The Krefeld-based company GOB is a technology specialist in ERP software consulting and holistic IT solutions. The family business is one of the largest Microsoft Dynamics partners worldwide. It has been managed by the owner for more than 50 years and has more than 300 employees.

In what industries does GOB operate?

Christian Schwarz: We are an IT service provider active throughout Germany, with a focus on the SME environment. We are a full-service provider and can realize the IT needs of our customers from a single source with our product Unitop. We use the Microsoft Dynamics 365 BC technology. This is an ERP solution for SMEs. If required, we also offer customized solutions for our customers. Additional services include online phone services, digitalization of the workplace and cloud technologies. GOB also supports its customers in future topics such as business intelligence, intranet/extranet solutions, portal connections for e-commerce and artificial intelligence.

Do you specialize in certain industries?

Christian Schwarz: Within the industrial sector, we specialize in series production, plastics processing and steel processing companies. In the commercial sector, we work with numerous logistics companies, e-commerce and technical wholesalers. The insurance sector is also one of our customers. We also have partners in the non-profit sector, such as Unicef or the German Maritime Rescue Service. It is our strength to tailor the software to the needs of our customers.

What innovations are characteristic of GOB?

Christian Schwarz: Our innovations are very specific to the ERP market. We have established a very good reputation with our innovative solutions in the field of inventory and donation management. Important future projects include drone-supported warehouse inventory, automated data collection with sensor technology, production under certain air conditions and AI solutions.

What are the consequences of the Corona crisis for GOB?

Christian Schwarz: We already notice that our customers are prepared to invest more in digitalisation. Last spring, we spoke to customers on a daily basis, who had previously been hesitant to invest in remote workstations for their home offices. At that stage, our system technicians would often visit people at home to set up remote workstations. When it comes to the care of our customers, Corona means that the personal touch is different; safety is a top priority when working with our customers. However, we still put great emphasis on good communication and cooperation based on partnership.

Does the proximity of the German-Dutch border matter for GOB?

Anke Reiners: From a recruitment point of view, the border does not matter at all. We are definitely open to students from Dutch universities of applied sciences; after all, many Germans also study in the Netherlands. We have a special relationship with Fontys University of Applied Sciences in Venlo, because we have many colleagues who studied at Fontys themselves. That is definitely an advantage for applicants.

Do the candidates have different skills depending on the country they are studying in?

Anke Reiners: We do not see any differences in the professional competences. Both Fontys Venlo and the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences are very practice-oriented.

Christian Schwarz: Traditionally, Dutch universities of applied sciences have a closer relationship with companies. This also has an impact on the competences of students. For example, students at Dutch universities of applied sciences can quickly familiarize themselves with new subjects. This is currently also changing at German universities of applied sciences, but here it still depends more on the individual university chairs.

What kind of employees is GOB looking for?

Anke Reiners: We are looking for IT consulting employees. We pay a lot of attention to personality in the selection process. We are actually looking for consultants and developers in a single person. The person who visits and advises customers also programs the software with the support of some other colleagues. We work in partnership and loyalty with our customers and our employees must be able to do the same. The programming language we need for our products is not taught at universities. Therefore, we train our developers ourselves in a trainee programme. We expect new colleagues to have a certain affinity with IT and to know the syntax of another programming language. We are also looking for reinforcement in sales and account management. And there are always vacancies in marketing or in the human resources department.

What distinguishes GOB as an employer?

Christian Schwarz: In addition to the economic responsibility for our employees, as a traditional family business we also feel a strong connection to the region. GOB is therefore involved in various established partnerships. Even when we get together as employees to celebrate our successes, we often combine this with a good cause. At a summer party, for example, we built table football tables in teams, which we donated afterwards. Ecological issues are also very important to us. To contribute to biodiversity, we have established a bee colony on our roof.

More about GOB on the Cleverland website

GOB Homepage

About

Anke Reiners is responsible for employer branding and recruitment at GOB. She grew up in Mönchengladbach and, after an apprenticeship in banking, studied business administration at the Lower Rhine University of Applied Sciences. Even during her studies, she discovered her passion for the subjects of personnel and recruitment. After working for an accountant in Düsseldorf, she returned to Cleverland last year.

Christian Schwarz is a member of the HR management team at GOB. His main areas of focus are the recruitment and development of new talent and internal communication. He was born near Bielefeld and studied economics in Bochum after a training as an administrative assistant. During his studies, he worked in various personnel departments in Düsseldorf. After working for several large companies, Christian Schwarz deliberately chose to work for the family business GOB in Krefeld.