The suitable integration platform for your company and your customers
Information security and data protection are key issues
Not only have customers’ expectations of their providers’ services increased, but environmental influences, which require a greater customer focus and the associated shorter time-to-market, also make it necessary for companies to react ever more flexibly to changes. In addition, at a time when information security and data protection are becoming increasingly important, it is essential to protect one’s own business processes and the data processed in them as securely as possible against unauthorised access. An integration platform provides the solution to many of these challenges.
It can effectively connect data and applications to increase efficiency, improve responsiveness and thus offer a competitive advantage. IT landscapes with complex, poorly networked systems and applications, on the other hand, often represent an obstacle in this context, as their adaptability and scalability are very low.
Integration platform: A definition
But what does an integration platform actually mean? An integration platform is a software solution that enables seamless connection and communication between different components, applications, systems and data sources. It serves as a central interface for collecting, integrating, transforming and exchanging information from different sources.
The main task of an integration platform is to overcome the heterogeneity of data formats, protocols and different technologies. It offers a comprehensive range of tools and functions to harmonise data.
Integration platforms in enterprise architecture management
Ultimately, an integration platform plays a decisive role in modern enterprise architecture management. It is the centrepiece from which all services and applications can be controlled, maintained and exchanged.
The importance of integration platforms lies primarily in the fact that they help companies to manage the complexity of their IT landscape and enable seamless integration and networking of their systems. By using an integration platform, companies can improve interoperable communication between their systems and thus exchange data seamlessly. This enables them to optimise operational processes and workflows, increase efficiency and make better business decisions based on up-to-date and consistent data.
This also makes a significant contribution to improving the quality and consistency of data. By centralising the collection, transformation and validation of data, companies can ensure that all systems have access to up-to-date and error-free data and applications and that data loss can be avoided.
Advantages of an integration platform
There are many examples of the advantages of integration platforms. Here are just a few:
- Simplifying the integration of applications and data
- Reduction of complexity and pre-processing of data
- Increased transparency and visibility of data flows
- Reduction of integration costs and time
- Increasing the scalability of the IT landscape
- Improving the efficiency and speed of business processes
- Increasing the possibility of automating many business processes
- Flexibility for rapid adaptation to changing business requirements
- Better integration of cloud and on-premise solutions
- Increased security through centralised control and monitoring of data exchange processes
- Improving data quality and consistency
- Reduction of time and costs for maintenance and development of interfaces
Choosing the right integration platform / solution
When choosing an integration platform/solution, companies should consider a number of things to ensure that it meets their requirements. Above all, the requirements and functionalities should take centre stage. Which features do the individual stakeholders need, which data formats, interfaces, transaction capability, etc. are involved? It is important to get all specialist departments on board right from the start.
The chosen solution should be flexible and scalable to ensure the easy integration of additional systems and applications. It should also be cloud-capable to further increase scalability and flexibility.
The security of company data and systems should also be a top priority. Accordingly, the platform should have sufficient security mechanisms in place to protect the data from unauthorised access and threats. Compliance requirements also play a major role here.
Last but not least, user-friendliness plays a major role for users in the company. This should always take centre stage when integrating a new solution.
Combination of different integration solutions
Often, a combination of different approaches to implementation can deliver better success than committing to one approach.
By using microservices, individual components of the solution can be scaled independently of each other and are very flexible. The combination of approaches also makes it possible to quickly drive forward the development and provision of new functions and services. In this way, the use of third-party providers offers the opportunity to fall back on proven solutions and save time and development effort.
Microservices can be developed, provided and scaled independently of each other, which enables efficient utilisation of resources. API interfaces also facilitate integration with other systems and services, both internally and externally. By distributing functionality across microservices, failures in individual components can also be isolated and rectified without affecting the entire solution.
The implementation of a solution can be both cloud-based and on-premise.
Application example: Integration along the customer life cycle
Especially for companies that offer their services and products online, an integration platform tailored to the needs of customers is a good way to improve the customer experience and thus increase their satisfaction. As a first step, it is particularly important to take a look at the customer life cycle and all of the steps required to optimise the customer experience. This is because covering all customer-related business processes with the help of a single platform solves several problems at once. On the one hand, the services and products are accessible via a “front door”, and on the other, the processes are easier to customise.
In our case, we are looking at the property universe with its various service areas.
Step 1: Integration of all external and internal stakeholders
In this case, it is important that by analysing the needs of all users and partners involved a system is created that meets everyone where they are. In the case of a property platform, both external and internal stakeholders must be taken into account, each of whom has a different view of the application.
