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Zaikio Interview with Managing Director Hubert Höger from Datamedia
Hubert Höger, Managing Director of Datamedia, answered Zaikio's questions and talked about the current project and also the goals with Zaikio.
Olga Baginski: I'm glad it worked out. Let's start with you introducing Datamedia and describing your role in the company.
Hubert Höger: With pleasure. In short, we are a manufacturer of RSK software. We have been developing software solutions for the graphic arts industry for 40 years. We are active as a consulting company for the graphic arts industry. We can look back on joint projects with the Verband Druck + Medien Bayern but also with the Verein der Schweizer Buchbindereibesitzer. We have developed the RSK software from the business management projects and from consulting.
About me - as managing partner of Datamedia, I am of course responsible for the overall operation. However, I also have special tasks - for example, the analysis of business and technical processes, which we then implement in software solutions. In concrete terms, it means "analysing processes and making software out of them". In this respect, advising our customers in the areas of operational organisation, especially process automation, is also part of my daily business.
Olga Baginski: Thank you very much! Let's go deeper into the solutions. What distinguishes your RSK software from that of other providers?
Hubert Höger: First of all, we have to describe the software itself. I see our comprehensive, horizontally and vertically expanded industry solution as an important differentiating feature. This means that we have solved a very wide range of individual, organisational tasks, starting with costing and the entire order management to electronic planning and, at the end, personnel time recording and wages. To my knowledge, no competitor offers this. Another distinguishing feature is the modular structure of the software. I notice this again and again in discussions with customers. Prospective customers don't want to buy everything in a block, but rather put together the solution as they need it. Especially when a higher-level ERP system is in use, they don't need the complete solution from us and can book the modules they need. We can set up our offer as leanly as the customer needs it.
In addition, there is a lot of industry know-how in the software. That's what I meant by the vertical solution approach. We go into depth with the individual modules in order to offer our customers a well thought-out solution and not just scratch the surface.
Olga Baginski: Can we say that you target printers of all sizes? Larger printers with an ERP system in place can add individual modules, while smaller printers can use the entire RSK software portfolio.
Hubert Höger: We do not have a specific focus target group. Of course we love the big ones, but we can also work very well with the medium and small ones. Size is therefore not the decisive factor. Our technology is so state of the art that it fully scales for smaller and larger businesses using the same technology. We always develop for large printers and test the functions with the big ones as well. This enables us to give the solutions the practical finishing touches. Afterwards it is very easy to develop a solution for smaller companies - we develop big and scale down.
Olga Baginski: What was the reason why you decided to integrate with Zaikio?
Hubert Höger: At the moment Zaikio primarily supports the procurement process of a printing company with Zaikio Procurement. For our customers it is clearly a reduction in processing costs by improving the ordering process through automation and information. And Zaikio, with its participating partners and information, is predestined to reduce processing costs - fewer telephone calls, less complicated ordering processes with media disruption - it's what you want. It fits our strategy to have an interface that we can use very well to connect to other systems. It was very easy for us to implement.
Olga Baginski: The integration of suppliers is particularly exciting for printers in the procurement use case. So far, we have already been able to win major brands in the German-speaking region, such as Antalis, Sappi and Metapaper. What do your customers think?
Hubert Höger: Of course, there are still some missing. Yesterday I spoke to a customer on the phone and he told me about the brands IGEPA and INAPA. There will certainly be other brands that are important. Manufacturers and suppliers outside the normal paper sector are also important for us - keyword corrugated board. We will also have to address that.
Olga Baginski: That is a good point. We are already working on bringing suppliers of other materials on board, in addition to other paper manufacturers. I guess we will be able to present many more by the end of the year. However, if printers are already expressing interest, what is your process for making it available to them as easily as possible?
Hubert Höger: We started the integration with Zaikio at the beginning of the year and currently Zaikio Procurement is part of the current version of our software (2021); all customers who use this can also work directly with it. We have to convince our older contract customers that they can update with us and thus also use Zaikio Procurement.
Olga Baginski: What other connections would you benefit from, across suppliers? I am aiming at Mission Control.
Hubert Höger: I see many application scenarios - first and foremost the exchange of product and process information in connection with other purchasing processes. By this I don't necessarily mean material. Printers and agencies also buy services from other colleagues, digital services - a complete prepress service, a complete CAD for a folding box design - these are all things that we naturally see exchanged between the various participants. Why shouldn't it be done directly via Zaikio? I have a lot of imagination there and am looking forward to the launch of Zaikio Mission Control.
Olga Baginski: What is the vision with Zaikio and what are your wishes for the future?
Hubert Höger: What do we wish for? First and foremost, "persevere"! The concept is very good and we have already called it Perfect Match - we are pursuing a similar vision. We wish that it will continue to go on so smoothly and with all its verve. We see the potential and see Mission Control as the next step - I don't know what else is coming. I would also like to see a close exchange with Zaikio and the whole market to actually help the industry. I am looking forward to the future.
