Proof of having the correct feeling

Fischer Computertechnik has been based in Stahringen for 20 years with 30 employees and an interesting list of customers

Südkurier, 18 August 2005, by Claudia Antes-Barisch

Fischer Computertechnik GmbH in Stahringen has many well-known companies among its customers, such as Kärcher, Claas, Geberit, Burda Druck and MTU Friedrichshafen. Over the course of its 20 years existence, the company has captured a market with its development and production of software systems in the field of technical documentation. The Managing Director, Walter Fischer, celebrated the company's twentieth anniversary with his staff and customers.

TIM, short for technical information management, is the magic word in the Fischer company. There are several thousand jobs using TIM installations worldwide. The main users of the software made in Stahringen are in manufacturing, and plant engineering and construction. With the aid of TIM, their product-related technical information, for example comprehensive instruction manuals, can be documented and managed systematically. Walter Fischer explains, "Due to fast product development cycles, documentation has to be delivered with every product, and not only in the most popular languages, but also in the appropriate "target language". Kärcher, for example, launches approximately 150 new products on to the market every year, and the corresponding documents have to be compiled in 27 languages. This gives rise to a need for a high degree of organisation which is met by Fischer Computertechnik: managing technical documents is their main area of activity.

That was not always the case: Walter Fischer was originally a mathematician. While studying for his doctorate in biochemistry at the TH in Darmstadt, he was concerned with ionic conductivity in membranes. At a time, when there were only a few isolated computers available at universities, before the begin of their triumphant success, Mr Fischer was already experimenting with a prototype presentation of his theories on computer. In 1985, he founded a company in Frankfurt/Main together with two colleagues which set about developing software for the chemical industry. We were concerned with "molecule visualisation and design in 3D" says Fischer, and although the large companies in the chemical industry showed no interest in the three-man company, that did not stop him. Fischer remembers how, "We sensed that computers would play a significant role in society and we thought: we want to be involved".

He soon was "involved", not with large chemical concerns, but with the engineering industry which showed an interest in his work. In 1990, when Walter Fischer moved for personal reasons with his company from Frankfurt to Lake Constance and the town of Stahringen where he was born, he did so thinking that it was relatively unimportant where the software was written. Today, he believes that still to be the case; nonetheless, Stahringen is not an ideal location for sales. At the same time, Switzerland, and with it a more lucrative market, is in the immediate vicinity, and a large proportion of the company's customers are located there.

Visualisation and graphics continued to be an important theme at Fischer software. Programs were developed which enabled CAD information to be distributed. Later, it was also possible to create electronic archives, and use the so-called "viewing" for documents. Next, came the step towards document management. The company developed its first editing system ten years ago; today, the main contact persons for Fischer Computertechnik are technical editors in companies.

In the meantime, the company employs 30 people. Twenty of those work in Stahringen in a fully-renovated, old farm house in the main street, with four storeys over 450 square metres. A working environment with a lot of atmosphere. There is a development department, production department, and a small marketing department. "We no longer do any development according to order, but almost solely product development", explains Walter Fischer the company's philosophy. Apprentices are continually trained at the company as IT specialists. The company has another branch in Eltville, near Wiesbaden. Mr. Fischer draws attention to the company's extensive partner network with service providers as sales partners.

The managing director commends his staff highly for their "commitment, reliability and qualifications". "It is only through these qualities that we are able to do everything we do", says Walter Fischer. "And to meet the various challenges in the future."

Original issue of the Südkurier (only available in German)

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Fischer Computertechnik GmbH,
Hauptstrasse 30,
Stahringen,
78315 Radolfzell, Germany
Ph. +49 (0) 77 38 / 92 94-0
Fax +49 (0) 77 38 / 92 94-92