Wirtschaftsforum: Mr. Heinz, can you briefly explain what iTAC stands for?

Martin Heinz: iTAC stands for internet technology and consulting. The company was founded in 1998. Today, we are an internationally active IT company focusing on MES/MOM solutions. The idea behind it is to drive digital transformation in manufacturing, thus connecting people, data, and systems.

Wirtschaftsforum: The company operates in a particularly fast-paced market. What has been the development up to now?

Martin Heinz: iTAC was spun off from a Bosch location in Limburg, where the focus was on the production of electronic components for telecommunications. Even back then, the tasks were very complex and digitizing production was an important goal. For example, it involved replacing manual interfaces with technologies to become more powerful and faster. In 1999, the first go-live with a customer took place. The focus here was on the software 'easy works', which was gradually expanded to include more functions and was renamed iTAC.MES.Suite in 2005. In 2000, the first investors and partners enabled further growth, both nationally and internationally. In 2004, sites were established in China and the USA to support customers locally and manage sales independently. A key milestone was the acquisition by Dürr Systems AG in 2015, which opened up new opportunities. Today, we benefit from being able to use the Dürr Environment globally.

Wirtschaftsforum: From easy works to iTAC.MOM.Suite. What does the portfolio look like after more than 25 years?

Martin Heinz: MES and MOM are the mainstays of our offerings. MES, Manufacturing Execution System, was launched in 2005 and is a software that helps businesses organize their manufacturing. MOM, Manufacturing Operations Management, has been on the market since 2021, is more broadly positioned, and provides more functions, starting with simulation to analytical approaches, such as using data in the system via AI to create added value. With our products, we want to create not just transparency; we aim to control production at the very moment it occurs. We want to give customers a control element that is capable of avoiding errors.

Wirtschaftsforum: What is special about the solutions?

Martin Heinz: With MOM and MES, we consistently pursue the path towards Industry 4.0. We have intelligence on the side of our own system and deliver information to machines, processes, and people. The goal is end-to-end digitization in smart production.

Wirtschaftsforum: You mentioned the automotive industry as a target audience. Who are iTAC's customers?

Martin Heinz: Our solutions are aimed at companies in the field of discrete manufacturing, regardless of the industry. These can be automotive companies, household appliance manufacturers, or medical technology companies. Six of the ten largest automotive suppliers are among our customers. Our solutions are standardized systems that can be adapted to different industries through configurations.

Wirtschaftsforum: Is there something you see as a particular strength of iTAC?

Martin Heinz: iTAC is able to understand customer requirements across all processes and translate them into processes that we implement together with the customers. Speaking the same language as our customers is very important. The success of a project always depends on people, and language plays a central role. Our success is not least the result of our value system, which is characterized by values such as resilience, reliability, and trust. These values are lived both externally and internally.

Wirtschaftsforum: Does that mean there is a certain spirit within the company?

Martin Heinz: We see ourselves as team players at every level, including management, because we are ultimately part of the team as well. No one can do great things alone. We see ourselves holistically as an engine with a gearbox.

Wirtschaftsforum: What are the future directions for iTAC?

Martin Heinz: Because we need innovation, we want to remain curious, eager for new topics, and act boldly. With iTAC.MOM.Suite and its completely new technology, we have already demonstrated this courage in the past. We started development during the COVID era; we invested countercyclically and this bold approach has paid off. Even though we have already achieved a lot with iTAC, we still have an exciting journey ahead of us.