3 Perspectives – 35th anniversary of Softway AG

Detlev Jagnow – founder of Softway and current member of the Supervisory Board

Mr. Jagnow, as one of the initiators of Softway, you know the beginnings of the company very well. Take us with you for a moment: How did the company come to be founded?

Before I took the step into self-employment, I worked for 15 years in the public sector at Berlin’s public transportation company (BVG). First as a programmer in the accounting department – later as head of this department. In my role as head of accounting in the IT department, I first became aware of SAP through a report in a trade magazine in 1979. The system presented, R/2 at the time, aroused my interest and I decided to travel to Walldorf to get to know SAP and its solution better. At that time, SAP employed just 30 people and Hasso Plattner, one of the founders of SAP, personally presented the R/2 system.

We subsequently used the R/2 system from SAP for accounting, materials management, cost accounting and the sales program. During my time at Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe, I often had the opportunity to discuss the system in person with Hasso Plattner and other SAP founders such as Dietmar Hopp and Hans-Werner Hector, and from this point onwards, the working methods and environment of SAP® had an increasingly personal impact on me.

After many successful years of service, I wanted to take the programs at BVG to a higher level together with my colleague Harry Schwabe. Unfortunately, this step was not seen by the management team at the time. This decision gave me the idea of becoming self-employed. Together with Harry Schwabe, I founded Softway GbR on October 3, 1988.

What happened next? Please tell us a few details about the first years of Softway GbR.

We received our first order from AEG Kabelwerke Mönchengladbach. At the time, we felt really good and were able to welcome some new employees to the company after just a short time. We continued to develop steadily and soon reached the limits of our capacity in our first office in Berlin. However, the search for new premises proved to be very difficult due to the rents in Berlin at the time. As my wife was born in Bamberg, we decided to relocate the company to Franconia. So we came to Hirschaid in 1993.

What was your vision in the early years of the company?

First of all, we pursued the vision of doing everything better than other employers. However, we quickly realized that this is unfortunately not as easy as it sounds. Over time, however, we developed an understanding of the work at Softway and how we interact with each other. From the outset, it was important to us that our employees were treated with respect and that their individual value was recognized and appreciated. We didn’t want our colleagues to be numbers or interchangeable employees. We wanted to establish the basic idea of a large family that can rely on each other and whose members are valued by every person in the team.

Looking back, I can now say that in 2023, 35 years after it was founded, Softway AG will still be managed by Josephine Reinhold and Frank Engert according to this basic idea. I am very happy about that!

Was there a phase in the company’s history that was particularly challenging?

There were. During the financial crisis in 2003, we at Softway also experienced less economic success and had to find a way to become profitable again. As the majority shareholder, I asked Stefan Veiland for help at the time. Together with Stefan as the new CEO and thanks to the extraordinary commitment of our employees, we succeeded in stabilizing Softway AG again.

Looking back, I would like to emphasize two things once again at this point: Firstly, no matter how big or important a company is, it will not survive without committed employees who enjoy working there and are committed to the company. Secondly, I would like to thank my wife Gabriele once again for always standing behind me 100 percent, especially during this challenging time, and for steering the company socially in the right direction. As the saying goes? Behind every successful man is a strong woman! Thank you Gabriele.

Which milestones in the development of Softway do you particularly remember?

There are some important points here, e.g. our first own property in Hirschaid, where our company headquarters are still located today, or the founding of Softway Aktiengesellschaft in 2000. Personally, however, the topic of knowledge transfer has always been important to me. That’s why the founding of our in-house Softway Training GmbH in 1999 is particularly memorable. As an official SAP® training partner, we were able to train people in the field of IT and pass on our knowledge. Over the years, we have been able to help many people gain a foothold in the IT sector. For me, this is simply a gratifying development that I have enjoyed following.

What else would you like to pass on to Softway AG?

I hope that the company will continue to follow the same path in terms of content and the good relationship between all colleagues. All employees should know that they are important and needed. I also think it is important that everyone continues to work towards the same goal and pull in the same direction.

Friedrich Saffer – Long-standing partner and current shareholder

Mr. Saffer, your history with Softway began in 1991, after the company changed its name from GbR to GmbH. What were your first years in the company like?

