Posts

Transparency & Planning Security: ERP Systems for SMEs

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Introducing digital technology into your own company is anything but trivial and poses a challenge for many companies. The introduction of an ERP system, i.e. a software solution for enterprise resource planning, requires a lot of preparatory work before the actual digitalisation of processes and workflows can begin.

But first: why an ERP system? An ERP system bundles real-time data from all departments in one system and thus provides a comprehensive overview. This makes it much easier to plan, control and monitor relevant business processes in a focussed manner. Trends and patterns in these processes and among stakeholders are recognised and potential problems are visualised at an early stage. This up-to-the-minute transparency across all areas of the company enables company managers to make the right decisions at the right time on the basis of solid data. Read more

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Sustainability Reporting

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Since 2024 at the latest, the topic of sustainability has been at the top of the agenda for many companies. The Corporate Social Responsibility Directive (CSRD) takes sustainability reporting to the next level and brings a significant expansion for companies. Since January 1, 2024, companies that are already subject to the Non-Financial Reporting Directive are required to report. In the next stage, CSRD will also apply to large corporations, and subsequently also to small and medium-sized enterprises with a capital market orientation.

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The Challenge of Company Succession: Successful Generational Change in SMEs

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According to a recent study by KfW Research, around 560,000 companies will be facing management and ownership succession by the end of 2026. However, a third of these companies are planning to leave the market without a successor. And this high figure is not surprising. Succession has become a major challenge in many medium-sized companies.

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THE MAK`ED TEAM: That’s us! Our Senior Consultant Eugen Feth

It’s the combination that makes the difference! Different skills, practical experience and solid expertise are the basis for our business. As diverse as our team is, our common basis is our affinity for medium-sized businesses and for the people who shape them.

Eugen Feth – Senior Consultant Digitalization

Change not Keep – Digital Transformation is today

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Compliance in SMEs – Achieving the Objectives Pragmatically

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A frequent experience in our customer projects is that our medium-sized customers react to the topic of compliance with the critical question: “And who is going to do that? Of course, a medium-sized company does not have the same resources as a group of companies, where a compliance department with several members deals with the topic. Nevertheless, the same legal framework conditions apply to SMEs and group companies.

Multiple crises, international interdependencies, challenging political developments. The risks for companies tend to increase.  The business world is increasingly difficult to assess, more dynamic and more complex. Compliance has become an important basis for SMEs to safeguard the company, protect it from potential risks and thus create a foundation for the long-term success of the company. Good compliance can protect the company in the best possible way and indicate emerging crises and problems at an early stage. For effective implementation of compliance management, it is particularly important in medium-sized companies to use resources wisely and to sensitise everyone in the company to the issue. All too often, compliance is still perceived as a secondary task and the risks that actually exist are massively underestimated.

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Promoting Progress: State Support for SMEs

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Public funding supports small and medium-sized enterprises in their development. But which funding programmes are suitable for your own company? And how can the right funding be identified, or several funding programmes be combined? Entrepreneurs who deal with this topic quickly realise that getting an overview and making the right choice for their own company is a task that cannot be accomplished in passing. Finding one’s way through the funding jungle is not always easy.

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Technology, Tools & Trends: New Ways in Sales

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E-commerce, customer relationship management, data analysis, chatbots: even today, sales without technology is unthinkable and digital developments are advancing in leaps and bounds. If sales is digitalised, routine activities are automated, processes are made more efficient and adapted to customer needs.  This can significantly improve the entire sales process from planning to execution and control. The new technologies can also support sales at all levels in finding, winning and retaining customers and ultimately increase turnover. Digitisation of sales offers great opportunities for medium-sized companies. Read more

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The Power of Online Reputation: How Rating Portals Influence SMEs

In recent years, rating portals have become increasingly important for a company’s image – especially as an employer. How employees, former employees and applicants have rated a company as an employer has become an indispensable source of information for potential applicants. The ratings can be submitted anonymously and free of charge and can be accessed worldwide and permanently. Rating portals thus create enormous market transparency and have a considerable influence on whether and how a company is perceived as an attractive employer. The ratings of one’s own company on the various online platforms have a strong signal effect in the environment of potential applicants and customers. Read more

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Gender Gap, Visions for the Future, Work-Life Balance: Women in Consulting

Bianca Selzer is a consultant at THE MAK`ED TEAM. With her focus on HR management, corporate learning and organisational development, she supports both smaller and larger medium-sized companies in their transformation processes. What are her experiences as a woman in the male-dominated consulting industry? Does she perceive inequalities and does she have a vision for the future of the role of women in consulting?

In an interview with consutling.de, she talks about her personal professional experiences as a woman in the consulting industry and provides exciting insights.

Click here for the interview … “In meinen Augen ist die Branche (noch) nicht sehr divers” | CONSULTING.de

 

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Digitalisation in Africa and the business opportunities for SMEs: Our guest article in the magazine “AfrikaContact”

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The African continent is in a constant economic upswing and digitisation is advancing in leaps and bounds. This can be a real springboard for small and medium-sized enterprises that are thinking about internationalising their business, further developing their international locations and expanding their networks. In our guest article, which appeared in the 1/2023 issue of the BVMW foreign trade magazine “AfrikaContact”, we discuss the various aspects, advantages and opportunities that Africa’s digital transformation offers German SMEs. Be it online trade, supply chain management or the qualification and further training of skilled workers – the conditions for SMEs have improved significantly in recent years and are better today than ever before. We are convinced that now is the right time for many SMEs pursuing internationalisation plans to look into Africa. Read more

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