Mittelstand-DigitalStrategiesfortheDigitalTransformationofBusinessProcessesImprintPublisherFederalMinistryforEconomicAffairsandEnergy(BMWi)PublicRelations11019Berlin,Germanywww.bmwi.deTextandeditingWIKGmbH,BadHonnefDesignLoeschHundLiepoldKommunikationGmbH,BerlinStatusMarch2017PrintBMWiIllustrationseverythingpossible–Fotolia.com(Title),AndréWirsig/Mittelstand-Digital(p),holzgespür(p),WolfgangBorrs/Mittelstand-Digital(p),MunschGmbH(p),Kompetenz-zentrumDigitalesHandwerkWest(p),PTWTUDarm-stadt(p),S.Scheibner/PTW(p),BVMW(p),Smart-Factory-KL(p),HandelskammerHamburg/UlrichPerry(p),FraunhoferIAO(p),GuntherReinhart(p),HPI(p),Mittelstand4-KompetenzzentrumHannover(p),MariaBeck(p),EgonMüller(p),FachgebietFertigungs-technik/TUIlmenau(p),IHKRegionStuttgart(p),Hans-GertPenzel(p),PiaSueHelferich(p),FTKe.V.Dortmund(p),industrieblick–Fotolia.com(p)ThisbrochureispublishedaspartofthePublicrelationsworkoftheFederalMinistryforEconomicAffairsandEnergy.Itisdistributedfreeofchargeandisnotintendedforsale.Thedistributionofthisbrochureatcampaigneventsoratinformationstandsrunbypoliticalpartiesisprohibited,andpoliticalparty-relatedinformationoradvertisingshallnotbeinsertedin,printedon,oraffixedtothispublication.TheFederalMinistryforEconomicAffairsandEnergywasawardedtheauditberufundfamilie®foritsfamily-friendlystaffpolicy.ThecertificateisgrantedbyberufundfamilieGmbH,aninitiativeoftheHertieFoundation.Thispublicationaswellasfurtherpublicationscanbeobtainedfrom:FederalMinistryforEconomicAffairsandEnergy(BMWi)PublicRelationsE-mail:publikationen@bundesregierung.dewww.bmwi.deCentralprocurementservice:Tel.:+4930182722721Fax:+493018102722721MITTELSTAND-DIGITAL3ContentsHowSMEscanmasterdigitalisationGoodpracticeexamples–howdigitalisationcanworkDirectsupport:Mittelstand4Speakingthesamelanguage:eBusinessstandardsforSMEsSimplyintuitive?Simplyintuitive!Mittelstand-Digital–inyourareaHOWSMESCANMASTERDIGITALISATIONHowSMEscanmasterdigitalisationWhetherthetraditionalbutcher’sshopinthecountryside,theinternationalindustrysupplierthatisalwaysonthego,orthesmallhairdressingbusiness:Digitalisationandnet-workingaffectallbusinesses–regardlessofthecompanysizeorsector.ThisalsoincludesSMEswhichaccountfor99%ofallbusi-nessesinGermany.SMEsformthebackboneoftheGermaneconomy:Smallandmedium-sizedbusinessesgenerateoverhalfofthevalueadded.Theyprovideover60%ofjobsinGermanyandwellover83%ofapprenticeshipsinindus-try.IfSMEscanmaketheleapintothedigitalage,theirsuc-cessstorywillcontinue.Catchwordandproviderchaos:ThedigitalisationdiscussionisconfusingThereareumpteencatchwordssurroundingthedebateondigitalisation,suchasIndustry4andcloudcomput-ing.Thesewordsarenotalwayseasytounderstand–nottomentionthequestionofhowdigitalisationimpactsonbusinessandwhatopportunitiesitcreates.Furthermore,thepossibilitiesavailableformakinguseofdigitaltech-nologiesareextremelydiverse.Thisspectrumrangesfromhavingawebsitetousingproductioncontrolsoftware.Thenumberofproviderscompetingfortheattentionofsmallandmedium-sizedbusinessesfortheirproductsisjustasmulti-faceted.Theirsolutionsgenerallydifferagainaccord-ingtothefunction,operationalperformance,priceandserviceoffered.Businessownersmayquiteunderstandablyfeelunsurewhenfacedwiththisinformationoverload.Manysmallandmedium-sizedcompaniesrightlywonder:Isanyofthisimportant?enceofinternetcompaniessuchasGoogleandco.whichareconstantlyenteringintonewsegmentsofthemarket.Opportunitiesarise:moreefficientprocesses,newcustomersandbusinessmodelsOntheotherhand,digitaltechnologiesofferhugeoppor-tunitiesforsmallandmedium-sizedbusinesses:Byusingthesetheycandevelopcompletelynewbusinessmodels,forinstance,theycanattractnewcustomersandstrengthentheloyaltyofexistingcustomers.Medium-sizedbusinesscanalsokeepupwithlargecompanies–whichoftenmakethetransitionintothedigitalagequicker–therebyalsosecur-ingtheirordersforthefuture.Digitaltechnologiesalsopro-videthemwiththeopportunitytooperatemoreefficiently,whetherinpurchasing,productionoradministration.Usingtechnologiescansavesmallandmedium-sizedbusinessesbothtimeandmoney,forinstancebyusingnetworkedmachineswhichintelligentlycontrolproductionprocesses,electronicinvoicesandmobileattendancerecordingsys-tems.However,itisnotonlyprocessesthatchangewhendigitaltechnologiesareused.Theemployees’workingenviron-mentalsochanges.Inadigitalisedandnetworkedcompany,existingtasksmaynolongerbenecessarywhilstnewtasksmayarise.Forthisreason,itisimportantthatbusinessesdonotfocussolelyontechnicalissues,butalsopreparetheirstaffforthecomingchanges.Theyshouldimpartthespecialistknowledgeandskillstotheirworkforcewhichareneededtosuccessfullyperformnewtasks,therebymakingasuccessofthedigitalisationproject.Continuedstafftrainingandeducationisoneofthekeyelementsforentrepreneur-ialsuccessinthedigitalage.Demandingcustomers,newcompetitors:WhydigitalisationisimportantOntheonehanddigitalisationisalsochangingcustomerbehaviour.Itisturningthemintowell-informedandinter-linkedmarketactors.Thisconsolidatesthepositionofthecustomerinthelongterm.Todaycustomersarealreadydemandingtailor-madesolutionsandindividualproductsatthepriceofmass-producedgoods.Theyexpectquickandconvenientdeliveryandexcellentservice.Theyknowthatallofthisispossiblethroughtheuseofdigitaltechnolo-gies.Onlybusinessesthatareabletomeetthesedemandsandhaveastrongcustomerfocusremaincompetitiveinthelongrun.Simultaneously,changesinthevaluechainsofmanymanufacturingbusinesses,serviceprovidersandmarketsarebecomingvisible–notleastthankstothepres-Mittelstand-Digital:Competentandfreeassistanceforsmallandmedium-sizedbusinessesManysmallandmedium-sizedenterpriseswonder:HowcanImakethetransitionsuccessfully?Unfortunately,thereisnoblueprint,aone-fits-allapproachforsuccessfullymov-ingintothedigitalage.Butforeachcompanytherewillbeasuitableapproach.Andnocompanymustembarkonthisjourneyalone!TheFederalMinistryforEconomicAffairsandEnergyassistssmallandmedium-sizedenterprisesinthedigitalisationprocess.Mittelstand-Digitalillustratestheopportunitiesthatdigitalisationcancreateforsmallandmedium-sizedbusinessesandhowthesecanbeimple-mentedsuccessfullyinpractice–usingwell-explained,neu-tral,practicalinformationandspecificsupportindesigningandimplementingadigitalisationstrategy.HOWSMESCANMASTERDIGITALISATION5Digitaltechnologysimplifiestasksandallowsmoretimefordiscussionandcreativity.Mittelstand-Digitalconsistsofthreeinitiatives:•“Simplyintuitive–usabilityfortheSMEsector”helpssmallandmedium-sizedbusinessestoimprovethequalityandusabilityofoperationalsoftware.•“E-standards:standardisebusinessprocesses,ensuresuccess”acceleratesthedevelopment,triallinganddisseminationofe-standardswiththeaimofstrength-eningtheinternationalcompetitivepositionofsmallandmedium-sizedbusinesses.•Undertheinitiative“Mittelstand(SME)4–DigitalProductionandWorkProcesses”,Mittelstand4Com-petenceCentresraiseawarenessaboutdigitalisation,provideinformationandtrainingforbusinessleadersandstaffmembersacrossthecountryandshowthemsolutionsinpracticeintheirdemonstrationfactories,offeringahands-onapproachfortestingoutthedigitaltransformation,sotospeak.TheMittelstand4Agenciespoolthelatestknowledgeonoverarchingissuesofdig-italisationlikecloud-computing,communication,tradeandprocessesandsharethisinformationviamultiplierssuchasbusinesschambersandassociations.ThisbrochureprovidesanoverviewoftheinformationandsupportofferedbytheMittelstand-Digitalprogramme.Wewillfirsttakealookatsolutionsbeingusedinpracticeandintroduceyoutothreecompaniesthathavesuccess-fullydigitisedtheirbusinesseswiththehelpofMittel-stand-Digitalandarenowbenefitingfromthis.