In 1991, we were a small but friendly group of enthusiastic IT specialists. Even then, there was a shortage of skilled workers in our industry. On the other hand, there was a high number of customer inquiries that could hardly be dealt with.

So we decided to take on lateral entrants and to provide adequate training ourselves. Anyone who showed an enthusiasm for computers and programming was given the unique opportunity to learn the ABAP programming language with us. My ingenious training program was refined with each subsequent round of recruitment and (I believe) crowned with exceptional success.

Our customers quickly realized that they could hire carefully selected, highly qualified and highly motivated ABAP developers for their projects. My own involvement during these years consequently led to an investment in the company.

Tell us a little more about the history of Softway Aktiengesellschaft. How did the company come about?

At the end of the last millennium, we began to unite the companies Softway GmbH and the two other companies that had been founded in the meantime, Softway Training GmbH and Softway Produkte GmbH, under the umbrella of Softway AG.

We wanted to continue our steady growth and strengthen our sense of unity. From my own experience, I was also particularly enthusiastic about the opportunity to involve employees in the company’s success in a simple way. Another objective was to establish a management structure. This involved distributing responsibilities, areas of responsibility and decision-making powers among several people.

What else would you like to pass on to Softway AG?

Above all, I wish Softway AG satisfied employees in the future. The well-being of the employees should always have priority 1! Success will then come of its own accord.

Ute Veiland – widow of Stefan Veiland (long-standing member of the Executive Board of Softway AG) and current shareholder

Mrs. Veiland, let’s take a look at your husband’s beginnings at Softway. How would you describe Mr. Veiland’s start at Softway?

Stefan started as a developer at Softway in 1998 and from then on was able to get to know the world of SAP, which was new to him. In his first years at Softway, Stefan worked on numerous customer projects worldwide and gained experience as a developer. In 2003, my husband took on more responsibility.

You mention your husband’s new role in the company. In 2003, Mr. Veiland took over responsibility for Softway AG as CEO. How did you experience this time?

At the time of his decision to become a member of the Management Board of Softway AG, the economic situation was quite tense. However, Stefan decided to take on the role of CEO because he wanted to help shape the management of the company and take on social responsibility, especially in these challenging times. Under Stefan’s leadership, Softway AG finally achieved a turnaround and was able to free itself from the economically threatening situation.

During Mr. Veiland’s time in office, Softway AG was able to develop further in many areas. What vision has your husband pursued since his appointment to the Management Board?

In order to survive on the market and increase the company’s value, Stefan realized that the company had to create something of its own that could be marketed accordingly. The company took this step with its own products such as SSP Forms or SSP MSC has also taken this step. At the same time, my husband was always keen to establish and maintain contacts with other companies. The logical consequence of this was, on the one hand, participation in events organized by the German-speaking SAP User Group (DSAG) and, on the other, the establishment of our own sales team.

We are still pursuing this vision today by participating in DSAG’s annual events. Some of your husband’s appearances as part of our partner presentations at various DSAG annual congresses are also legendary. For example, we like to think back to the “Liveschaltung zur ISS” 2018. Mr. Veiland was always up for a laugh. How would you describe his leadership style?

Stefan was characterized by his friendly and informal management style. It was important to him that all employees were always well – both professionally and personally. He always had an open ear for worries or other concerns and was always busy looking for solutions to problems.

For him, Softway AG was a big family that should be doing well. It was important to him not to be a strict boss, but to create an environment in which people felt comfortable and enjoyed working. Every colleague received the necessary respect from him and my husband always showed understanding for private or professional problems.

And if someone did move to another company, he made it clear that the door was always open for a return to Softway AG – as is usual with a family.

Thank you very much for this insight. What other advice would you give Softway AG?

I wish the company continued success and profits. The company should become better known in the world and acquire many new customers. At the same time, I hope that Softway AG maintains its path and its goals and continues to be like a family in which all employees feel at home and everyone – both professionally and privately, financially and in terms of health – is doing well. I am confident that all difficulties and stumbling blocks can be overcome. Finally, I wish Softway AG all the best for the future and that Stefan’s spirit lives on in his “baby” and will continue to do so.