Three questions for ... Michael Saitow, SAITOW AG

Mr. Saitow, do you think that retail companies still have a need for optimisation when it comes to digitization?

“It's all in the mix! A website alone is not enough, multi channelling is key. Apart from having your own website, you should also be active on social media. In addition, the internal processes have to be able to keep up. Nowadays everything has to happen on a smartphone or tablet, including customer contact.”

How do you see the development of digitisation and digital transformation in your industry?

“Companies are currently facing considerable challenges due to digitisation. Mainly they complain about high price competition by sellers on the Internet. There is room for improvement in the hiring of staff and the acquisition of new customers as well as in the purchasing processes, but most dealers still lack the necessary resources for this. The results of a survey have shown that less than 20 percent have a corresponding ideal business model.”

How do you think an ideal retailer should react to the change posed by digitisation?

“Ideally, a retailer should have its own Internet website and be active on social media on a regular basis as continuity is of utmost importance. And don’t forget the internal processes, which of course also have to keep up.”

SAITOW AG is an internationally operating IT company with 300 employees at several European locations. The core business includes the production, distribution and operation of e-commerce systems. The development of software, web applications and online platforms has been part of the company’s daily business for 15 years. SAITOW AG processes more than 100,000 transactions via its server every day and is trusted by around 75,000 customers. Tyre24.com, a division of SAITOW AG (Kaiserslautern), is the largest marketplace in the tyre industry with around 2,000 suppliers throughout Europe. It is also a supporting member of the BRV.