Step 2: Automation of processes along the value chain
After analysing all of the stakeholders’ needs, it is possible to break down very precisely which service they require at each step of their customer journey. The integration platform with a front end to the customer is a best practice example of customer centricity.
Step 3: Initial situation IT infrastructure and IT systems
Companies often still struggle with data silos or disconnected applications. On the one hand, this prevents a smooth process, there is a risk of data loss and security gaps, and on the other hand, it is not possible to guarantee a satisfactory customer experience.
Step 4: Combination solution for integrating systems
The solution to this problem is obvious: with the help of microservices, applications can be replaced step by step and connected to the front end via API interfaces if a service or process needs to be customised. This significantly shortens time-to-market cycles, allowing the company to react flexibly to new challenges.
This is also in line with the principles of agility, which provides for an incremental approach and continuous adaptation of services in the interests of a high level of customer centricity and further contributes to ensuring a company’s competitiveness. In addition, the automation of many processes and the high scalability of the application make it possible to utilise the resources freed up to expand business activities, for example by entering markets in other countries and adding further services to the range, and to generate more revenue.
Enterprise architecture with an integration platform for greater customer satisfaction
The example of the real estate platform along the customer life cycle has made it very clear that it makes sense to take a closer look at your own IT landscape in order to find a better solution if necessary. It can also be valuable to take a closer look at which platform actually suits the company in order to use the technologies and developments that are best suited to its own business processes and thus possibly even play a pioneering role in terms of customer centricity on the market.
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"There are many myths and misunderstandings about AI"
AI is the topic at the moment. As is often the case in such cases, there are many myths and misunderstandings about it. Could you explain in a few sentences what AI is?
AI is a learning system created by humans. It starts with very simple systems that can recognise patterns, so-called Narrow AI, and goes up to systems that can recognise their environment and processes in it and react to them in a targeted manner.
In principle, AI systems are best understood as cybernetic systems. They have a sensor system through which information flows into them and a computational core on the basis of which the information is processed by mathematical models.
AI systems have passive output systems, such as screens or speakers, or even active motor technology that can operate physical infrastructure, so-called OT (Operating Technology), or a body of its own, as in factory robots or even just the mowing bot for the lawn. The highest form of AI is the so-called General AI, in reference to our human intelligence, which includes very many sensory and several motoric dimensions.
With AI systems, the information is of course digital in nature. They usually need large amounts of data (big data) to be trained in a batch job. The “dirty secret” of the AI industry today is labelling. A large number of people, especially for visual AIs, have to meticulously analyse and categorise the input data, i.e. the images and videos, which is called labelling.
"Human ability to make decisions based on small amounts of data still unrivalled."
The human ability to learn and draw conclusions on the basis of very small amounts of data, so-called delta learners, is still not possible for even the most up-to-date systems. An interesting branch of development in this area is edge intelligence, which will play a decisive role in connection with the IoT. There is currently heated discussion about the extent to which AI should control operating technology such as energy supply.
It is important to understand what AI cannot do today: It cannot understand and it cannot feel. Understanding is the basis for complex storylines and responsible action. Feelings are the quintessence for awareness and evaluation.
Understanding is the upcoming big leap in AI that will be truly revolutionary. Emotions are a “Hard Problem”, as science says, and simulation especially for evaluation seems possible to me, pure emotions like animals and we humans produce will probably not be feasible with silicon-based machines.
AI offers many opportunities for companies? Where do you see the main ones?
The honest answer would be everywhere. Of course, there are priorities that derive primarily from the company’s business. Here, I basically classify into two types of business models that have different AI relevance. One is for companies that produce a physical product and those that offer services. In the case of service companies, the major AI potentials are found in portfolio optimisation and in the customer journey, plus the usual efficiency gains in the operating model. For manufacturers of physical products, the greatest AI potential often lies in the product itself, for example in the autonomous vehicle, but of course in every other product. I can’t imagine any product or infrastructure part that will remain stupid.
In the business case of AI solutions, we very quickly talk about 100s to 1000s of % ROI per use case. No other IT investment can come close to offering such a high ROI!
If we look at the individual industries, the greatest potential is clearly in the medical field. Humans are super-complex physiological systems and all new diagnostics and therapies will require massive use of AI. Tools like CRISPR and gene therapies depend on AI. Healthy human longevity will not be possible without AI.
That is why AI as the 4th factor of production is also the most powerful and the fourth industrial revolution in my eyes is the AI revolution.
