On February 1, 2024, our highly esteemed colleague Bruno Näf, previously owner and Managing Director of kwsoft® Switzerland, moved to its Board of Directors. Bruno has been working in the OMS/CCM industry for 30 years and looks back with us on his kwsoft® years.
How has the CCM industry developed over the past ten years? What trends have you identified?
There has been a shift from pure output management systems to complete customer communication management solutions that can also cover all new communication channels relevant to end customers. The initial exclusive batch processing of data has been expanded to include event-driven requirements. The demands on the scope of services, functionality and technology stack have become significantly higher. This has happened at the same time as the emergence of omnichannel. In the past, OMS solutions were also only very loosely linked to the delivery applications. Today, CCM solutions are much more deeply integrated into processes and CRM/ERP solutions. The clear trend towards migration to the cloud, which was still a taboo subject for banks and insurance companies 10 years ago, also brings with it new challenges and technologies. Server components must be operated in containers and client modules in the browser. Another recent trend is the shift in editorial competence for document templates: away from IT and towards the specialist department. CCM has therefore become considerably more versatile, complex and demanding overall.
You were the owner and managing director of kwsoft® Switzerland for over ten years. What were your personal highlights during this time? Is there anything you are particularly proud of?
Personal highlights were that we were able to gain the trust of our first two customers, Sanitas and Raiffeisen Switzerland, in the initial phase of kwsoft® Switzerland. I am also particularly proud of our team, which showed great commitment and remained loyal to the company during the challenging times of development. And of course I am also pleased that we have been able to survive as an SME for so many years in the relatively small Swiss market with our niche topic of CCM, and that we are currently continuing to develop very successfully with kwsoft®. Last but not least, I am delighted that I have managed to find such a good succession plan with Jens and Miguel.
What do you gain from your time at kwsoft®?
The very positive memories of the pleasant cooperation and the great will to achieve even ambitious goals together. I will also always have positive memories of the interpersonal interaction, even in challenging situations. It is precisely the human element that makes kwsoft® stand out.
Even though you will still be on board as a member of the Board of Directors of kwsoft® Switzerland: How will you use your newly gained free time?
I have three areas that have always accompanied me. These are: my family with my two sons, foreign countries, people, cultures and nature, as well as technology in various facets. These will certainly be given higher priority in the future.
