sofatutor GmbH
sofatutor implements ERP project itself with the Digital Consultant
"We were looking for a solution that offered more speed and room for process optimisation. At the latest when it became clear that our constantly growing volume of documents would endanger the stability of the system in the long term, it was high time for a change"
Jannis Friedag, Head of Finance by sofatutor
Company profile
Even before the pandemic, sofatutor GmbH was one of the largest online learning platforms in Germany. Today, the Berlin-based company is even more in the spotlight - because the learning platform of the same name supports children in learning and is also fun. On sofatutor, pupils learn interactively - with the help of learning videos that bring the respective material briefly and precisely to the point. Exercises at the end of each section help to deepen and check the knowledge learned. In addition, there is a homework chat where trained teachers answer questions. The idea for sofatutor came to founder Stephan Bayer in 2008 while he was preparing for a mathematics exam at university. Today, the company employs more than 150 people.
High document volume forces system change
For a long time, sofatutor relied on hosted commercial solutions from DATEV for business management processes, especially with regard to finances. Initially, this did not change during the strong growth of the last few years. Nevertheless, the company registered that they had reached a point in the meantime where further progress in productivity could no longer be expected. "We were looking for a solution that offered more speed and room for process optimisation. At the latest when it became clear that our constantly growing volume of documents would endanger the stability of the system in the long term, it was high time for a change," recalls Jannis Friedag, Head of Finance at sofatutor. Because the business model of the learning platform operator differs greatly from the usual standard - with an above-average volume of documents and an equally high effort per transaction, the turnover per invoice is rather low - not just any solution came into question. "Our accounts payable side is simple, but our accounts receivable side is structured all the more complex. In terms of e-commerce, we are also positioned differently than a classic shop operator," explains Friedag. However, one thing was clear from the beginning: the new solution should definitely come from the cloud.
Simply configure the ERP system yourself
In the end, sofatutor opted for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. In addition to the flexibility of the cloud-based ERP system, the existing know-how in the company was also decisive. "Some of our employees already had experience with Business Central, so we didn't have to start from scratch. From a technical point of view, we were not only able to implement our current requirements with the cloud-based ERP system. There was also enough room for future projects," Friedag explains the choice. The contract for the implementation went to the COSMO CONSULT Group - also because the digitalisation specialist contributed a special module: the Digital Consultant. A virtual consultant that allows users to assemble and configure Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central at the click of a mouse. Via video, users learn, for example, how to create accounts or which steps are necessary to take over existing inventory data. "It is important for us to build up further expertise in order to implement future requirements ourselves. In addition, as a digital service provider, we have the necessary technical know-how to use such a tool, especially in the financial sector. That's why the Digital Consultant is a good fit for us," Friedag emphasises.
Allow sufficient time for familiarisation
The start with the Digital Consultant was bumpy at first. Digital learning was unfamiliar and there was a lack of overview of the tasks at hand. "COSMO CONSULT reacted quickly and improved the Virtual Consultant in the crucial areas. However, the problem was also partly homemade because we had not dealt with it intensively enough at the beginning," explains Friedag. Today, he explains, he would invest more time at the start of the project to get to know the digital consultant better. "Such an investment would certainly have paid off," he adds.
Efficient knowledge transfer
The first challenge - the configuration of the accounts receivable - could nevertheless be efficiently completed with the digital advisor alongside the day-to-day business. "You should already have a goal and an idea of how best to achieve it. However, with the videos and articles that the tool provides, you can familiarise yourself quickly and thoroughly. The content gets to the heart of all the essentials in an understandable way," confirms Wiebke Schulz, accountant at sofatutor. From her point of view, the approach is goal-oriented and straightforward. "For me personally, self-study is much more efficient than classic training. With the Digital Consultant, I keep discovering new possibilities - and many an aha effect," explains Schulz. One learns very quickly how to handle Business Central independently and loses the shyness to adapt processes or change configurations. In addition, the Digital Consultant is ideally suited for training new employees. For growth-oriented companies like sofatutor, this is an important point, Schulz emphasises: "We can train colleagues in a targeted way by directly assigning the areas that need to be looked at more closely. Especially if you don't know Business Central yet, it's much easier to get used to it," Schulz emphasises.
Helpful for ERP implementation
Even in the ongoing ERP project, sofatutor is already benefiting from the Digital Consultant, because the tool makes it easier to analyse and evaluate processes. "We can use it to effortlessly compare our workflows with the standard in Business Central and look at both sides objectively. In this way, we have found that some individual adjustments are not necessary at all. This gives us the chance to work more efficiently and closer to the standard in the future," Jannis Friedag underlines. "This knowledge transfer is what makes the Digital Consultant so valuable to us." Once the ERP project is completed, he is sure, the Digital Consultant will also help to implement new technologies more quickly.
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