What areas of application do you see in concrete terms? And what requirements does a company have to meet in order to implement AI in a meaningful way?
Apart from the intelligent products I just mentioned, I see very easy productivity potential in production and quality optimisation. It is astonishing that more than 90% of the AI potential has not yet been captured.
Logistics in general is a single potential. It is astonishing that the logistics experts themselves think there is little potential. I could see for myself that the old simplex thinking blocks are a big problem here. Everyone can think for themselves whether the service we get from airlines, railways, ships and especially road transport is already optimised, or whether an incredible amount of inefficiency is the order of the day here.
In the area of information security, one can rely on intelligent ICS and compliance systems or AI cyber defence. If you look at the area of service, customer service optimisation is predestined for the use of AI. In addition, AI should of course be used in all operational decision-making processes to maximise ROI. Predictions or pattern recognition without automated decision and action are less than a tenth of the rent of AI projects.
In order to use AI effectively in the company, an AI strategy is needed, and the best way to develop one is to understand and describe the company as a cybernetic system. Then you not only recognise the AI potentials, but also understand how they must be connected.
Once you have the AI strategy, you can derive the individual initiatives and projects from it, prioritise them and implement them. Everything is connected in AI.
Where do you think many companies stand today? What are the next stages of development?
After almost 10 years, many companies are still in the process of developing many individual, small separate use cases. There are now many data lakes, but the yield is very low because there is a very heterogeneous understanding and acceptance of AI in the individual company divisions. The individual AI solutions float detached as islands from each other in the data lake. The island existence of AI is even worse than the silo existence of classic IT!
Last but not least, there is also a lack of user acceptance in the company itself, more than with customers or partners, which in turn is due to the lack of or very heterogeneous understanding of AI and diffuse job fears, which in turn stem from a lack of understanding about AI even in the company management. There is hardly anyone who can give conclusive answers in the field of AI and communicate AI strategies consistently.
And that brings us to the lack of AI governance in companies. This lack then inhibits data generation and integration. Knowledge is power and sharing data is often perceived as a personal loss of control for managers.
Another hurdle is a gap in understanding between IT and business or data science. In addition, the IT that takes over the realisation of AI in companies today is trimmed to operational efficiency and not to innovation. Bridging these gaps is an important task for IT consultants.
You spoke of the company as a cybernetic system? Where and how do people still have a place in this world?
In the medium term, I see a very fruitful collaboration between humans and AI systems emerging, in which humans find their role as teachers and AIs as apprentices. The main task of humans in the medium term will be to constantly train, optimise, monitor and coach AI. The development from High to Low and No Code shows us this path.
We will no longer need programmers, but simply experts who will guide the AIs naturally, via natural human communication.
We will also have many intelligent systems that have different strengths. Even the weaker ones will be able to learn from humans. This means that the human and the machine will work together very closely. The machine will not replace the human being, but the human being will change his role. Every human being is by nature a teacher, coach and supervisor, because humans, like most animals, are programmed to develop learning natural systems themselves – their children. It is the task of AI specialists to recognise this and to develop AI systems in this direction, as delta learners.
A lot of energy is spent on making the systems humanoid. But this is contrary to human sensibilities. We feel more comfortable when we recognise who we are dealing with than when we are obviously and even badly deceived.
Our pets don’t have to look like us for us to accept and love them. We are capable of personalising and loving things – hence the term car lover. The human brain is so powerful that it personalises AI systems on its own without being presented with a bad homunculus- that seems rather creepy to us!
Back to the topic of AI governance. What are its tasks?
AI governance has the task of being able to realise the great potentials of AI while at least minimising negative effects. What is often misunderstood is that AI governance has a limiting function. AI governance must be a balanced framework that enables the maximum potential of AI to be realised and negative impacts to be minimised and mitigated. It has an educational function for all stakeholders. AI governance thus accelerates the development of AI in the company, as it provides security for all stakeholders. At the same time, it should be part of the corporate social responsibility of every company and thus form the basis for a responsible approach to AI.
AI is not going away and there will be no more AI winter. Instead of keeping the topic nebulous, it should be described openly and realistically and AI governance should be equally clear and open. Then fears become knowledge and understanding and that in turn becomes solutions for the future.
AI is the 4th and most powerful factor of production and we are only just beginning to even recognise what potential we have.
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Hire an external Scrum Master?
Why it is a good decision for your project
Have you trained your staff and introduced agile ways of working? As a next step, it may be wise to hire an external Scrum Master to get your project on track and further empower your staff until this role can be taken over by an internal employee. After all, an experienced Scrum Master supports you and your team in setting the right priorities, following the most effective work processes and ensuring the quality of the results.
