In the interview with Katharina Röhrig (Head of Business Development at GFOS)

With over 4,500 installations, GFOS visualizes, monitors, and controls all corporate resources along the value chain. Globally, 1,800 GFOS customers in 30 countries already use the gfos software solution, which has been translated into 15 languages to date. GFOS is thus one of the most successful and enduring providers of software solutions in the areas of Manufacturing Execution System, Workforce Management, and Security. In an interview with Katharina Röhrig (Head of Business Development at GFOS), we learn a great deal about resource optimization, start-ups and SMEs, and GFOS Smart Solutions.

DIGITAL FUTUREmag: Sustainability and resource conservation are the megatrends of our time. Especially in the area of corporate management and internal communication, these are key levers for success. Before we get to the topic of resource optimization, we would first like to ask a question about GFOS in general. You also offer future-oriented software solutions for medium-sized companies in the areas of time recording, access control, workforce management, and Manufacturing Execution System (MES) from a single source. Where do you currently see the greatest need for action in terms of digitalization in the SME sector?

Katharina Röhrig: Digitalization gives SMEs the opportunity to optimize their internal processes and thus become more efficient and flexible. The greatest need for action lies in raising awareness among management and employees about the necessity of change and thus creating the necessary momentum for the changes of the digital age. This requires digitalization to be understood holistically and integrated into corporate culture. This in turn means that far more needs to be digitalized than just sending invoices by email. There are many other areas in companies that can benefit from digitalization. However, the implementation of digital systems in SMEs is still progressing hesitantly. This leads to a lack of data basis, which would offer companies many necessary advantages through various evaluation options and optimization options, especially in international comparison.

DIGITAL FUTUREmag: What can I imagine when it comes to resource optimization with software? Which areas are integrated in this complex and what advantages result from this?

Katharina Röhrig: Resource optimization with software means enabling the greatest possible transparency and efficiency based on collected and evaluated data. This affects various areas of a company. This is where the gfos product family comes in.
For example, gfos.SmartTimeManager is designed to relieve SMEs by providing a system to ensure the documentation and evaluation of all recorded times, creating maximum transparency and significantly reducing administrative effort compared to manual time tracking with, for example, Excel. This relieves employees and employers and ensures compliance with obligations according to the ECJ ruling on time tracking. This solution also offers options for manual workforce planning, an application system, project time tracking, and an encrypted chat function. Thus, this software simplifies all processes in the field of Workforce Management.
gfos.SmartProductionManager is a special, cloud-based MES solution for small and medium-sized production companies. This enables them to network production chains and benefit from sophisticated operational data management, machine data collection, and a feedback system. The data obtained in this way also helps with resource optimization in production, as all processes can be optimized based on this data.

DIGITAL FUTUREmag: To integrate new business models and grow faster in the market, some medium-sized companies are teaming up with start-ups. What advantages and risks do you see in this strategy?

Katharina Röhrig: According to current studies, collaboration between medium-sized companies and start-ups has become a real trend. Both companies can benefit from each other in different ways and leverage synergies. This could take the form of development or distribution partnerships, collaborations such as mutual use of services or products, or regular exchanges on technical or strategic issues. The critical factor for success—and thus one of the biggest risks for the success of such collaborations—is the selection of the right partner and a previously agreed formulation of the desired goal by both parties.

DIGITAL FUTUREmag: What important strategies can SMEs already use today without difficulty or risk to save costs and generally increase productivity?

Katharina Röhrig: The use of software can help SMEs map and analyse all company processes. Based on this, optimisation suggestions can be made and implemented. The collected data can then be used to increase efficiency. At the same time, employee needs can also be better taken into account. Workforce management software, for example, can actively contribute to motivating and retaining employees by creating flexibility and mobility and ensuring the targeted deployment of skilled workers based on demand and needs. Another advantage is the use of cloud services. Since the servers are located outside the company, the high costs of maintaining an in-house server infrastructure are eliminated. 

DIGITAL FUTUREmag: Are you referring to your Smart Solutions here? How can these be integrated into existing IT infrastructure?

Katharina Röhrig: As the name suggests, these solutions should primarily be smart. This means they should deliver significant added value in terms of efficiency and resource savings for companies with as little effort as possible. Added to this is clarity, which ensures that the solutions can be integrated into business processes and IT infrastructure almost intuitively. This paves the way for a much simpler and faster route to digitalisation. Our Smart Solutions are tailored specifically to customer needs. The gfos.SmartTimeManager and the gfos.SmartProductionManager are highly scalable and offer maximum transparency in resource planning – whether for employees or in production environments.

DIGITAL FUTUREmag: SMEs still find it somewhat difficult to digitalise their processes. In your opinion, what is the key to successful implementation?

Katharina Röhrig: The key is clearly to meet SMEs exactly where they currently stand. For us, this means offering simple and immediately applicable solutions with real added value without requiring SMEs to have the corresponding IT personnel.

DIGITAL FUTUREmag: Thank you very much for this exciting conversation.