In 1993, Axel Biewer and Michael Wille founded Plan Software GmbH in the heart of Saarbrücken. As a spin-off of the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI), the company has been focusing on cutting-edge software-based solutions ever since it was founded. The vision? To develop electronic catalogs and product configurators especially for the industry. Numerous projects with national and international customers later, much has changed, but the company spirit remains: Plan Software builds on new technologies and relies on an excellently trained team!
"Quick success was never our thing. Right from the start, we weren't interested in selling software as quickly as possible: instead of 'hit and run', we focused on continuity and quality in order to build long-term, trusting relationships - both internally and externally."
What began with configuration solutions for pipe supports as well as calculation and design programs has developed into a guarantor of software quality “made in Germany” in over 30 years on the market: Configuration, Configure-Price-Quote (CPQ), design and e-commerce are the cornerstones of the company’s success. Coupled with integration expertise, innovative spirit and convincing consulting competence, Plan Software accompanies customers as a reliable long-term partner.
With easyKAT®, the company is offering a turnkey application for product configuration for the first time in 2005. Master data can be created and maintained independently in order to generate product specifications, quotations and sales parts lists on this basis. Plan Software will continue to build on this strong foundation in subsequent years: With 3PQ® CONFIGURATION and 3PQ® COMMERCE and a digital data bridge to SAPthe company is refining and expanding its product portfolio and digitizing sales processes holistically.
The unexpected often happens! This also applies to the collaboration between Plan Software and KiM.Although the companies are based just a few kilometers apart, the two software service providers got to know and appreciate each other in Augsburg in 1999. The chemistry is right, both personally and professionally. While Plan Software focuses on software development, KiM – initially still an engineering office – focuses on design and 3D modeling. Today, the focus of the companies has changed, but as 4PACE the synergy effects are stronger than ever.
At the beginning of the 2000s, the industrial giant SIEMENS also became aware of Plan Software. The trigger? A configuration project in the field of 2D dimensional drawings. In cooperation with KiM this is finally extended by a three-dimensional component in the SIEMENS CAD generator and proves to be a door opener for other business areas. In 2018, Plan Software enters into an official partnership in the area of MindSphere, the open IoT operating system from SIEMENS, and develops customized IoT applications based on it.
From 2018, the merger with N4 will provide more drive. Literally. In other core sectors, primarily the automotive aftermarket, the Saarland-based software service provider is not only expanding its portfolio in the direction of B2B e-commerce and agile, customized software development. The merger also brings positive synergy effects in terms of personnel. Interdisciplinary knowledge exchange and investments in research, e.g. in the field of AI, lead to diversification and industry expansion.
Would you like to make your sales cycles more efficient and optimize them digitally? Contact us today and we’ll work together to accelerate your B2B sales.
You’ve come to the right place! KiM and Plan Software have joined together to create the umbrella company 4PACE GmbH, elevating our long-standing collaboration to a new level. As a union, we utilize our synergies to bundle our extensive market experience and offer our customers even more efficient solutions.
