Daniel Beringer

The COVID 19 pandemic, at the latest, has actually shown SMEs in particular the advantages that digital transformation can offer them. Nevertheless, according to a recent Bitkom survey, they still see themselves as laggards in the digitization of business processes. Yet it is precisely these that often contain the crucial information - where is the operation not yet running optimally, what can be improved, are there other target groups that they should focus on? Medium-sized companies not only need this data: above all, they must be able to use it in a target-oriented manner.

That's why the solution from Aparavi, a software provider for simple data management, convinced me and I was happy to accept the request from their EMEA CEO Gregor Bieler to become a member of their advisory board. In addition, Gregor and I have known each other for several years and have successfully worked together on one project or another in the past. Therefore, I did not have to think long about the invitation.

SMEs need a data offensive

As someone who has built up and managed a number of small and medium-sized companies myself and also has a corresponding family background, I know well what challenges medium-sized companies face, what values are important to them and how they approach their business. I want to contribute this knowledge as a member of the advisory board, because in my eyes Aparavi's software is particularly suitable for these companies. Their IT systems are generally not quite as complex as those of large corporations, so the hurdles to just getting started are lower. At the same time, the operational added value can be enormous and - we should always be aware of this - we need to handle data ethically and sensibly. Medium-sized businesses know that they are also challenged more than ever on this topic, and a simple, intuitive solution is of course ideal here.

Data also plays an important role in another area I know quite well: mergers and acquisitions. Anyone who acquires a company or merges with another will, of course, usually carry out due diligence before the transaction and therefore have some guarantee of what to expect. The details, however, only become apparent after the deal is closed, and that's when it's important to get an overview very quickly: what data exists where, is it still relevant at all or can it be deleted, and what does the DSGVO actually look like? Especially with large data sets, this process can cost a lot of time and money - that should be easier today and with Aparavi, that is exactly what is possible.

Cost efficiency ensures growth

Companies of all sizes should create more meaning and order in and with their data assets - this is the only way they can be successful in the long term. Therefore, I expect an exciting exchange with the other members of the Aparavi Advisory Board about how this is possible and what role Aparavi should play in this. Furthermore, I believe that with our networks we can support Aparavi, but also each other, and I am looking forward to the collaboration.