AGOLUTION-internal Recap 2023: Groundbreaking Insights from
our ERP Projects, a Change
in Strategy, great Awards
and much more

Reflecting 2023: what was going on at AGOLUTION?

Since 2020, we have provided an overview of the new content from the past year in the form of a content recap. For 2023, there is now also an AGOLUTION-internal recap for the first time, offering a mix of new experiences, interesting insights, helpful learnings, trend-setting decisions, (major) changes, new ways of working, special highlights - and great prospects. 🤗

We have split our internal recap into three sections. The focus is on our ERP projects, as these projects still make up the majority of our operational activities. It is important for us to record learnings from the last few years in concrete findings so that we can use them to set our priorities even better in the coming year.

Then comes a topic that has shaped our entire way of working in 2023 and will continue to do so in the future: Remote First.

And finally, we take up another “backstage” topic that we were particularly pleased about and is therefore definitely worth mentioning here: we tell you about two awards that we received again last year. 🏆

Our ERP Projects in 2023: three valuable Insights that help us focus even better

What peculiarities were there in our ERP projects in 2023 and what helpful insights did we gain from them?

In this context, we have listed the three most important findings. All three were already apparent in the previous year, in some cases even in the previous years. However, these points have once again crystallized very strongly, especially in 2023, and our impression has solidified.

1st Insight: 100% Cloud Projects - 0% On-premises ERP Projects

Although Microsoft is now completely aligning its business solutions to cloud/SaaS, the group has still given its customers the choice between cloud/SaaS and on-premises in 2023. With regard to Dynamics 365 Business Central, this means that Microsoft will continue to allow customers to purchase licenses for Business Central (BC) and operate BC themselves in their own server rooms.

What is interesting: although our customers had the choice between on-premises and cloud/SaaS, they all opted for the cloud ☁️ - we only implemented the ERP solution Business Central as a SaaS variant in 2023. And thus did not have a single on-premises project last year!

We assume, that this is a clear sign that companies see the advantages of Business Central in the cloud/SaaS world.

Furthermore, this development makes it clear that German SMEs also rely on the Microsoft cloud for such sensitive data as that in an ERP system. This even applies to KRITIS enterprises. These are companies that are of importance to the state. If they are unable to work or are unable to work properly, this can cause lasting supply bottlenecks or significant disruption to public safety. The fact that such companies rely on the cloud underlines the high level of trust.

Conclusion: the Software as a Service (SaaS) model was therefore clearly not just a brief trend!

What Customers love about the Cloud 💙

2nd Insight: Power BI is always Part of the ERP Project

Power BI is now an essential component when it comes to our ERP projects: almost every ERP project now includes a Power BI project.

In the past, it was common practice to create all data evaluations in Business Central and, if necessary, to implement them via extensive programming. Nowadays, the majority of companies that use Business Central use BC’s standard on-board tools - and at the latest when they realize that these are not sufficient, Power BI comes into play.

We strongly believe that Power BI will play an even more important role in 2024. This assessment is also supported by the classification of Power BI as a leading BI solution by the IT research and consulting company Gartner. Microsoft occupies a leading wolf position with Power BI 🐺 - ahead of other global players such as Google and Salesforce.

Conclusion: Power BI is now an integral part of our portfolio and is becoming increasingly important when it comes to our projects.

3rd Insight: ERP Projects are becoming increasingly “human”

AI is currently a big topic - both in the media and in everyday (professional) life. But even though artificial intelligence (AI) is all about the opposite of human 😉, it has become increasingly clear in ERP projects over the last few years how important it is to pay a great deal of attention to the human side. In order to push project success even more strongly and ensure it in the long term, it is now necessary to take this side into account.

Focusing solely on technology and business processes is no longer enough to achieve the desired results. It has become increasingly clear that the success of an ERP project depends heavily on the support, training and cooperation of the people in the company.

The 5 Roles in Change Management: How to guide
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For this reason, we have also included Change Management, which deals with precisely this topic, in our portfolio and also provide our customers with advice and support in this aspect. We employ certified Prosci change practitioners who have specialized knowledge and can apply the tool Prosci in practice.

Our forecast: in 2024, the human aspect of the ERP project will have to be given even greater consideration in order to ensure the long-term success of the project.

Outlook for ERP Projects in 2024

All three insights will play a key role for us in 2024 and the respective content will most likely play an even greater role.

Business Central is constantly growing and evolving. The solution is one of the fastest growing products in the entire Microsoft organization. This includes the number of companies worldwide using BC, the number of users, the number of extensions available, and so on. We want to keep pace with this development, because we also want to continually develop and pick up on new trends.

In 2024, we will also be dealing with some AI topics, such as Microsoft Copilot functions, which are gradually finding their way into Microsoft products. We are excited to see what AI functions will be available for Business Central in the future!

Your ERP Solution: Is it a Brake or
a Life Preserver?

Backstage: Remote First since January 2023

In addition to all our ERP projects, a very large internal project has also been running in the background, which has meant many changes in the way we work. In January 2023, we established the remote first strategy. This means that more than a year of remote work is now behind us.

What changes has Remote First brought with it?

• We have given up half of the office rental space.
• We have converted the former office into an internal co-working space, which is available for our team to work in at any time alongside the home office.
• 99% of meetings/coordination take place via teams.
• Our asynchronous working method has been supported, as Remote First offers even better framework conditions for this.

