Interview with the CTO Amadeus Lederle

Interview with Amadeus Lederle

Welcome, Amadeus. We are delighted to welcome you today for this interview. Could you start by giving our readers a brief overview of your professional career and how you came to CSP?

Amadeus: I have been interested in software development since I was a child and was fascinated by all kinds of technology. After a technical apprenticeship and initial work experience, I quickly decided to switch to software development, where I have been working for more than 11 years. During this time, I have gained significant experience in various areas, including software development, design, project management, customer support and IT services.

My career began in prototype development, where I accompanied the development process from the idea to the functional prototype. I then worked in the banking industry, where I deepened my knowledge of IT security and was involved in projects such as the introduction and customizing of a CRM system and the conversion of account numbers to IBAN.

My first position at CSP was in the QST product for the after-sales area. There I worked in after-sales management and was able to support customers directly on site. The close connection to production enabled me to help customers with their challenges and to understand the data processing chain in the QMS area. The complex requirements in terms of cycle time, automation and precision sparked my passion for this area.

I then moved to the manufacturing industry to better understand the customer perspective. There, I played a key role in the planning, support and implementation of an Industry 4.0 application in the EOL sector. This experience opened up new perspectives for me and helped me to better understand customer requirements.

After returning to CSP, I initially worked as a manager for cross-product 3rd level support and founded an independent department for quality management. Through my close connection to R&D and my strong customer presence, I was also able to support these areas and was eventually appointed Head of Operations. Being responsible for all operational teams at CSP was a challenge that I successfully mastered thanks to the support of our CEO, Korbinian.

Due to the successful growth of CSP, it is now time for the next step. The tasks at CSP will now be further focused and structured, and I am very much looking forward to supporting CSP in my new role as CTO.

As the new CTO, you are taking on a key position in the company. Could you tell us about the main responsibilities of your role and what your priorities are for the coming months?

Amadeus: My main tasks include merging our products into one platform, expanding and shaping our product portfolio, implementing standard and legal requirements and supporting several mission-critical production facilities with our solutions to improve their quality and save costs at the same time. I also analyze new markets and quality standards and work on improving the quality of all manufacturing trades.

With regard to your new position, what challenges do you see for CSP in the area of technological development and how do you plan to meet them?

Amadeus: One of the biggest challenges is the upcoming EU legislation. I have been deeply involved in these issues for a long time and have set our roadmap accordingly. However, as some things are not yet finalized, there is still a lot to be done. As we develop in an agile manner throughout, we can react very quickly to all requirements.

Building our platform with a strong focus on automated and smart processes as well as web capability is a challenge, especially for hardware-related software. With the help of clean architecture, which is applied to all of our products in the spirit of agile development, we create the basis for bringing our products together. We ensure a smooth process by making extensive use of quality measures such as automated tests, fuzzing and pen tests.

Another point is the conversion of tried-and-tested products with a focus on long-term users. Many different approaches are used to make the changeover a positive experience. Depending on the use case, this can be a complete parallel operation or, for example, in places where the user experience has been so massively improved, most of the familiar workflows are fully automated or self-explanatory.

Are there any particular opportunities or trends in the technology industry that you would like to focus on to drive the company's growth and innovation?

Amadeus: Of course, every challenge is also a huge opportunity. For example, we have been dealing with new legal and cyber security issues for a very long time and are therefore in a position to make these issues irrelevant for our customers.

Another huge potential lies in the use of artificial intelligence. With over 30 years of experience in data processing in the mission-critical area of the automotive industry, we have almost unlimited possibilities for training models. Training data is often the sticking point with AI systems, but we don't need to worry about that.

We have already developed an AI that checks curves for correctness. Mathematically, a curve is always easy to evaluate as "normal" or "deviant". However, there are curves that are mathematically normal but show irregularities on closer inspection. Our AI can already check and monitor this today.

In the current project, we are working on predictive maintenance. With the help of our data and the use of such AI, tools used in the future can remain in operation for as long as possible and thus save enormous costs. We also have the opportunity to determine the efficiency of the tools and processes used. This gives our customer a high level of transparency about what is running most economically for them and also offers the opportunity to optimize processes.

CSP is known for its high-quality QMS products. How will you ensure that these products continue to meet the highest quality standards and satisfy customer requirements?

Amadeus: Constantly changing our own quality gates, supported by the latest agile software development methods.

Are there any specific improvements or innovations you would like to focus on in the area of QMS products?

Amadeus: Consolidation of all production data for a quality dataqube.

What technological trends or developments do you see as particularly relevant for the future of CSP and how do you plan to integrate them into the company's strategic direction?

Amadeus: AI is clearly at the forefront. We are relying on our more than 30 years of experience and supporting everything with modern technologies, driven by our creative employees.

How will you ensure that CSP's technological solutions optimally meet the needs and requirements of customers?

Amadeus: Active discussions with customers, industry representatives and exchanges with experts.

What measures are you planning to strengthen customer loyalty and further increase customer satisfaction?

Amadeus: Continuous adaptation of the software, exchange with customers and attractive enterprise solutions.

How will you work with your team to achieve the technological goals of the CSP?

Amadeus: The teams are the be-all and end-all. The teams have my complete trust and support. Everyone can develop freely with us and is actively encouraged. A good mix of new experts and external consultants rounds everything off.

How important is corporate culture to you personally and how will you help to promote a culture of innovation and collaboration?

Amadeus: At CSP, you can live it up, lend a hand and develop yourself. Anyone who wants to can. It's like a start-up with a strong financial background. So it's a combination of two good worlds: fast implementation, but no overtime because finances are tight (unless you talk to the CFO 😉).

What motivated you to accept the position of CTO at CSP?

Amadeus: My heart beats for mission-critical production, high automation and the processing of data volumes in conjunction with efficiency, especially in terms of energy requirements. I enjoy being involved in these topics and being able to help.

Do you have any personal goals or visions that you would like to achieve during your tenure as CTO?

Amadeus: I want our QMS products to be an international seal of quality!

Finally, is there anything else you would like to tell our readers about your plans and goals as CSP's new CTO?

Amadeus: Quality is the be-all and end-all. Lives depend on it, the environment, especially nature, and of course your reputation and the success associated with it. You can only test quality properly with manufacturer-independent software. CSP specializes in quality testing and monitoring. Rely on independent specialists!

What advice would you give to young professionals looking for a career in the technology industry?

Amadeus: The industry often has more exciting tasks than the large technology groups. You can develop better personally in smaller companies. And you should always put expertise and fun above the financial  side.

Thank you, Amadeus, for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us. We are looking forward to the future developments at CSP under your leadership as CTO.