bring this part of IT back into the light before serious problems arise, for example, from the area of data protection or the loss of the only employee who has mastered the Excel sheet.
Which digitization requests do you currently receive?
In most of the inquiries we receive, existing applications, some of which have been in use for more than 20 years, are to be replaced by a modern solution that covers today’s requirements. In these projects it is important to master the balancing act between innovation on the one hand and continuity for proven processes on the other. The people who use the software must always be taken along as well.
Do your customers approach you with concrete inquiries?
Most customers have a very concrete idea of how and where the software should support them. The technical implementation is unclear. But that’s why they are looking for support from a partner like BusinessCode.
Do you implement the requests as requested?
No. Software projects are always also a process in which the requirements are further developed so that the optimal solution is created at the end. This is also the strength of an agile approach in which solutions are developed step by step. We always focus on developing the best solution for the customer as efficiently as possible.
Does digitization have a fixed beginning and a fixed end?
The term digitization describes a process that changes all areas of business life. In its meaning and depth it is comparable to industrialisation. Therefore, digitization in general should not be seen in the narrow context of a single project. However, the implementation of concrete topics does have a beginning and an end.
When is a digitization completed?
Digitization in general has only just begun. Even companies in the digital sector are constantly repositioning themselves. To answer the question from another direction: In my opinion, a company has arrived in the digital world if it thinks its products and its contribution to value creation digitally.
How do you accompany your customers after the completion of a project?
We support our customers holistically, end-to-end from the analysis to the use of the software. This means that we provide support, e.g. through user training and can also take over the operation of the software if required.
Furthermore, our experience from a successful project results in exciting new topics on which we are happy to continue working with the customer.
Thank you very much!