Olga Baginski: I'm glad it worked out. Let's start with you introducing Datamedia and describing your role in the company.
Hubert Höger: With pleasure. In short, we are a manufacturer of RSK software. We have been developing software solutions for the graphic arts industry for 40 years. We are active as a consulting company for the graphic arts industry. We can look back on joint projects with the Verband Druck + Medien Bayern but also with the Verein der Schweizer Buchbindereibesitzer. We have developed the RSK software from the business management projects and from consulting.
About me - as managing partner of Datamedia, I am of course responsible for the overall operation. However, I also have special tasks - for example, the analysis of business and technical processes, which we then implement in software solutions. In concrete terms, it means "analysing processes and making software out of them". In this respect, advising our customers in the areas of operational organisation, especially process automation, is also part of my daily business.
Olga Baginski: Thank you very much! Let's go deeper into the solutions. What distinguishes your RSK software from that of other providers?
Hubert Höger: First of all, we have to describe the software itself. I see our comprehensive, horizontally and vertically expanded industry solution as an important differentiating feature. This means that we have solved a very wide range of individual, organisational tasks, starting with costing and the entire order management to electronic planning and, at the end, personnel time recording and wages. To my knowledge, no competitor offers this. Another distinguishing feature is the modular structure of the software. I notice this again and again in discussions with customers. Prospective customers don't want to buy everything in a block, but rather put together the solution as they need it. Especially when a higher-level ERP system is in use, they don't need the complete solution from us and can book the modules they need. We can set up our offer as leanly as the customer needs it.
In addition, there is a lot of industry know-how in the software. That's what I meant by the vertical solution approach. We go into depth with the individual modules in order to offer our customers a well thought-out solution and not just scratch the surface.
Olga Baginski: Can we say that you target printers of all sizes? Larger printers with an ERP system in place can add individual modules, while smaller printers can use the entire RSK software portfolio.
Hubert Höger: We do not have a specific focus target group. Of course we love the big ones, but we can also work very well with the medium and small ones. Size is therefore not the decisive factor. Our technology is so state of the art that it fully scales for smaller and larger businesses using the same technology. We always develop for large printers and test the functions with the big ones as well. This enables us to give the solutions the practical finishing touches. Afterwards it is very easy to develop a solution for smaller companies - we develop big and scale down.
Olga Baginski: What was the reason why you decided to integrate with Zaikio?
Hubert Höger: At the moment Zaikio primarily supports the procurement process of a printing company with Zaikio Procurement. For our customers it is clearly a reduction in processing costs by improving the ordering process through automation and information. And Zaikio, with its participating partners and information, is predestined to reduce processing costs - fewer telephone calls, less complicated ordering processes with media disruption - it's what you want. It fits our strategy to have an interface that we can use very well to connect to other systems. It was very easy for us to implement.
Olga Baginski: The integration of suppliers is particularly exciting for printers in the procurement use case. So far, we have already been able to win major brands in the German-speaking region, such as Antalis, Sappi and Metapaper. What do your customers think?
Hubert Höger: Of course, there are still some missing. Yesterday I spoke to a customer on the phone and he told me about the brands IGEPA and INAPA. There will certainly be other brands that are important. Manufacturers and suppliers outside the normal paper sector are also important for us - keyword corrugated board. We will also have to address that.
Olga Baginski: That is a good point. We are already working on bringing suppliers of other materials on board, in addition to other paper manufacturers. I guess we will be able to present many more by the end of the year. However, if printers are already expressing interest, what is your process for making it available to them as easily as possible?
Hubert Höger: We started the integration with Zaikio at the beginning of the year and currently Zaikio Procurement is part of the current version of our software (2021); all customers who use this can also work directly with it. We have to convince our older contract customers that they can update with us and thus also use Zaikio Procurement.
Olga Baginski: What other connections would you benefit from, across suppliers? I am aiming at Mission Control.
Hubert Höger: I see many application scenarios - first and foremost the exchange of product and process information in connection with other purchasing processes. By this I don't necessarily mean material. Printers and agencies also buy services from other colleagues, digital services - a complete prepress service, a complete CAD for a folding box design - these are all things that we naturally see exchanged between the various participants. Why shouldn't it be done directly via Zaikio? I have a lot of imagination there and am looking forward to the launch of Zaikio Mission Control.
Olga Baginski: What is the vision with Zaikio and what are your wishes for the future?
Hubert Höger: What do we wish for? First and foremost, "persevere"! The concept is very good and we have already called it Perfect Match - we are pursuing a similar vision. We wish that it will continue to go on so smoothly and with all its verve. We see the potential and see Mission Control as the next step - I don't know what else is coming. I would also like to see a close exchange with Zaikio and the whole market to actually help the industry. I am looking forward to the future.
in Interviews
on 4. August 2021
