Blog & Inspiration

IN CONVERSATION WITH VICTOR TERPSTRA
Digitisation is moving forward inexorably. And with it, new frameworks in the trading markets are becoming the rule. The market threshold is decreasing as a result of digital access. Suddenly existing, longstanding rules no longer apply and new entrants turn into dangerous competitors in a very short time. Sometimes they upset and change market leaderships – built over decades – within a few years.
IN CONVERSATION WITH DIRK LESSING, DIRK KNÜTTER AND DIRK JURKOWSKI
Never mind that ever-present and domineering three-point stars from Untertürkheim. Focus instead on another global business founded there - in that liberating year of 1945 - and the truly important bit for today: that no fewer than three Dirks were involved in its recently delivered omni-channel project. Kaiser+Kraft, today operating under the umbrella of SDAX-listed and Stuttgart-based Takkt, is a flourishing company in business equipment. With over 50,000 items of office supplies and furniture on offer, from workbenches to complete prefab offices, it direly needed to omni-range all those mail orders all over the world.
IN CONVERSATION WITH DR. THILO WEICHERT AND ANDRES DICKEHUT
In business, the marketing department often has to take care of customer data. A task which not only requires legal sensitivity in obvious sectors such as health and security, but also in any other consumer areas. As regards to safeguarding privacy it may be decisive for a company to both strengthen its own reputation as well as that it requires a safe haven from immense regulatory fines. Whether one focuses on the Safe Harbor, Privacy Shield or the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), in any case data protection equals brand protection.
IN CONVERSATION WITH NORBERT WECKERLE
Ever since the beginning of mass production, product information has been a key component of marketing. With the onset of digitisation however, it became not only more prominent but above all more diverse. Managing this complex element has increasingly been executed by PIM systems which now have developed into the next phase. Norbert Weckerle tells Temel Kahyaoglu all he needs to know about PIM 2.0. 
IN CONVERSATION WITH OLIVER FRÖMMER
There are ever more touchpoints, new business models and sales concepts, increasing product diversity, internationalisation, exciting design ideas and marketing approaches. Observing and assessing these developments and optimising your own business model in line with them is no easy feat for companies – however, the current challenge is something completely different: traders have to orient their offerings and processes specifically on the customer. Basically, you have to be downright “customer-obsessed”.
IN CONVERSATION WITH MARKUS FUCHSHOFEN AND JÖRG REWER
For most companies, the efficient creation of content is fundamental, as it is the prerequisite for the successful sales of their own products. One of them is bonprix, a subsidiary of the Otto Group and an international fashion retailer. Today, the former mail-order company is – with 29 online shops worldwide – a successful e-commerce player celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.
IN CONVERSATION WITH MATTHIAS KANT
As a European analyst house, we witness a certain trend at the moment. Manufacturers act contrary to the existing, clear separation of the markets within the best-of-breed approach and position their products broadly rather than deepening existing core competencies. Their aim: to utilise their products in several markets in order to be present in various sectors simultaneously. We summarise these candidates with what you could call almost a holistic approach by the term Market Plus. They position themselves in the middle between the best-of-breed and purely holistic vendors. We had a first discussion on this issue with Matthias Kant, CEO of pirobase imperia GmbH.
IN CONVERSATION WITH TOM EBLING
With its software provided as a software-as-a-service solution, Demandware enables retailers to establish a user-friendly, scalable web presence. Tom Ebling, CEO of Demandware, explains the role innovation will play in this highly dynamic market, what the future of the retail business will be and what impact the merger with the industry giant Salesforce will have on the company that was founded in 2004.
IN CONVERSATION WITH SAIM ROLF ALKAN
Online trade is on route to become a two-tier class society. Observers see a development in which Amazon, Otto and other big players dominate the markets with their capabilities and capital at hand. In conversation with Saim Rolf Alkan, Managing Director of ax semantics, a technology leader in automated copywriting, Temel Kahyaoglu, Chief Analyst at The Group of Analysts, discusses the new requirements for online trading and whether marketing automation holds the answer to future questions.
IN CONVERSATION WITH RICHARD HUNT
Richard introduces the aeronautical concept of Centre of Gravity and applies it to the way content is managed within a company. ERP stored content produces a tail-heavy centre of “Content Gravity” and content stored in commerce applications causes a nose-heavy centre of Content Gravity. The experienced CEO explains why both scenarios can be dangerous and outlines the advantages companies can gain by re-centring their Content Gravity.