What does a Scrum Master do?
A Scrum Master has a central role in the Scrum Team. Not only is he responsible for supporting the team in implementing Scrum processes, he is also responsible for ensuring that the team is working effectively and efficiently and that obstacles that may hinder the team’s progress are removed. Therefore, it is important that a good Scrum Master is an experienced and motivating team leader who is able to inspire and motivate the team to achieve the best result.
By hiring an external Scrum Master, you can ensure that you have an experienced and skilled leader who can lead your project to success. A Scrum Master can also help you improve your Scrum processes and motivate your team to achieve better results. With a Scrum Master on board, you can be sure that your project is in good hands and that you will achieve the best possible results.
Why should you hire an external Scrum Master?
When you are planning a project, it is often difficult to keep track of all aspects. An external Scrum Master can be a great support because he already has practical experience from different companies and projects. He or she can therefore be deployed immediately without having to be trained extensively. This way, you can ensure that communication between the team members runs smoothly from the beginning and that conflicts are solved from the start before they become a problem.
In addition, you are not tied to a specific timeframe as you would be with a permanent employee, but can decide for yourself how long you need the external support in order to possibly train an existing employee to the point where he or she can take over the role. This is not only easy on the budget, you also receive internal training in agile working through the knowledge transfer that takes place between the Scrum Master and the team members.
How do I choose the right Scrum Master?
Of course it is important that you find the right person for your team. A good Scrum Master should not only have a sound knowledge of Scrum, but also strong leadership skills and experience in working with teams. It is therefore advisable to take time to interview potential candidates and assess their skills and experience. Make sure that the Scrum Master can motivate and inspire your team to achieve the best possible result.
Also, make sure that the Scrum Master can work well with your team and your company. Good communication and a good understanding of the company culture are essential to ensure that the project is completed successfully.
What are the additional benefits of this solution?
It is often difficult to find the right person for the role of Scrum Master at the start of a project and many choose to hire an external Scrum Master: but why choose this option? Quite simply, an external Scrum Master brings a breath of fresh air to the project and can contribute to its successful completion with new ideas and perspectives.
In addition, an external Scrum Master often has extensive experience from various projects and can thus bring valuable tips and tricks. He or she can also act independently of internal structures and hierarchies and thus ensure more efficiency in the project. All in all, hiring an external Scrum Master offers many advantages and can be a wise decision for any project.
Conclusion
What is the bottom line of it all? If you have a project that you want to complete successfully, hiring an external Scrum Master is a wise decision. He has the knowledge and experience to lead your team and make sure everything runs smoothly. He can also help solve problems and make sure the project stays within budget and on schedule. This way, you can be sure that you will get the best out of your team and that your project will be completed successfully. So, what are you waiting for? Hire an external Scrum Master and make your project a success!
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Creating added value for companies, employees and customers
Think big: Why a vision is so important
Buzz words like digital or agile transformation are buzzing around in many heads. But why should companies deal with this and what does a shared vision have to do with this topic? The objective of both is to create added value for the company, the employees and the customers and to remain competitive in a world full of disruptions.
Advantages of a corporate vision
First, a brief clarification of terms: The vision describes a desirable state in the future to which employees can orient themselves. This so-called North Star shows where to a company would like to develop. At the same time, it serves as motivation and as a basis for decision-making for the entire organisation.
In its external presentation, the company distinguishes itself from its competitors through its vision of the future and can present how and for what it stands and works. However, it is crucial that the vision inspires and engages everyone. But how is it possible to develop such a rousing vision of the future for one’s own company or to sharpen an existing one?
Approach and methods
At the beginning, as with every process, there is an analysis of the current situation. In targeted interviews, employees at all levels have the opportunity to express their views. This approach offers the advantage that large parts of the staff are integrated and a more comprehensive picture of the company emerges.
In cross-hierarchical and -functional workshops, e.g. using the Walt Disney method, the six hats or the future workshop, the new image of the future can be developed together. The conscious use of creative methods opens up the space for new possibilities to leave the usual paths.
Because as Einstein already said:
“The definition of insanity is: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. “
Vision and agile transformation
But what does a vision have to do with agile transformation? By comparing the current state with the vision, it becomes clear what the company can already achieve in terms of existing working models, processes and culture and where the gaps are.
It thus forms the basis for initial ideas to plan the necessary measures for the agile transformation. In addition, a common goal can help to ensure that staff and management accept and want to help shape the changes that every agile transformation brings with it.
