SME DIGITALISATION
Digitalisation for SMEs — the IT side
Many mid-sized firms want to digitise and hear BAFA along the way. I take the technical side: understand what you need, set up systems and data so operations can work with them.
I do not advise on tax, funding law, or official rulings. Whether and how much is funded is decided by BAFA and your tax or specialist advisor. I prepare and implement the IT — nothing more.
Who this is for
For leadership, IT and operations in mid-sized firms who want to implement something concrete. Not for ready-made application templates, and not if you only need a signature on a funding form.
What I take on
A read of your systems, data paths and interfaces. Then delivery in stages: what has to run so digitalisation shows up in the day-to-day. Plus a record of what was built — as input for your own files, not as a ruling.
PRACTICE · ANONYMISED
From Excel lists to an interactive dashboard
- Situation
Production data lived in Excel lists — one per area, each structured slightly differently. Every analysis began with someone hunting down the right columns.
- Built
A language model read the tables and explained their structure: which column means what, where the areas differ. On that basis an interactive dashboard was built that reads the lists directly.
- Result
A dashboard in a short time, where filtering and comparing is one click — no new system, no months of lead time. The Excel lists stay; the work with them changes.
What I do not do
No promise that a project is eligible. No legal drafting of applications. No representation before the authority. No tax advice. If you already have specialist BAFA advice, I can deliver the IT side next to it.
How we start
A short call: starting point, goal, what is already there. Then a proposal for the IT work only — whether or not funding follows.
Questions plant managers ask
Do I need to have applied for funding already?
No. I start with the IT question: what should be running in the business at the end? Whether and how you get it funded is between you, BAFA and your advisor — my offer stands either way.
How small can such a project start?
Very small: one data source, one analysis, one group of users. An Excel stock that becomes a dashboard is a typical first step — visible benefit before anyone talks about larger systems.
Will I get documentation for my records?
Yes. I document what was built, which systems are involved and how the data flows. That is a technical description as a basis for your own records — not application text and no promise of eligibility.