No limits for digitization

Mr. Rotter, you have been the new CEO of Itelligence AG since July 1. Congratulations on this new position.

Norbert Rotter: Yes, thank you very much. I am very much looking forward to continuing Itelligence AG's successful course in such an exciting and innovative IT environment.

Against the backdrop of the new opportunities that digitization and the IoT are creating for companies worldwide, you might think this is an easy task.

Is it?

Rotter: I expect tangible growth for the entire IT consulting industry and especially in the SAP environment. However, with our reputation as an SAP pioneer and midmarket specialist, we have a particular obligation to prepare companies for the wave of digitization, both as thought leaders and implementers.

The role of the consultants is becoming more and more demanding: We are increasingly complementing a more technically oriented SAP consulting with IT process and strategy consulting. This is the challenge for the entire company and for me personally.

How do you define digital transformation for Itelligence?

Rotter: There are hardly any technical hurdles or limits to digitization today, although that may serve as an excuse for some to put the issues off. The individual elements are there.

But the right composition still needs to be coordinated. User companies, like us as a consulting firm, must dovetail across departments and work areas, designate skills, and bring them together.

We need the right mix of employees and the courage to break new ground. The whole scenario sums up for me in this view: IT has now become a strategically essential factor in corporate growth and will be even more so in the future. IT is significantly changing business models.

How do SAP and Itelligence complement each other vis-à-vis the user?

Rotter: SAP shows that its developments really do open up new perspectives on corporate governance. At Sapphire in Orlando in May, one could once again see the possibilities of the "Board Room of the Future".

If you as a company really use these possibilities of SAP, you are really close to the principle of real-time control. Based on the latest technologies, current and historical data is available to you with a unified view of all business processes and relevant areas, for example during a board meeting.

This makes it possible to make well-founded decisions. I appreciate that very much.

How does the collaboration between Itelligence and SAP work?

Rotter: As the world's largest SAP midmarket consultancy, we focus and rely on close and multi-faceted collaboration with SAP. We have a team that always deals directly with SAP's new topics, and we sound out where we can also open up new topic areas with SAP.

And how specifically?

Rotter: For example, we set up one of the first productive Hana installations. The two Pinnacle Awards this year confirmed for me that this close cooperation is really worthwhile. We are making the transfer to put the technology into practice for user companies in the best possible way.

Does Itelligence work with other companies besides SAP?

Rotter: With its portfolio, SAP offers a comprehensive basis for IoT, Industry 4.0, cloud solutions and everything related to digital transformation.

S4/ Hana significantly reduces complexity. From this, we develop special solutions, for our customers. SAP is demonstrably successful with its expanded and technologically leading product range, and the new cloud products in particular are growing disproportionately strongly.

What are the next steps? What does Itelligence expect from SAP in the future?

Rotter: We see that SAP is consistently following the path and that Hana is becoming as open a platform as possible for digital processes. This will enable user companies to set up applications more and more easily in order to map, optimize or change their processes precisely.

And other topics?

Rotter: Application management services and cloud services will also continue to grow in the SAP environment. We are currently strengthening and expanding our offering in this area, as the acquisition of BIT.Group GmbH shows.

For Itelligence, BIT is a strategically important building block in the expansion of our SAP cloud and managed services.

What is your advice to the SAP community and your customers regarding a start and implementation of the digital transformation in general and Industry 4.0 and IoT in particular?

Rotter: Get started and rely on strong partners. You can't do everything on your own. Companies need to open up and use partner networks.