9 December 2021

DATEV branch offices celebrate 50th anniversary

In 1971, DATEV set up its first branch offices outside Nuremberg – then called information offices.

In the autumn of 1971, DATEV opened branch offices in Hamburg, Hanover, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf, and Frankfurt am Main to maintain close contact with our members.

These five offices are now celebrating their 50th anniversaries. Hamburg kicked off the celebrations. Around 200 guests came together to meet, complying with all the necessary 2G Covid requirements. Most participants were members of the cooperative, but there were also representatives of associations, organisations and partners. They met on the Emporio Tower's rooftop, which offered a breathtaking view of the Hanseatic city and a varied programme.

Looking back and into the future of DATEV's branch offices

Branch manager Elisabeth Schönfeld looked back on the past 50 years, during which the Hamburg branch has had to deal with major projects and issues — such as reunification and its impact on the profession, the millennium, the introduction of SEPA, the currency changeover and, last but not least, the Covid pandemic. Following this review, Elisabeth Schönfeld gave all participants a glimpse of the future of the Hamburg branch and of all DATEV branches. The project "Branch of the Future" will turn DATEV's branch offices into places where people can meet, work and exchange ideas — not only for DATEV employees but also for members, partners and customers.

Observing customers instead of interviewing them

Following Elisabeth Schönfeld's presentation, Prof. Dr. Peter Krug, DATEV's Chief Markets Officer since July, took the floor. His speech focused on DATEV's vision and the future of the profession. He also explained how DATEV plans to identify customer needs: "In the future, we don't want to ask our customers questions; we want to observe their behaviour and learn from it to tailor our solutions precisely to our customers' needs."

CeBIT memories

Another anniversary was celebrated in Hanover. The city of Hanover is more closely associated with DATEV than any other location outside of Nuremberg. The reason for this is the "Centre for Office Automation, Information Technology and Telecommunications", better known as CeBIT (in German: Centrum für Büroautomation, Informationstechnologie und Telekommunikation). The IT trade fair, first held in 1986 and for the last time in 2017, was one of the most important meeting places for DATEV, its members, partners and customers, and representatives of organisations and associations

The original five DATEV Information Offices, later renamed DATEV Information Centres (DIZ), have grown to more than 20 branches throughout Germany, from Kiel to Freiburg, from Koblenz to Dresden. There are also DATEV Offices abroad, including in Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Italy.

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