Two introductory presentations provided a basis for a long evening of discussions. Ashant Chalasani presented the Indo-German Software Competence Network (Indescon), located in Stuttgart, and discussed developments in Indo-German business relationships. Peter Forscht, COO of the internationally operating ABAS Software AG, spoke about the growth of the ERP provider in countries outside of Germany and about the foundations for the successful cooperation it has had with India since 2007.
The philosophy of the abas network: Independence, cooperation, responsibility
The guests from India showed great interest in the philosophy ABAS uses to expand its partner network worldwide. The Karlsruhe company does not run any distribution centers on its own. The worldwide network of abas partners independently distribute the software, install it for customers, and take on responsibility for the projects. “We want our partners to have fun with their work. The profit that they earn belongs to them. That is the best guarantee for success,” concludes Forscht.
ABAS Software AG develops the abas Business Software (ERP, PPS, WWS, eBusiness) and supports its partners through sales training and continued training in the software, second level support, marketing measures and accompanies them during their first few projects. For their part, the partners must participate in certification training courses from the company every year. This guarantees that all partners are equally well-informed about the software.
The local partners in the various countries understand their customers’ needs better on site than the abas headquarters could do from Karlsruhe, Germany. ABAS has grown to include partners in 32 countries which each have their own cultural and legal particularities.
Another advantage is that the partners are actually more demanding than abas’s own sales department when it comes to their customers’ requests. This may not always be convenient for the developers, but it is very effective for the continued development of the abas Business Software.”
ABAS in India
ABAS Software AG is represented by its Indian partners in the cities of Mumbai and Chennai. It is a big country and the economy has reached a point in its development where ERP systems are a very important topic. Therefore, ABAS is searching for further partnership opportunities in India. While around 85 percent of midsize companies in Germany use ERP software, in India the amount is only five percent. “Many Indian companies previously believed that they could save money by using an ERP system they developed themselves.” In the meantime many have recognized the advantages of software which has benefited from many years of experience and which is continuously being upgraded and expanded. Indian users therefore also benefit from developments originating from project experience from other countries,” explains Forscht.
Network meeting shortly after the CeBIT 2009 trade fair
The meeting was consciously planned two days after the end of the CeBIT 2009 trade fair so that the Indian IT providers could visit the network meeting in Karlsruhe as part of their trip to the trade fair. The event was organized by Ashant Chalasani of Indescon, Michael Kurth of the Carl Benz School of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), and Ralf Eichhorn of the Indo-German Network and the Economic Development Department of Karlsruhe. The following people also participated in a round table discussion: Dr. Orestis Terzidis – SAP Research, David Hermann – CyberForum, Frank Pflugfelder – Karlsruher Messe und Kongress GmbH, Catherine Ledig – ADEC France.
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