Objective agile transformation
One of the primary goals of agile transformation is to make a company more resilient and competitive. This is achieved by simplifying processes and organisational structures in agile organisations, allowing the space for rapid decision-making within the framework of self-organisation.
This also requires a new form of leadership that promotes and demands a high degree of teamwork and self-organisation. What is needed here is not only situational leadership, but the strong leadership form of leadership in which the supervisor shadows, supports and coaches the team. This in turn leads to an increase in the level of innovation and employee engagement as well as responsiveness to changes in the market or in customer needs.
Of course, this contributes greatly to customer satisfaction and thus secures the future of the company. However, it is clear that such a far-reaching change as the agile transformation must be well planned and accompanied in order to empower both management and employees to shape it and drive it forward.
Image of the future as a positive driver
So a clear vision brings many benefits, both in general and in terms of agile transformation. The biggest one, however, is that the focus on a common goal that everyone wants to achieve together bundles a lot of positive energy and decisions are supported by everyone. In this way, every company takes an important step towards a future that enables long-term success.
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Challenges in the digitalisation of administrative processes
E-government as a means to more economic growth
The digitalisation of administrative processes in the public sector received a boost during the Corona pandemic, but much remains to be done. Especially on the African continent, administrative hurdles are an important factor for the low economic growth in many countries. The digitalisation of administrative processes such as lending or publicly available online information on trustworthy companies are therefore often an important prerequisite for economic growth.
Involving administrative staff in development
More and more governments are therefore making efforts to digitise the public sector, partly with the help of the World Bank and other organisations. For this to succeed, some hurdles need to be considered. Since the ultimate goal is to improve service for citizens, it is necessary to involve both administrative staff and citizens in order to develop applications that convince everyone.
Especially with regard to the employees, it is important to convince them that the new solution will make their work easier and will not pose a threat to their jobs from the beginning. This means that they should already be involved in the requirements analysis. In order to identify their needs, it is often necessary to observe the existing processes on site in order to be able to map them digitally on the one hand and optimise them on the other.
In order to increase the acceptance of the new systems and to reduce possible resistance, it is important to think about a strategy in advance. Particularly intensive training after the system has been implemented, which focuses on the advantages for the users, can be an important factor in this.
Cooperation of systems between government entities
Other pitfalls for the digitalisation of administrative processes are the legal requirements for them. In order to be able to take them into account accordingly in a system, a precise analysis and knowledge of the laws is necessary. In addition, the areas that refer to laws must be easily adaptable in order to be able to update them quickly in case of changes.
Last but not least, either missing data or data distributed in monolithic systems pose a challenge. Making these easy to find through high-performance search functions, as well as migrating data so that all legal requirements continue to be met, requires a great deal of planning and understanding of administrative processes.
Another important success factor for the use of digital administrative systems is the exchange of data between systems of different government entities. On the one hand, this saves users from having to travel back and forth between authorities, and on the other hand, information is retrieved directly from its sources, which guarantees the accuracy, correctness and up-to-dateness of the data.
Technical and content know-how
All these are reasons why it is often difficult for governments to find the right partner for the implementation of their digitisation strategy, because companies rarely bring both the know-how for the development of such a complex system and the necessary knowledge regarding the specific requirements for the digitisation of administrative processes.
In conclusion, it can be said that experience is crucial in the implementation of e-government projects in order to avoid problems. Precise knowledge of the legal situation and the processes is also essential.
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Agile transformation in the banking environment
Challenges and solutions
Change is difficult for most people. However, the hurdles are often particularly high in very traditional companies and in the banking environment, even though the knowledge that a change towards digitalisation and agility is inevitable has become established in this sector. However, there are a number of things to consider when introducing agile working.
Stakeholder analysis and hands-on training
The most important thing is to identify and meet all stakeholders in a first step, for example in the form of a stakeholder analysis. In this way, they can be convinced of the necessity and feasibility despite the many regulations that exist in a banking environment. Because the agile transformation can only succeed if there is a willingness to change at all levels. This is especially true for the management level, where, as in many industries, a classic understanding of leadership still prevails.
For external consultants who accompany this change, it is therefore particularly important to create a basis of trust. This can be achieved through successful communication on the part of the consultants as well as practical training, in which not only the know-how but also the practical approach is conveyed and its advantages made clear. Intensive training in advance also results in a better understanding of agile work from the outset. Ultimately, however, it is the constantly improving results that provide the best arguments.
