Crafts 4.0: modern, mobile, network-compatible

The skilled trades have a lot to do and require an efficient infrastructure – the DHB is launching a series for operational equipment.

This article is part of the special feature on digital craftsmanship.

Industry 4.0. This is the buzzword of the decade when digitalization is discussed or written about. One might assume that digitalization is only happening in the halls of large corporations. The skilled trades and their representatives disagree. Targeted support for only individual sectors is not enough for the skilled trades. In a special survey recently published by the German Confederation of Skilled Crafts (ZDH) , 83 percent of managers confirmed that the digitalization of the working world is full of opportunities for the local skilled trades sector . Digital business models should be pursued in all sectors of the economy with political support. In 2016, a remarkable 95 percent of skilled trades managers expressed their support for this approach.

Crafts infrastructure must be sustainable

The leadership of the German Confederation of Skilled Crafts (ZDH) therefore strongly advocates that craft businesses can only achieve their goals with a future-proof infrastructure . A clear warning: Germany must not be left behind. A clear warning to businesses: No one can escape the digitalization of the working and production world, albeit to varying degrees depending on the trade. Hairdressers, beauticians, butchers, and bakeries are not at the forefront of the digital world. All other trades, however, are using the new technology 100 percent. The Saarland Minister of Economic Affairs, Anke Rehlinger , summed it up perfectly at a symposium of the Chamber of Skilled Crafts: Business owners who want to sell their business to a successor in the coming years must invest in digitalization ! Otherwise, the business will lose attractiveness and value.

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Looking at regular customers is not enough

Incidentally, this is also the answer to a letter writer who indignantly dismissed all the new technology as superfluous and unnecessary. He claimed his business generates sufficient revenue from regular customers. However, this approach is outdated, as a 2014 survey of 6.000 craft businesses revealed that almost 94 percent used desktop PCs, laptops, smartphones, tablets, or servers . 16,4 percent of all businesses use computer-aided machinery in their actual production processes. That was over two years ago; since then, the integration of computer technology into production processes has likely progressed even further.

Catching up on the use of social media

Businesses have some catching up to do when it comes to data backup, Facebook, and Xing – only around 15 percent use these platforms. Electronic participation in public tenders was even lower, at 12,1 percent. The survey respondents arrived at the same figure in 2014 regarding employee recruitment and job postings. Mobile devices are a major topic for the future : 23,2 percent of all businesses stated that they use them for planning, cost calculation, and on-site consulting . Those who want to satisfy young and tech-savvy customers need to catch up in this area. What was once optional is now essential for remaining competitive.

The German trade journal "Deutsches Handwerksblatt" is launching a series explaining the topic of digitalization , from hardware equipment, creating an email account and a homepage to production with a 3D printer.