As part of this internal change project, we have been using the proven Prosci® methods (in particular the Prosci® ADKAR model) right from the start. This means that we carry out regular assessments of the change process within the team. The focus here is on aspects such as awareness, desires and knowledge and skills with regard to the change. From the evaluation of the results, it is clear that the team accepts the Remote First approach well.

Why did we take this step?

To answer this question, let’s look back a few years. When the coronavirus pandemic hit in 2020, the entire AGOLUTION team was forced to move to the home office. This was very unfamiliar at first and took some time to get used to. In the end, however, the whole thing worked very well.

It was then noticeable that even after this challenging time was over, more and more workplaces in our office remained free because a large part of the team wanted to continue working from home - for a variety of reasons.

This internal development confirmed the trend towards remote work in the world of work and was one of the reasons why we established the Remote First approach at the beginning of 2023 - since then, the home office has been the standard place of work for all of us. We have now given up half of our office space, which had previously been spread over two floors.

Remote First: Benefits for the entire Company

These aspects help AGOLUTION and ultimately each and every one of us. 😊

USP on the Market

Our digital way of working can set us apart from other companies with a similar service portfolio. It can be a decision criterion for potential customers to work with AGOLUTION as a partner who supports them in their own digitalization. Because they see that AGOLUTION knows how it works.

Role Model for our Customers

As a digital company, we can also be a role model for our customers and show them how to work efficiently digitally, thus motivating them to work more digitally too. As we have a whole range of virtual locations and are very familiar with all of these locations, we are in a position to also optimally guide our customers on their digitalization journey.

Positioning on the Job Market as a Digital Company

It is not only with regard to our (potential) customers that it is an advantage that we are digitally positioned - also when it comes to recruiting new team members. We have the opportunity to address additional target groups who feel particularly drawn to the Remote First approach as they are explicitly looking for a remote job.

Access to a broader Labor Market

When recruiting, we are no longer limited to applicants who live near Muenster, but can approach people throughout Germany (or even internationally). The Remote First approach is therefore our ticket to an expanded talent pool.

Company Growth made easier

It is easier to integrate new colleagues into the company as we are not restricted to one location with a limited number of workstations. And there are virtually no limits to the growth of the team.

Centralized Access to Data and Documents

All important information is digitally available to the team at all times - regardless of where they are. Cloud services ☁️ and the use of technology platforms, which enable seamless integration of solutions, help us to achieve this.

Supporting Diversity and Inclusion

With Remote First, we can give people with the most diverse life situations a chance to become part of AGOLUTION. This results in a more diverse team where team members can learn from each other and inspire, complement and support each other.

Contribution to Sustainability due to lower carbon dioxide Emissions

By traveling fewer distances by car overall (journeys to and from the office), we reduce the ecological footprint 👣 of AGOLUTION - and of course each employee also does something for their personal carbon footprint. By the way, did you know that cloud use can also help to reduce carbon dioxide emissions?

Greater Crisis Resilience

And ultimately, a company that is set up remotely is usually not as susceptible to crises, for example, even during a pandemic (e.g. corona) it is possible to work “normally”.

Success Factors of Remote First: only with the Help of Digitalization

The success of the Remote First approach depends on the effective use of digital tools and clear communication guidelines. Our processes had already been almost paperless for several years - with our Remote First approach, we are now even more digital, although not 100% - unfortunately, the plants in the co-working space cannot yet be watered digitally. 😉

The changeover required the digitalization of processes that had not previously been digital, with a particular focus on the digitalization of document management.

The use of cloud services is often helpful for collaborating on projects. This year, for example, we also placed our own Business Central installation in Microsoft’s cloud.

It also makes sense to rely on technology platforms that integrate various services. At AGOLUTION, we use the Microsoft platform, the Microsoft 365 solutions such as Teams and Outlook as well as many other tools that can be seamlessly integrated.

Digital Transformation Why it's not enough
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Another basic requirement for a successful remote concept is that a stable internet connection is available at all workstations. It must also be ensured that data protection guidelines are observed (regular training) and that data security is guaranteed at all times.

In Figures: our Conclusion after one Year of Remote First

Renewed Awards: kununu Top Company 2024 and CrefoZert 2023/2024

We are proud and delighted to have been recognized as a Top Company by kununu for several years in a row and to have received the CrefoZert from Creditreform. Of course, we would like to build on this again this year.

kununu Top Company 2024

Every year, kununu awards the “Top Company” award to particularly popular employers. Only around 5% of the companies listed on kununu can meet the required criteria - which makes us all the prouder! 😊 Receiving the Top Company Award shows us that we are valued as an employer.

Top Company since 2022 AGOLUTION
continues to
be one of the 5 % most
popular Companies on kununu

CrefoZert 2023/24

Creditreform has also awarded us the “CrefoZert” for 2023/24. This means that our excellent credit rating has been officially confirmed for the fifth year in a row. We are also aiming to secure the award for the coming year.

We are grateful ❤

In today’s fast-paced world, it only takes a few clicks to find a new IT vendor and a new employer. We are therefore very grateful for the trust that our customers and our team (some of whom have been with us for many years) have placed in us.

Outlook for 2024

Not too much can be revealed at this point, just this: we are excited to see what 2024 has for us. In any case, there is no question that we want to continue to develop and grow in every respect. Because one thing is certain: we are open to new things and look forward to exciting challenges.