Coaching and team building support agile transformation
An important tool for supporting the agile transformation, especially in banks, is coaching, in which old thought patterns can be softened in order to increase acceptance for innovations. This is particularly important because prior knowledge on the topic of agility can vary greatly and individual employees therefore have different attitudes to it. Through group or individual coaching, consultants can also bring employees to a common level.
Since new teams are often created during agile working, team building measures are essential from the beginning to strengthen trust among each other on the one hand and to work together on the new working model on the other. Because agile working works differently in every company and should and must be shaped by the employees. This also means that solutions are developed by consultants together with the employees and the management.
Support from external experts in new roles
If management is involved in the process and also in the training sessions from the very beginning, the risk of a blocking attitude from this direction can be successfully prevented or at least minimised. Conflicts within the team or with the management can be recognised more quickly and can also be solved better.
In addition to good preparation of the team and management, it makes sense to bring in experience in the form of external support, for example as a Scrum Master, in order to introduce the necessary processes and empower the employees to shape the change themselves. Because every change needs time and support. What this looks like varies from case to case, of course.
In conclusion, it can be said that agile transformation can make a lot of sense in the banking environment, especially in IT applications. The prerequisite for this is that the special circumstances in the banking environment are taken into account and that the introduction of new working models and processes is prepared and accompanied accordingly.
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Complexity needs new solutions
Comparison Individual Software vs. Standard Software
Advantages of customised software: tailor-made solutions
Advantages for individual software can be found quickly: If, for example, a company decides to have a software solution developed, it adapts optimally to its own needs. Business processes remain unaffected by it because it takes them into account right from the start and can even help to improve them – just think of digitalisation. Moreover, it can be seamlessly integrated into existing systems and structures or, again, help to make them more transparent and faster, for example when monolithic structures are merged into one system.
If, despite all the forward-looking planning, adjustments and extensions are necessary if something changes in the size of the company or its range of services, these are possible at any time because there is direct contact with the manufacturer. This also becomes important when companies have to react quickly to changes in the market, which is becoming more and more important in times of rapid change and many global crises, such as the Corona pandemic or the Ukraine war. Last but not least, the look and functions can also be tailored exactly to the company’s wishes.
Disadvantages of individual software reassessed
But what about the disadvantages? At first glance, implementing new software seems like a lengthy process that many would like to bypass. But anyone who has dealt with and experienced the introduction and implementation of standard software knows how many snags there can be before the product achieves the desired result. Because “bought quickly” does not mean that the solution will also run quickly and the seemingly cheaper standard product will quickly become a permanent construction site.
IIf one is also a smaller customer, the interest in successful support is often not very great, whereas the developers of one’s own solution are available for problems and enquiries in one’s own interest alone. Moreover, a standard programme often does not cover all areas of a company, so that one has to deal with a wide variety of providers and maintain different systems, whereas with an individual software solution everything is in one hand.
Cost savings through precise planning and nearshoring
In fact, it is possible for the costs of custom software development to exceed the planned budget. However, a precise needs analysis and planning as well as strict budget monitoring can avoid a cost explosion from the very beginning. Further savings can be made by using a partner who has outsourced his software development to a nearshoring region. In addition, the balance sheet quickly looks different when comparing customised software with standard products, taking into account maintenance, software updates, licences, etc., which are often incurred with the latter.
Close cooperation with a company that specialises in the development of complex software solutions therefore also prevents misunderstandings about what the finished product must be able to do and achieve. This is also helped by the agile way software companies work, where developers can react quickly to changing requirements.
Conclusion: Individual software is the solution of choice in complex environments
In some cases it can certainly make sense to choose standard software. The question of the complexity of one’s own structures and processes, based on the Cynefin framework, helps with the decision. Especially in times of digitalisation, the challenges are rarely simple, so that the approach of a best-practice solution no longer applies. Because in a complex Vuca world, what counts are procedures and structures that can be adapted easily and quickly. A solution tailored to the needs of the customer, which has already dealt with the special challenges of the company during development, is far more helpful than one developed for standard cases. This is true even if experience from many industries has gone into it, as nothing is as unique as a company’s structure and culture.
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Nearshoring in Tunisia: Is it possible?
Six reservations reassessed
Many companies in Europe are now using nearshoring partners to outsource their software development or entire business processes due to the lack of skilled IT staff and high labour costs. The classic choice is Poland, Bulgaria or Ukraine. But locations such as Tunisia are also becoming increasingly important in this context. However, there are still reservations about non-European partners, which can easily be refuted, because nearshoring in Tunisia also offers many advantages.