IN CONVERSATION WITH MARTIN REINKE
The ‘Einkaufsbüro Deutscher Eisenhändler’ (the purchasing office of German ironmongers) – E/D/E for short- is Europe’s largest purchasing and marketing network with 1,317 medium-sized trading companies from the divisions of tools, machines, construction fittings and components, sanitation and heating. The Wuppertal family business, founded in 1931, is active in 25 countries and securely rooted in its home market of Germany. The company motto, ‘successful hand in hand’ plays an important role in cooperation with the member companies. We spoke to Martin Reinke from the E/D/E about the new eDC which should supply all cooperation partners with access to perfect product data.
IN CONVERSATION WITH DIRK HÄUSSERMANN AND PETER VAN REIJMERSDAL
Everyone in the business world is talking about the second internet revolution. The Internet of Things directly connects products and devices with each other. The digital transformation of the economy is well underway and in some branches, has left no stone standing.
IN CONVERSATION WITH MAX PUSCH
Data silos decelerate digitalisation. Content becomes isolated, they create redundancy and complicate collaboration. Semantic networks are the solution that enables companies to link information, reduce administration, and thus create time to take on the truly important tasks. Still, the times in which one finds five versions of the same file nested in complex folder structures are far from over. Which challenges will companies face, who will maintain such order during the process of digitisation?
IN CONVERSATION WITH DR BERNHARD GRÜNDER
The digital age is enabling companies to spread their marketing messages to their target audiences with unparalleled diversity, in unparalleled volume and – above all – at unparalleled speed. Not only marketing departments, but also local sales partners in particular, are – due to the vast number of communication channels – currently faced with the huge challenge of deploying their advertising spending in an even more target-group-oriented manner and finding optimum communication strategies for their local target group.
IN CONVERSATION WITH DR JOCHEN WIECHEN
For many companies, the topic of digitalisation is becoming existential – particularly for the firms that fail to acknowledge this fact. One might also debate whether the topic should be referred to as digital transformation, or what disruption of the markets means in the individual case. The theoretical debate, however, offers little to gain, and mainly an opportunity to lose. To lose time and market share, for instance. What are the topics businesses are tackling instead, what are possible points of departure, and what recommendations are there, based on experience?
IN CONVERSATION WITH UPEN VARANASI
Upen Varanasi discusses the changing dynamics in Master Data Management and Product Information Management solutions. B2B customers want to gain insights and be able to measure the impact of the technology solutions they chose for their business. Data Management is the foundation of leaders who have pivoted to lead their company with a data-centric strategy. Central to this strategy is a Next-generation Master Data Management and Product Information Management which will provide Relevance and Insights to business in addition to Trusted data. As business continue to meet consumers in near real-time basis, they are looking at harnessing these interactions to gain critical insights and provide relevant information to their consumers. B2B customers want to be able to manage this explosive data growth with a scalable, feature rich Data Management solution that provides the best user experience.
IN CONVERSATION WITH JÜRG WEBER
It is important to exploit synergies whenever time and resources become increasingly scarce. This not only rings true for the topic of production, but also when looking at the distribution of content. For the latter, a corporate newsroom is often the ideal solution. It permits the most diverse topics to be spontaneously addressed, centrally coordinated and publicised in a timely and targeted manner.
IN CONVERSATION WITH MICHAEL KUGLER
Digital transformation seems to be THE topic of the year. There was hardly any other theme at the World Economic Forum in Davos and the DLD in Munich organised by Burda at the beginning of this year. How will digitalisation affect companies and society in the coming years? How long until we drive our car but busy our hands with the next purchase at the same time?
IN CONVERSATION WITH ANIA HENTZ
B2B eCommerce is on a growth trajectory. Strong driving forces include above all the expansion of digital processes, but also rising customer expectations and competitive pressure. Constantly-evolving technologies are opening up new possibilities and generating innovative ideas. And personalisation will play an important role here.
IN CONVERSATION WITH ROBERT SCHNEIDER
Software partners are increasingly focussing on holistic system solutions in enterprise content marketing instead of directly approaching companies. The reason: with their many years of practical experience, they have specialist knowledge of specific sectors and requirements. Consequently, software partners are often better positioned for implementing, customising and operating client-specific solutions, using targeted, innovative technologies in the process. Integrators such as w&co also offer the required change management – resulting in high user acceptance and maximum ROI.
IN CONVERSATION WITH MARTIN BARZAUNER, HUBERT PETER & MARCUS RÜBSAM
The SAP takeover of hybris caused an incomparable transformation in the E-Business area of both companies in the past two years. With the formation of the CEC group within SAP, a powerful holistically-thinking unity is to be created.