Obstacles in Spreading to the D-A-CH Region – Interview with Cleverlance Share: Cleverlance Date Published 2 August 2018 Categories Blog, Interview Reading Time 5-Minute Read The D-A-CH region is the top market for the IT industry in Europe. It’s an acronym made from country codes: D for “Germany,” A for “Austria” and CH for “Switzerland.” We have spoken to Oliver M. Leisau, a Key Account Manager for D-A-CH region in Cleverlance about his work, the agency, and Cleverlance’s future. What is the biggest challenge and what is the major benefit of working in a company as large as Cleverlance? “The biggest challenge is to establish a complete unknown brand on a new and bigger market with a lot of incumbents that are occupying prospects. The major benefit is that a 700+ company has got many possibilities for further enhancing application development. Cleverlance is covering the whole lifecycle process of developing, integrating and supporting business solutions systems. Be it web-based or mobile, either for marketing, sales or HR, all clients’ divisions can be improved.” Can you tell us more about the services that Cleverlance offers? “We do full stack in every aspect – from classic front end and back end developing to testing and securing with our SEC-experts from AEC. Also, we have got our own design lab “QUB”, dedicated for the best and most modern UX/UI. For exceptional client experience we’ve created “Empeena”, one of the first empathic chatbots, that contributes to the automatization of standard communication processes. In Automotive & Utilities area, we are strong with Augmented/Virtual Reality and with “Virtual Medicine” we’ve got a cooperation with a brilliant start-up from Slovakia, which revolutionizes the anatomic education of young doctors all over the world!” What makes Cleverlance special, in comparison to other companies in the industry? “Cleverlance‘s special character is the holistic approach and the understanding of the actual business need. We are quite aware of each impact a new application has got, thus we put emphasis on the benefit for all stakeholders. Internally, despite of its size, it is a very close company, which does a lot to include employees‘ children and cooperates with schools, etc.” It is obvious that Cleverlance recognizes the importance of Corporate Social Responsibility. Can you name, and briefly describe, some projects that have contributed the most to the community? “We offer several types of training options, from evening classes for busy professionals and one-day intensive training, to a week-long academy intended for those who are beginning their career. This new concept of training follows up the activities of the Cleverlance Education Centre, which in the past was attended by more than 500 students a year. Cleverlance also contributes to charity-events like the ‘Ladies day,’ a horse racing event that has its origins in England with more than 5000 visitors. It is a fully charitable project and is hosted by the IT team. The 100% earnings from this event are aimed at supporting the acquisition of talented students to study technical fields of study.” Is there a business barrier between the DACH companies and Czech/Slovakia when it comes to nearshoring? “Yes, most of all it is the language obstacle. All our employees can speak English, but at least 10% of them also speak German. However, the companies here expect mostly to be served in their mother tongue. They also feel more comfortable with someone working at their site, instead of letting the work being done remotely, although we guarantee high quality results with SCRUM and other executive methods.” How did you overcome these obstacles: do you plan on hiring more native speakers to solve these problems, or will you invest more in strengthening the Cleveralnce’s brand? “Both – since 2017, all candidates with a technical background that apply for a job at Cleverlance are clearly asked to bring at least basic German language skills. This broadens the possibility of working in various projects. We have also approved an enormous budget to establish cooperation with a big software company from Germany starting in 2019. There is also a possibility that we take over another well-established company to further raise our brand awareness.” Are you planning on expanding to a new market in the near future? “Yes, as we expect to further grow in the future, we have the strategy to enlarge our footprint in Middle Europe. Another branch offices in Austria and Poland are planned, as well. Generally, we are open-minded to serve in whole Europe.” Why did you decide to register on Top Digital Agency? “In comparison to classic acquisition by cold calls, I’ve experienced quicker benefits from using platforms to gain projects. The projects are out there, you simply have to find a place where the one who searches and the one who offers a service come together. TDA clearly represents the modern way of being a marketplace for this.” As a key account manager, in what way do you see TDA helping your business development? “Cleverlance can represent itself at TDA in a non-biased environment. Highlighting our references and case studies makes us more attractive to companies that are in search for business improvements and solutions we can deliver. Also, the concept of getting more awareness by uploading more quality content is simple and target-aimed.” About Oliver M. Leisau: After finishing his academic training in political sciences with focus on the Balkans in 2010, he entered the IT-business in 2012. Since then he’s passionate about the following fields: sales for vendors, system-integrators and software-companies. In 2017, he started for Czech-based Cleverlance, in order to build up the business in D-A-CH region.