Quality training and geographical proximity
Quality: In Tunisia, higher education is of high quality and absolutely comparable with Western European countries. 240,000 students graduate from higher education each year, of which 20,000 are engineers and scientists and 9,000 are information and communication technology graduates. Tunisia has more than 50 engineering schools that teach computer science, among other subjects. This guarantees high quality in the implementation of software projects.
Distance: Even though Tunisia is located on another continent, the time difference is a maximum of one hour in summer and a flight takes only a little more than two hours. Thus, in contrast to offshoring in countries like India, it is guaranteed that contact persons are available during European business hours to make arrangements or solve problems.
Multilingualism and stable infrastructure
Communication: Large parts of the Tunisian population speak fluent French, English is taught at school from grade 4 and there are certified as well as professional language institutions for the German language. In the technical professions, French and English can be assumed, and German and Italian are often added. The local distance can be bridged without problems thanks to digital means of communication, which have developed even further during the Corona pandemic. The good telecommunications infrastructure, in which Tunisia is a leader in the southern Mediterranean, also contributes to this.
Mentality: Without question, there are differences between the German and Tunisian mentality. However, companies like think tank Business Solutions now have decades of experience in implementing numerous projects with European partners. A German bridgehead consisting of product owners and IT consultants additionally guarantees that the cooperation with the customers runs smoothly.
Hands-on mentality and cost savings
Management: Managing a project is always challenging, especially when a hybrid, multinational team has to be managed. To ensure the smooth running of a project, an agile working model is a good choice, which has also become popular in Tunisia, especially in the development and implementation of software in companies like think tank. By having German colleagues manage the projects, it is ensured that the customer’s requirements are always in focus. The developers in Tunisia also have a “get the job done” mentality just like their colleagues in other countries and act in a goal-oriented manner.
The best of both worlds
Costs: Tunisia is also a very good alternative in terms of costs. The hourly rates for a Tunisian employee are attractive and competitive. Despite the good quality of the labour market, the average wage costs for a full-time employee, for example, are very low compared to Eastern European countries, making Tunis an attractive North African location for business process outsourcing. It should not be forgotten that with Tunisia we are in a politically stable area, whereas in the Eastern European area there have been tensions and uncertainties in recent times.
Overall, it can be said that Tunisia as a nearshoring partner is a good alternative to the classic Eastern European countries. In combination with a German bridgehead, which can act as a translator not only of culture but also of mentality if necessary, one is relying on the best of both worlds: Availability of skilled labour, cost savings and German know-how and quality.
Content:
Testing in Software Development
Mistakes and how to avoid them
Frequent arguments against extensive testing in software development are often that this is not necessary because a lot of value is placed on qualitative work in one’s own company. This would make it possible to save money on software tests. On closer inspection, however, it quickly becomes clear that both of these points can be refuted very quickly.
Consequences: Missing features and dissatisfied end-users
Because in the communication between the customer and the developer, misunderstandings can arise in the various steps, so that in the end the released application is missing features or cannot do what it should. In addition, the human factor cannot be neglected, i.e. people always make mistakes in their best work. Moreover, changes in an existing system can lead to malfunctions elsewhere, which only appear when an end user complains about them.
And this brings us to one of the consequences of companies trying to save on testing. Errors can lead to customer dissatisfaction and thus to a loss of image. In addition, bugs that occur after the release have to be fixed as quickly as possible. The developers are tied up during this time and cannot continue working on the development of new features, so that the further development of the project is delayed and thus costs money that should have been saved by testing.
Do's: Timely start and dedicated roles
All this makes it clear that testing is a necessary corrective in every software development. But what should you pay attention to in software testing and what should you avoid? It is important to create the test cases in good time, i.e. already when the user stories are created. In the best case, an independent test team is responsible for this, which is not too closely involved in the development, in order to exclude a certain operational blindness. The same applies to test execution. It is best if no one tests their own test cases, but always those created by someone else. In addition, this avoids a bottleneck being created by the product owner who has to approve the release and thus approve all test cases, which can lead to delays.
It is essential to ensure that the test cases are well developed. This means that the test cases are created on the basis of the user stories and, at best, all the steps listed there are covered. Testing should also begin immediately after the developer has implemented the user story in order to be able to meet the release date. Each test should also include a test report, in which exactly what worked and what did not work is recorded, in order to keep an overview of the errors in a development sprint. Automation of test cases for standard use cases, e.g. “I can download a text” or for errors that occur again and again, can be a great help.
