20 Years of SAP Integration with Theobald Software
Theobald Software turns 20 – a journey from a revolutionary idea to an expert in SAP integration. What started as a one-man operation in Stuttgart in 2004 has grown into a global company serving over 4,000 customers worldwide. In this post, we take you on a little journey through the history of Theobald Software – from the beginnings, milestones, and challenges to the personal impressions of our employees and a glimpse into the future.
How it all began
The idea that laid the foundation for Theobald Software arose during Patrick Theobald’s tenure at Würth. When he developed an interface to facilitate data exchange between the company’s warehouse software and SAP system, he recognized the potential for a standardized solution that other companies might need. This insight led to the founding of Theobald Software in 2004 in Stuttgart. It quickly became apparent that Patrick Theobald had the right instinct. There was a high demand for the interface, with interest from both medium-sized businesses and large corporations around the world. Today, 20 years later, Theobald Software serves over 4,000 customers globally, including more than half of the DAX corporations. The one-man operation in Stuttgart has grown into a company with 60 employees.
Looking back – our milestones
2004 – Founding and launch of ERPConnect
In 2004, Theobald Software was founded in Stuttgart. The same year saw the launch of ERPConnect, as there were no satisfactory solutions for SAP integration in .NET at that time. ERPConnect was thus a small “revolution” and laid the foundation for the success of Theobald Software.
2006 – Launch of Xtract IS
Following the success of ERPConnect, Xtract IS was launched in 2006, an embedded tool in SQL Server Integration Services for SAP integration. This was a logical progression and another important step in expanding the product portfolio.
2011 – Launch of Xtract Universal and cooperation with DHBW Stuttgart
With the introduction of Xtract Universal in 2011, Theobald Software responded to the growing demands and requests for different system environments. This universal interface for SAP integration continues to be expanded. In the same year, a collaboration with the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University (DHBW) in Stuttgart began to meet the increasing need for new talent. To this day, Theobald Software offers dual study positions in various fields for practical training of students.
2012 – Launch of ERPConnect Services
2012 saw the launch of ERPConnect Services, a solution for the process integration of SAP and SharePoint, particularly for the integration of workflow applications.
2013 – Opening of the US office in Seattle
Due to the numerous inquiries from America, Theobald Software opened an office in Seattle in 2013, right next door to Microsoft. This allowed timely handling of inquiries from the USA, Canada, and LATAM, and optimal customer support. Last year, the office celebrated its 10th anniversary.
2018 – Introduction of Xtract for Alteryx and Xtract IS for Azure
The year 2018 was marked by two important product launches: Xtract for Alteryx, a plug-in solution for the Alteryx Designer, and Xtract IS for Azure, a solution for seamless integration between SAP and the Microsoft Azure-SSIS Integration Runtime.
2021 – Launch of yunIO
In 2021, Theobald Software launched yunIO, a no-code application for flexible design, automation, and integration of SAP processes, as well as the integration of SAP data into web- and cloud-based solutions and on-premises systems.
2022 and 2023 – Milestones and strengthening the management team
In 2022, Theobald Software welcomed its 50th employee and gained a strong partner with Bregal Unternehmerkapital. The goal of this partnership is to continue achieving steady, healthy growth and to tap into new markets. Additionally, the management team was strengthened with the appointment of Christian Bohne as CFO and Dieter Schmitt as CRO at the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023.
Reflection: Challenges
Like any successful company, Theobald Software faced its challenges. A particularly significant setback occurred during the early development stages of our latest product, yunIO – our solution for automating SAP processes and easily integrating SAP data into third-party systems.
True to the motto “Software development sometimes ends up in the trash,” the path to the finished product was more than rocky. The initial development was based on older, not-so-user-friendly technology. After nearly a year and a half of intensive work, our developers decided to abandon the project as the product in its planned form was too poor and not market-ready. The software ended up in the trash, so to speak. The disappointment was great, and the financial loss even greater. But today, we can laugh about it.
This setback showed us that failures are part of the success journey, along with all that we did right. Without these experiences and the insights gained from them, we wouldn’t be able to continuously grow and improve.
This “development story” was even turned into a cartoon comic by Business Punk magazine.
Letting the employees speak
The most important resource at Theobald Software is our employees. Without their dedication, creativity, and commitment, our success would be unthinkable. To celebrate our 20th anniversary and to honor our employees, we asked them: “What makes Theobald Software special to you in three words?”
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A glimpse into the future
With 20 years of success behind us, Theobald Software looks optimistically to the future. The goal is to continue being innovative and to explore new markets. With the support of Bregal Unternehmerkapital, the company is well-equipped to grow steadily and tackle new challenges.
Currently, we are focusing on four main areas that will shape our future direction. A central focus is on collaboration with software partners. On one hand, we are enhancing existing partnerships to continuously improve our integrations. At the same time, we are always looking for new partners to expand our market offerings and provide our customers with even more options.
Another key area is the further development of our Xtract products, which enable efficient data extraction from SAP systems. We are working intensively to optimize these solutions and adapt them to the constantly changing requirements of our customers.
Cloud integration is also a major focus for us. Our goal is to offer SAP integration as a cloud service in the future to provide our customers with a more flexible and efficient way of working. By moving to the cloud, we can ensure seamless and scalable integration that meets modern demands.
Furthermore, we are working to combine the capabilities of our various products on a common platform. This “Common Platform” will combine the advantages of our existing solutions and provide our customers with a more comprehensive and powerful solution that meets their needs optimally.
Overall, we want to continue to incorporate the needs and demands of our customers into our product development in the future and ensure that we remain a leader in SAP integration and offer our customers the best solutions.
We look forward to writing the next chapters of our story and thank our customers, partners, and employees for their support and trust.
Theobald Software over the years
Experience the history of Theobald Software in pictures: From the humble first office in Stuttgart, through our participation in international trade fairs and events, unforgettable company parties, to today’s dynamic team. This gallery showcases our development and some of the special moments that have shaped us.
Denise Brüggemann
Denise is Marketing Manager at Theobald Software, with a passion for targeted content creation and communication. Whether in the form of blog posts, website texts, social media or offline content - she knows how to inspire our target groups with relevant content about SAP integration and SAP process automation.
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