When international industry meets again at the Hannover Messe in the spring , the focus will not only be on new technologies, but also on answers to current economic challenges. Many companies are currently under pressure: investment decisions are being made more cautiously, budgets are being scrutinised more closely and projects must deliver clear added value.
Especially in such times, the question of which innovations really help to make companies more productive and resilient is crucial.
IT Vision Technology (ITVT) has therefore given intensive thought to which solutions should be presented at the Hannover Messe. Three product managers provide an insight into which topics are of particular concern to them – and why they are convinced that it is precisely these solutions that are currently hitting the nerve of many industrial companies.
For Michael Beckers, Product Manager for CRM Systems at ITVT, one thing is clear: The manufacturing industry is currently facing major challenges. At the same time, he sees enormous potential for intelligent digitization right now.
For many years, ITVT has been working with companies from the manufacturing industry and supports them in the digitization of business processes with its industry solution Industry Solution. Its customers include large industrial groups such as Thyssenkrupp and Bosch, which have been able to make their sales, service and project processes more efficient with the help of modern CRM systems.
“The manufacturing industry has always been a central part of our customer base,” explains Beckers. With our Industry Solution, we have helped companies digitize and automate their sales and service processes – from lead processing to after-sales service.”
At the same time, Beckers observes that many companies are currently investing more cautiously. This is precisely why it is important to offer solutions that combine a manageable risk with clearly calculable results.
“We are currently experiencing a more difficult investment climate. But innovation must not come to a standstill as a result,” says Beckers. With our QuickStart product line, we enable companies to adopt CRM solutions quickly – with a defined range of functions, clear implementation time and a transparent price.”
The idea behind it: Companies can drive digitization forward even in economically uncertain times and at the same time avoid the risk of a major transformation project.
Another focus at the Hannover Messe will be the use of AI agents in CRM . ITVT will be presenting the ITVT Sales Companion and the ITVT Service Companion, two intelligent assistance systems that are intended to support sales and service processes.
Manuel Bachmann, Product Manager for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, also observes a development in the ERP area that many companies are familiar with: Business models are becoming more complex, companies are growing faster – and existing systems are reaching their limits.
“Many companies try for a long time to map their processes with Excel,” says Manuel Bachmann. But Excel is not an ERP system. At some point, the point will be reached where this solution is simply no longer scalable.”
Small and medium-sized companies in particular are faced with the challenge of efficiently managing new digital requirements, more data and more complex processes. It is no longer just a matter of replacing Excel with an ERP system. Modern solutions such as Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central offer a fully integrated platform that is deeply embedded in the Microsoft world – from Microsoft 365 to Power Platform to Azure services.
This gives companies all the options they need to drive their digitalization forward step by step: automated processes, end-to-end data flows, central transparency and the flexibility to map different business models in parallel – from project business and series production to service or rental models.
Here, too, ITVT relies on a pragmatic approach. “With our QuickStart solution for Business Central, we enable companies to quickly get started with a modern ERP system,” explains Manuel Bachmann. Especially in economically challenging times, it is important to implement innovation with a manageable risk.”
A modern ERP system can not only structure processes, but above all significantly increase internal productivity – and equip companies for the digital future in the long term.
Another trend that concerns many companies in the manufacturing industry is the change in business models. More and more manufacturers are no longer selling their machines just once, but are also offering them as service or rental models .
The keyword is subscription billing.
For Andreas Weissenburger, Product Manager for Microsoft Dynamics 365 FSCM, this topic is one of the most exciting developments in the industrial environment.
“Many manufacturers are evolving from a classic product provider to a provider of services and recurring services,” explains Weissenburger. This brings enormous opportunities – but also new requirements for billing.”
In practice, a problem often arises: Many ERP systems were not originally designed for complex subscription or service contracts. The consequence is that services are not billed in full or sales are lost.
“In many companies, we see that sales are actually lost because subscriptions or service contracts are not properly mapped in the ERP system,” adds Weissenburger. If services are not recorded correctly or billed automatically, money falls by the wayside.”
Microsoft has therefore already integrated extensive functions for subscription models into Dynamics Finance & Supply Chain Management.
However, ITVT is going one step further and is also presenting its own development at the Hannover Messe: the ITVT Subscription Billing Agent.
This supports companies in automatically managing complex subscription and service contracts and billing them correctly.
The discussions with the product managers show a clear picture: Many companies are currently under economic pressure. At the same time, the need for more efficient processes and intelligent digitization is growing.
This is exactly where ITVT comes in with its solutions. The combination of pre-configured QuickStart products, industry-specific solutions, and AI agents for business processes is designed to enable companies to drive innovation even in challenging times.
Or as Michael Beckers sums it up:
“Especially when the investment climate becomes more difficult, it is important to invest specifically in solutions that bring measurable productivity gains. This is exactly what we are presenting our solutions for at the Hannover Messe.”
Every company has its own requirements for ERP, CRM, and AI solutions. Our ITVT experts take the time to understand your specific goals and challenges—whether you’re planning a new CRM or ERP implementation, optimizing existing processes, or enabling new business models such as subscription billing.
In a personal consultation, we’ll show you how our solutions can help increase productivity, streamline operations, and support sustainable business growth.
More insights like this, and events that go deeper into these topics in our newsletter!