Plan 20% of the project volume for software testing
Of course, testing should not be rampant; a test coverage of 95% negates all cost savings, as such a rate can only be achieved through intensive testing. 20% of the project volume is a good guideline to follow when introducing a testing procedure. However, it is pointless to try to save money by testing less, as this is not worthwhile due to the possible loss of image, the resources tied up in development for bug fixing and the associated time-delayed release of a downstream application.
Content:
Success through quality, budget control and time management
Communication decisive criterion
How did the idea of founding think tank Tunis (TTT) come about?
We, Lassaad, Mohamed, Hammouda and Yassine, already thought during our studies in Germany that we would like to give something back to our country, since Tunisia made it possible for us to study in Germany through a scholarship. We also wanted to stay up to date technologically. We also saw how much potential there is in our home country. The education is very good, there are many good graduates and engineers looking for work. That’s why the think tank was founded in Tunisia in 1998. We wanted to transfer the German model here, the discipline, the way of communicating, and since we also wanted to do projects in Germany, we then opened a location in Germany in 2002, which has since become the headquarters and bridgehead to Europe.
You work closely with the Munich office. How does the cooperation work?
We know each other very well, we have also worked together in Germany, so we had a personal level. In principle, it was just a continuation of the cooperation with a different local distribution. What was and is important to us is the mutual respect that characterises our cooperation. In addition, we implemented the same working model at both locations, because of course there are differences in mentality. Germany pays a lot of attention to processes, everyone has their defined tasks. We have adopted this here in Tunis in order to be able to deliver the proverbial German quality. Overall, we see ourselves as a German company with three important values: quality assurance as well as precise time management and strict adherence to the budget.
Decisive for a successful cooperation is, of course, communication and exchange among each other. In the past, we used to communicate a lot on a personal level; there were weekly meetings and frequent trips to Germany. I was present on site at least three to four times a year. In addition, there were and are regular coordination meetings at all levels, be it with the management or the sales team. We are also in constant exchange at the project level. For the daily exchange, we have our dailies to receive all information in time and to guarantee transparency. With time and the development of new technical possibilities, we conduct most meetings online. But still today there are regular visits of staff from Tunis to Germany and vice versa, as the personal level is simply hard to replace in the long run.
How has TTT developed since its founding?
In 1998 we started with one developer, then there were two. The number of employees has grown steadily. At first, we only hired developers. With the expansion of our range of services, it also became necessary to hire specialised staff, starting with product owners, scrum masters, DevOps developers and ending with sales and HR staff.
What do you see as the most important reasons for the successful growth?
The most important is, of course, quality. Then there is our flexibility and availability. We are able to react very quickly to our customers’ requirements. In addition, we have meanwhile built up a great deal of expertise in many areas such as e-government processes or also finance as well as automotive, so that we are not only an IT service provider, but can also contribute our specialist know-how. This allows us to offer everything from a single source, which is often very important, especially in the public sector. In addition, we have proven to be a very reliable partner.
What are TTT's greatest successes?
I am very proud of the well-known clients we have been serving very successfully for years. We are also proud of the fact that we have already won several tenders from African governments, such as the project in Madagascar, which makes it easier for investors to obtain loans. Our reputation is now so good that the Tunisian Trade Registry approached us after the new bidder, who actually won the tender, failed to implement it. We were then still able to complete the project successfully. Our office building, from which our logo is visible from afar as a trademark, is also very important to me as a visible sign of our growth and success.
What are the focal points of your work?
We want to focus on three levels. First, it is important for us to strengthen ourselves internally, to further consolidate structures so that cooperation continues to be successful. To this end, we want to optimise and adapt our processes even more so that we can continue to implement projects on time, with high quality and within budget in accordance with our goals. Our growth also makes it necessary for us to strengthen ourselves in terms of sales in order to build up an even larger sales pipeline. The third factor is that we always want to use the latest technologies, so we are constantly looking at and adapting our portfolio to meet the needs of our customers.
What do you value in your employees? What do you offer in return?
Of course, quality training is very important to us, but it should also be a human fit, they should live our values and be committed. People who are not ambitious will not get anywhere with us. Our employees should love their job, have fun and be passionate about their work and not just see it as a salary provider. In return, we offer a salary in line with the market and try to design the premises so that everyone enjoys coming and can work comfortably. We also offer quiet corners and other relaxation facilities. We try to do more than the standard in terms of team events and training. Our staff register their needs for these and we try to facilitate them when it fits our strategy. For example, there were English classes, as this is extremely important for communication with the Munich location. In principle, you can say that we always try to see the person in the employee.
