Networking the analogue and digital worlds: with #HandwerkDigitalKA about the digitalization of the skilled trades

Does a tablet help with tiling? Do carpenters celebrate topping-out ceremonies earlier with modern software? Many trade businesses still have some catching up to do when it comes to digitalization. Sometimes there is not enough time for the overdue modernization of internal communication structures, sometimes the right IT for the respective industry.

The broad-based study “Digitalization barometer for the building and finishing trades in Baden-Württemberg” revealed a key finding in this context: “The larger a business is, the higher the degree of digitalization. The significant technological structural change in the skilled trades is particularly affecting small, family-run skilled trades businesses that are about to hand over their business in the medium term or that can no longer afford to make the necessary investments in the future. This means that small businesses in particular need even more support and funding for the implementation of digitalization measures.”(Karlsruhe Chamber of Crafts)

The Karlsruhe Chamber of Crafts has recognized the problem and is working to sensitize and qualify craft businesses for possible applications, for example through its technology and innovation advisors or the “Craftsmen’s Digitalization Network (HND)” project. However, the first craft businesses in the Karlsruhe TechnologyRegion are also already setting a good example.

In the loose series #HandwerkDigitalKA, karlsruhe.digital presents such pioneers from Karlsruhe, the numerous possibilities for networking analogue trades and digital applications and Karlsruhe initiatives relating to digitalization in the trades. Today we start with the exemplary collaboration between the two Karlsruhe-based companies Leverkus and Interconnect.

Painting company sets a good example

Malerbetrieb Leverkus is a genuine traditional Karlsruhe company. Since it was founded in 1957 by master painter Harro Leverkus, it has been continuously expanded. Today, the family business has 15 employees and almost 3000 customers. The company focuses on an all-round renovation service, from clearing out to final cleaning, on sustainable materials and, for some time now, on digitalization. And for good reason, as digital processes have long formed the basis for every customer project. Digital applications are used in many areas, such as time recording or precise measurements. “We got to grips with the topic of digitalization early on,” explains Heiko Leverkus, Managing Director of Leverkus GmbH.

This makes the Karslruhe-based family business a pioneer in its field. This position is thanks to Heiko Leverkus, who has been instrumental in driving forward the digitalization of the company in recent years. He received support from the Karlsruhe-based IT service provider Interconnect. “There are really only winners in this kind of collaboration,” says Managing Director Wulf Vogel, as the time and costs for administration and maintenance are often too high for trade businesses. Thanks to the professional help of an IT service provider, companies receive tailor-made and secure IT applications to optimize their operational processes. This allows tradespeople to get back to their core business.

The skilled trades lack the time and expertise for digital transformation

The reasons for restructuring were also obvious to Heiko Leverkus. The IT had become outdated and was not suitable for mobile working. As a result, system maintenance was becoming increasingly time-consuming and there were also numerous security gaps. “The IT had been done on the side for years and was therefore not very satisfactory,” says Vogel, describing the scenario at the start of the project.

The first step was therefore to purchase notebooks for mobile working and install functional software for the management of a medium-sized company. Interconnect also set up a server for data processing and new security systems. The fact that the collaboration between the two Karlsruhe-based companies began shortly before the start of the coronavirus pandemic proved to be a stroke of luck in hindsight, says Vogel, “because it meant that important things could be done outside the office during the lockdowns.”

According to Vogel, the Leverkus painting company is no exception. “Many tradespeople simply don’t have the time to regularly update their IT alongside their daily work,” says the expert. Orders are often still received by hand and later entered into the computer, which takes a lot of time. There is also an acute need for action in goods management and warehouse logistics in many trade businesses.

Karlsruhe is a good place for networking between the two sectors

According to Vogel, the advantages of digital solutions clearly outweigh the effort involved. “You work much more efficiently and save time and money,” he says. Nevertheless, many tradespeople are still quite sceptical about the digitalization of their businesses. “IT is not a direct part of the value chain,” says Vogel. “And that’s why it’s often neglected.”

Interconnect now supports six craft businesses. “Karlsruhe is a good place for cooperation between the two sectors,” says Vogel. After all, there are a large number of IT companies in the TechnologyRegion and therefore a wealth of expertise on the doorstep. In addition, there are numerous funding programs and support offers, including from the Karlsruhe associations and chambers, which can be easily accessed by local companies.

We continue #HandwerkDigitalKA with a start-up from Karlsruhe. Difucon equips construction and trade companies for the future with digital processes.