“The management must stand behind it”

What are the biggest challenges in terms of digitalization?Roman Niederberger: One big challenge is being able to focus on the essentials.
The number of tools is enormous.
And how do I find the right one?
How can I position myself digitally in the best possible way?
This also means a lot of training for employees so that everyone can work with the tools properly.
If you’re still at the beginning of a digitalization project, it can scare some employees.
Will I lose my job?
Will I lose touch?
Balancing learning new things with day-to-day business and creativity is the biggest challenge.RN: We openly communicated from the outset that we were investing in digitalization.
This was also repeatedly mentioned at events and functions.
We showed where we wanted to go.
And, of course, it was also important that the management was fully behind the whole thing, they were on fire for it.
I’ve been involved for three years and you can always see how people are having more and more fun, learning new tricks and trying out new tools with enthusiasm.Mario Galvani: We’ve been working with an Apple-only infrastructure for over 15 years and have therefore always had problems with software providers.
Cloud solutions like smino solve this problem.
We have also equipped all our employees with iPads so that we can work flexibly and on the move. How do you cope with the variety of tools?
How did you find the right solutions?

MG: Early on, we thought about how we could work as digitally as possible and tested systems.
At the very beginning, we used Wonderlist intensively.
However, this was then bought up by Microsoft and rationalized away.
We then started looking for a new system again.
I would like to emphasize another important point: The IT infrastructure.
You can have the best tools, but if the basic infrastructure is not running, all the digitization initiatives are useless.
That’s why we’ve invested a lot in the network and IT. We often find that there are two types of business leaders: some join in with digitalization because they have to, because they feel they are missing out.
And then there are others for whom this is really important and who see an opportunity.
What was it like for you?

RN: Archbau approached me.
They saw the need for action.
And they saw the opportunities that digitalization brings.
At the moment, everyone is talking about Generation Z and how they work.
It’s clear that the further you go with digitalization, the easier it is to attract new employees.
This is becoming increasingly important in view of the shortage of skilled workers in our industry. What about the other generations?
Won’t they be put off by this?

RN: Admittedly, the inhibitions in these age groups were somewhat higher at the beginning.
Over time, however, the fears were reduced more and more.
Employees have been sensitized and taken on board.
It’s important not to simply introduce a new tool and assume that the employees can already use it because they already have 20 years of experience with PCs.
You have to train employees for every new tool.
Working methods have changed over the years and will continue to change significantly.
This is something you have to pass on to every employee. What were the most important lessons learned from the transformation overall?
This is important so that the employees also jump on board.
Then there is the question.
Do you have the internal know-how or not?
What is digitally possible today?
It’s relatively difficult because you’re always involved in day-to-day business.
In most cases, it’s an advantage if input comes from outside.
If you have someone who accompanies you on this path and who knows the technical possibilities to better map the process digitally. You also have to be aware that everything has to be done step by step.
You can’t change everything overnight.
That would completely overwhelm people. Then it’s important to keep training employees.
And when they get the hang of it at some point, they will use it on their own.
It has to have a certain added value.
It shouldn’t be a burden. What did you like about smino?MG: Right from the start, we liked the way it was set up, as well as the user-friendly interface structure.
We tested smino intensively and then realized over time that we could make a quantum leap in the way we work.
Internally, we have an extremely large number of processes related to tasks and responsibilities.
Every task is now immediately recorded in smino, assigned, scheduled and then correctly tracked and followed up. How did the introduction go?MG: smino has met with a very high level of acceptance.
We have a young team that is ready to work with such tools.
In the next step, we also told the tradesmen on the construction site that we wanted every employee to use smino.
We have made it mandatory and are really trying to involve everyone from the start and in our processes right through to cleaning.
Then the communication works.
And that’s the be-all and end-all. You then really have a consistent filing system and a consistent, traceable history of the project.
“You once told me that …” – that no longer exists.
The log is decisive.
It’s one of my favorite functions, which I really appreciate and which we now use consistently. Thank you very much for the interesting conversation! In a nutshell Digitalization offers companies many opportunities, but it also presents challenges.
One of the biggest challenges is selecting the right tools and training employees accordingly.
Fears and resistance must be overcome by sensitizing employees and getting them on board.
Management must support digitalization and it is helpful to bring in external expertise.
The transformation should take place gradually so as not to overburden employees.
It is important that digitalization offers added value and improves working methods.
The introduction of a tool such as smino can optimize workflows and facilitate communication if it is accepted and used consistently by employees.
Consistent documentation and tracking of tasks is crucial.
Overall, digitalization is an ongoing process that requires collaboration, training and a willingness to adapt. You can watch the whole webinar again here:To the webinar