Karlsruhe, September 15, 2026 – Tailor-made solutions, implemented with expertise and technical creativity—for over a century, CHRISTMANN + PFEIFER has been carrying out challenging construction projects for industry and commerce. Originally rooted in steel construction, the company has evolved over the decades into a diversified construction services provider. As a result, the demands placed on its systems have also continuously changed. To take the next step into the future with its IT infrastructure, further consolidate processes and data, and lay the groundwork for upcoming technological innovations, the medium-sized company headquartered in Angelburg, Hesse, will rely on APplus from Asseco Solutions going forward.
From engineering and planning services to in-house steel construction, turnkey construction, parking garage construction, bridge girders, and modular construction—as a medium-sized company, CHRISTMANN + PFEIFER brings together a diverse portfolio of services under one roof. This enables the construction services provider to support its clients at any stage of complex construction projects: whether through specialized work at a specific project stage or the complete turnkey execution of the entire project. The company employs approximately 230 people across a total of eight locations throughout Germany, including two in-house manufacturing facilities for steel structures.
From a Selective, Specialized System to an Integrated, Comprehensive Solution
“In the construction industry—as in nearly all other industries—the pressure to digitize and automate is currently increasing noticeably,” reports Michael Jan Faruga, Digitalization Project Manager at CHRISTMANN + PFEIFER. “For example, anyone who wants to use AI in the future will need a clean, centralized database and seamless processes. Since we’ve been using our existing system for many years now, we felt it was time to switch to a more modern system to better position ourselves for the future.”
The existing solution, which specializes in metal processing, provides a solid functional foundation for project management and purchasing. For tasks and processes beyond this scope, CHRISTMANN + PFEIFER relies on separate third-party solutions.
A modern solution for user-friendly work
“Of course, we want to be an attractive employer in the job market, and that includes offering young professionals a modern, appealing solution for their day-to-day work,” said Faruga. “Our existing workforce has also repeatedly expressed a desire for such a solution. In 2024, we therefore gave the go-ahead for a comprehensive modernization project.”
CHRISTMANN + PFEIFER received support for the selection process from the consulting firm Potsdam Consulting, which worked with the construction services provider to analyze existing processes and, based on that analysis, draw up a list of requirements. The initial long list of 60 eligible ERP vendors was quickly narrowed down to eight providers, who presented their solutions during half-day webcasts. Four of them were ultimately invited to give on-site presentations; the company then held detailed process workshops with two of them.
An ERP System with a Future
“As a company with over 100 years of history, progress and tradition have always gone hand in hand for us. Growth, further development, changing requirements, and highly customized construction projects—all of these must be reflected in a forward-looking and tailored system architecture.”
“APplus offers exactly the support and flexibility we need as a medium-sized company,” says CEO Karsten Kußmann, explaining the decision to adopt the new system.
In May 2026, the decision was made—in no small part due to the employees’ vote in favor of APplus—as they appreciated the modern design and user-friendliness of Asseco Solutions’ ERP system. The solution also proved compelling from a functional standpoint: In addition to powerful features for project-based business, APplus also addresses the specific needs of the construction industry, such as support for the GAEB format for electronic data exchange and a suitable project structure that includes bills of quantities.
“APplus struck us as future-proof in several ways: First, in terms of its openness, which allows for easy integration with third-party systems,” said the digital transformation project manager. “Second, because of the company’s overall direction, which places a strong emphasis on further developing its solution and integrating future technologies such as AI.”
Consolidated Data and Processes
In the future, APplus is intended to provide integrated coverage of the core areas of procurement, sales, and project management, including all business aspects such as resources, capacities, and costs. Combined with the integration of previously separate third-party systems, this is intended to create seamless end-to-end processes and, from a data perspective, a single source of truth. The main goal is to reduce potential duplicate data entry and make information gathering even more efficient.
By integrating the existing production solution, APplus will provide project managers with a quick overview of project status at any time: All relevant information is centrally accessible within the system.
Flow Mode for Clarity and Efficiency
To benefit from even greater user-friendliness and clarity when handling a wide variety of processes, CHRISTMANN + PFEIFER also plans to implement APplus Flow Mode. APplus’s innovative user mode makes it possible to handle key core processes in a streamlined and clear process interface that guides users step by step through their respective tasks. Only the information that is actually required for the current step is displayed and requested. The system automatically handles the underlying ERP processes in the background.
“As a first step, we could particularly well envision mapping out our sales process as a flow,” emphasizes Michael Jan Faruga. “This would give us the ability to clearly and concisely map out our existing sales phases—from the initial inquiry through qualification and information gathering all the way to the actual creation of a proposal—in a visual format, making it immediately apparent which steps are next and at what stage each proposal currently stands.”
Live launch planned for 2028
The kick-off of the implementation project is scheduled for the fall. To keep maintenance and future migrations as simple as possible, CHRISTMANN + PFEIFER intends to adhere to the APplus standard as closely as possible and to implement only company-specific features that provide a clear competitive advantage through customizations. The go-live is targeted for Q1 2028.
