GFAD Systemhaus AG, based in Berlin-Moabit, specialises in the development, supply and maintenance of IT systems for the property sector. Mr Frank Conerus, Software Support Team Leader at GFAD, will speak about the experience gained to date with the software solutions provided by hsp GmbH.
The interview in full
The interview is conducted by hsp with Frank Conerus.
What were your expectations regarding the OEM partnership with hsp GmbH?
Our expectations regarding the OEM partnership with hsp centred on retaining existing customers in particular and ensuring that they derive significant added value from Apira’s Controlling products – formerly known as speed4cell – and Opti.Tax, which we, as Apiras, Electronic balance sheet have labelled.
What has been your experience with Opti.Tax and speed4cell, both as OEM products?
The experience has been very positive. With Opti.Tax, we were able to generate an e-balance sheet from our existing financial accounting system. With speed4cell, we can now also provide our clients with a comprehensive management accounting tool. This has been very well received.
What was the feedback from your customers and partners in terms of satisfaction and usability?
Our customers were extremely satisfied because they were able to make full use of the programme after only a very short training period. Support requirements are also minimal, so this decision really was a great success.
In which sectors or business areas do you and your customers use Opti.Tax and speed4cell?
We operate primarily in the property sector. As a result, we have large housing co-operatives that use these products. However, smaller and medium-sized property management firms with between 500 and 1,000 residential units are also, so to speak, using these two products.
The support experience is also very positive, as every enquiry is handled via a ticketing system. You receive a reply very, very quickly. If this reply is not sufficient, the support team will even remotely access the customer’s computer, enabling them to find a solution for the customer very quickly. Updates can also be installed virtually automatically via a shortcut – a button in the ribbon bar of the speed4cell product – so that it requires no effort on the customer’s part either.
Did the software solution meet your expectations, and would you recommend it to others?
Yes, expectations have certainly been met – and even exceeded – because we first got to know the speed4cell product at a certain stage, and when you consider how much it has evolved in such a short space of time. And as I’ve just heard from Mr Liese, it will continue to develop over the coming weeks and months, so that we can continue to keep even our largest customers well up to date with it.
What additional features would you like to see in future?
I would like to see a connection to the SQL database for the speed4cell application, as several customers have already asked for this. However, I have also heard that this is already in the planning stage and is due to be implemented shortly.
In your view, how does the collaboration with hsp work? What do you like about it? What, if anything, do you think could be improved?
I think the collaboration is going very well. Mr Liese, the managing director, takes a great deal of time for us and even travelled from Hamburg to Berlin to discuss joint projects with us. We are therefore very satisfied with this partnership and cannot think of any negative aspects or areas for improvement at this stage.
A good feeling, a good way to round things off
How do you feel about future collaboration with hsp?
I have a very good feeling about this. As I said just now, Mr Liese and his staff are already devoting a great deal of time to our joint projects. If you were to distil from the discussions we’ve had with the management what’s planned for the future, you’d have to say it was truly a very good decision for our organisation to join forces with this partner.
We would like to thank you once again most sincerely for allowing us to be here today and for taking the time to meet with us.
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