Our history

What made the founders decide to go independent with abat in 1998?

At that time, all four founders (from left to right Gyde Wortmann, Holger Pralle, Hinrich Meisterknecht und Ronald Wermann) had experience as managers in various corporations with secure and very good income - so why risk it all and take the uncertain path of self-employment? 

The first priority was to work for their own company. Second came the desire to run a slightly different company. In large part because each had experienced a wide variety of management styles and tools, and they were often not very good. There was often increased pressure rather than motivation and example, which would have brought just as good, if not better, results.

There were obstacles to growth or quality improvement through strict rules or exhausted budgets, and maximum EBIT was the only credo. You were either at least twice as good as everyone else or you had to pursue your personal career with an elbow mentality. Far too much time was wasted defending budgets, achieving targets, fending off internal political intrigues and unnecessary administrative tasks. There was great potential to do better.

On January 1, 1999, abat started operationally, without a single customer, but with 9 employees and the 4 founders. In addition to finding the first customers, there was enough time to define all internal processes and the interaction with the team. From the beginning there was only one hierarchy: management and employees, whereby the management saw itself as a coach. The only budget for all possible cost types was EBIT. This ensured that no losses were made, but that money could be spent where it was sensible. For 1999, these were revolutionary approaches; today, such things are called New Work and Beyond Budgeting. And even though the employees have continued to develop many internal processes and interactions to this day, the results of those first months still shape abat today. Today, with around 550 employees in the AG and over 400 in the subsidiaries, there is only management and employees, with virtually no fixed rules and only a few guard rails to help determine how things should be handled. This allows everyone in the company the "Space for something new".

1998, Founding of act GmbH

It begins with an idea and 13 employees

1999, Service Partner of SAP AG

Focus Automotive

2001, change of company name to abat AG

The company is growing:

  • 48 employees
  • 8 million euros turnover

2004, abat goes international

  • BELabat, MEXabat, abatUS
  • Locations in Belarus, Mexico, USA

2009, abat becomes product house

Foundation of abat+ GmbH for Manufacturing Execution System (MES)

Since 2013, Best Employer in Germany

Top Job quality seal: 2013, 2015, 2017, 2021, 2023

Other awards:

  • Kununu Top Company
  • Kununu Open Company
  • Förderer der neuen Wirtschaft
  • Happy Working Place
  • Great Place to Work

2015 SAP Recognized Expertise

  • in Automotive (Germany)
  • in SAP S/4HANA (Germany)
  • in Supply Chain Management (Germany)
  • in Travel & Transportation (Germany)
  • in Costumer Products (Germany)

2016, abat expands the portfolio

Sustainability consulting

2017, participation in ID-Impuls GmbH

Sustainability reporting

2018, abat becomes ISO 27001 certified

Expansion of the business areas:
Consulting in the area of information security

2019, abat becomes SAP Gold Partner

and is

  • SAP Service Partner (PartnerEdge Service)
  • SAP Development Partner (PartnerEdge Build)
  • SAP Sales Partner (PartnerEdge Sell)

2020, abat sets up its own TV studio

Cohesion despite Corona through live productions of:

  • webinars for customers and
  • internal news for employees

2021, abat becomes more and more powerful

  • Expansion of the business areas: 
    Artificial intelligence and robotic process automation (RPA)
  • with over 800 employees and a turnover over 80 million

2022, abat opens up new potentials

  • Expansion of presence in the Baltics and Eastern Europe Europe by founding abat LT in Vilnius (Lithuania)
  • Foundation of a new location in Oberhausen
  • with over 900 employees and a turnover over 90 million

2023, abat goes East

  • Foundation of abatCN in Beijing (China)
  • Top job employer of the year
  • abat receives the SAP Cloud Competence Seal for Customer Relationship Management
  • Foundation of a new location in Stuttgart/Böblingen
  • Over 950 employees and a turnover of over 95 million

2024, start-up mentality for 25 years

  • Foundation stone laid for the new headquarters in Bremen
  • Foundation of the new location in Rostock