How long have you been an IFS partner?
We have been an official IFS partner here in Austria since 2012. But we have been working with many of our customers in German-speaking countries for even longer. Our shared history with IFS goes back to the early 2000s and we have been supporting companies in Austria, Germany and Switzerland ever since.
Why did you decide to work with IFS?
As long-standing ERP specialists, we were impressed by IFS' deep understanding of the industry and functionality. Primarily it was the focus on manufacturing and project management processes, but also the ability to transcend standard functions in several key industries.
What motivates you to continue managing Kreuzbauer IT GmbH?
I have grown into my role as the new Managing Director of Kreuzbauer IT GmbH. As a career changer, I have gradually built up technical expertise and business knowledge. My father, who founded the company, gave me a lot of support. What sets Kreuzbauer IT apart today is not only its technical expertise, but also the long-standing customer relationships that characterise our organic growth. Our team is not only outstanding in its expertise, but has also grown together closely over the years. We are known for taking on difficult technical tasks and solving them successfully - throughout the DACH region.
When it comes to customer relationships: What would your perfect customer look like?
Good question. We are looking for long-term customer relationships in which we can work together as equals. As we offer a stable, complete and unlimited solution package, we need to be a strong partner for our customers.
These would be companies with headquarters close to the Alps, such as Austria and Germany, whose activities are centred on production. These could be companies that focus on project-based manufacturing, such as Engineer to Order or Configure to Order, but also project-based services in general. You see, the more complex a company's processes are, the better positioned they are to take full advantage of IFS functionality.
Or, to put it more concisely: Our ideal customer is a demanding customer.
In which countries do you operate?
Of course in Austria, that's where we were founded after all, but now we are mainly active in most parts of the DACH region and in countries close to the Alps. The most important thing is that we want to support the growth of our customers and expand with them.
Do you think there are some aspects that make Kreuzbauer unique?
Of course! I think one key aspect is that we take care of our customers and let them know it. As I mentioned earlier, we see ourselves more as a long-term partner and not ‘just a service provider’.
We have built up an appropriate skillset in our team over many years to fulfil this end-to-end customer focus. Even though we have a long history in the ERP market, we are not stuck in the past. We continuously innovate to meet the growing needs of our customers and ensure that they realise lasting value outside of their IFS environment.
Customer-orientation is the central focus of everything we do: This means that we proactively and strategically address their needs. Our customers can therefore rest assured that they have a partner who not only takes care of their current requirements, but also thinks about their future needs.
Our technical reputation in the DACH region speaks for itself: we were the first partner to implement the IFS Cloud in Germany and are recognised as the established technical specialists.
How would you describe your company's values and how do they align with IFS?
We put our customers at the centre of our business and IFS has the same approach with its customers. The feedback we get is that we are an easy partner to work with and open to any project. I think the combination of sincere behaviour, professionalism and experience makes us what we are.
By utilising the collaborative power of the IFS partner network and the IFS community, I think we, like other IFS partners, have a slight advantage over other vendors in the market.
Our people are our greatest asset. We attach great importance to the development and cohesion of our team. At the same time, we are constantly developing our expertise and expanding our business, particularly through the excellent solutions from IFS in the area of service management.
What are Kreuzbauer's strategic approaches? What is your goal?
We focus on the technical rather than the functional side of IFS Cloud. Our range of services covers everything that companies need to implement and operate a customised ERP system based on IFS Cloud. And this requires more than just excellent technical skills for programming, implementation, release upgrades and migration. Thanks to our experienced specialists, who quickly grasp specific situations, we offer solutions that are precisely tailored to our customers' needs. A recent example of this is our collaboration with Pagero, a provider of cloud-based networks for business processes and transactions, which enables us to offer agile integrations for IFS customers.
What have been your biggest successes since joining the IFS Partner Network?
There have been many successes over the years, but our greatest success lies in the trust our customers have placed in us and the mutual appreciation of getting things done together. We were the first partner to successfully implement the IFS Cloud in Germany, which makes us pioneers in this area.
Personal goals
My goal as Managing Director is to retain and continuously develop our employees. At the same time, I want to ensure that we continue to grow organically and sustainably. This also includes expanding into other core areas such as Enterprise Service Management (ESM), Professional Services Automation (PSO), Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) and Industrial AI. The focus will remain on our customers, our team and the future of Kreuzbauer IT GmbH.