Platforms and partnering

Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Apple dominate the global economy. The business model of the so-called GAFA companies is based on the idea of an ecosystem using a digital platform. DATEV, too, applies this partner model on behalf of its members and customers.

The cooperative ecosystem is part of the digital transformation concept for the business world, connecting economic subjects relevant for DATEV members with consistent digitalization, automatization, and networking. The focus lies on the digital consultancy as central partner and service provider. DATEV is in the center of this platform economy. Since 2015 DATEV-Marktplatz (DATEV Marketplace) has listed software solutions from DATEV software partners and providers with DATEV interface, supplementing DATEV products. By now there are more than 200 partner solutions, still rising.

Like a real marketplace DATEV-Marktplatz is very busy, too. Besides digitalization within the ecosystem itself it concerns above all the integration into other ecosystems. For example, linking to payment service providers Paypal and Amazon for business customers improves collaboration between our members and their clients.

All participants in DATEV-Marktplatz benefit equally: DATEV closes the gap for a collaboration with partners for products DATEV doesn’t offer, and the partners offer their solution on a platform they don’t have to host themselves. The software-based collaboration is stable due to regular technical interface checks. Most of all, the partner solution offers DATEV members a consistent collaboration with their clients. But the potential offered by the platform economy is not nearly exhausted. The next expansion stage is being developed. Customers expect integrated process support, innovative ideas, and access to company data allowing new digital business models and consulting approaches.

Holistic support for business processes

DATEV does not have to and can not develop everything itself. Partner can realize innovations sometimes faster and easier than the cooperative. Why not use the partners’ innovation potential? DATEV has to concentrate on its core competencies. Which is everything concerning accounting and business issues. Everything else can be supplemented through partners.

This means not only including partner solutions, besides DATEV’s own solutions, in the DATEV-Marktplatz and integrate them via interfaces such as DATEV-Datenservices (DATEV-Dataservices) into the DATEV world. It also means inviting partners to participate with ideas and to find solutions which consistently support the complete supply chain of the consultancy – client collaboration. DATEV, being the administrator, offers the platform, all partners carrying the prime innovation risk. DATEV has taken the first step. The DATEV developer portal provides technical specifications for developing interfaces to DATEV programs. Thus, interfaces for automated data transfer of payroll data or vouchers from other applications will be programed or connected to accounting systems transmitting vouchers to DATEV’s computer center for further processing.