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Thomas Hausegger
with the NTS family since 2011. Since January
2017, he has been in charge of the NTS loca-
tions Vienna, Linz, Salzburg, Klagenfurt and
Graz as Area Manager East. In doing so,
he not only cares for 70 employees, but has
the sales activities as well as the future of NTS
on his radar as well.
Thomas Bartl
is in NTS’s service since 2009.
As the Area Manager West,
he looks after 65 employees
and roughly 330 customers in
the locations Innsbruck, Bolza-
no, Dornbirn as well as Fried-
richshafen and Rosenheim.
If you had three wishes or hopes for
the technological future, what would
they be?
TH: Firstly, I would wish for: more fo­
cus on the usability during the develop­
ment of future products. Secondly,
despite all euphoria for digitalization,
more solutions are found for people
whose work places are affected by this
and thirdly, in amore general statement,
that technology continues to help us to
answer open questions.
TB: I have no wishes concerning pro­
duct developments, but if I could wish
for something intangible, it would be
90%. When you obviously venture into
other countries, as we do now in Germa­
ny, then the whole topic of mindset co­
mes into play or when certain hierarchi­
cal structures cannot be avoided, then it
will certainly be possible for NTS to at
least keep thework environment and the
familiar atmosphere.
Do you knowof a case that a customer
turned its back on NTS?
TB: No, I have never witnessed such a
thing. No customer has left NTS, not at
least since I’ve worked in the region
West. In the whole of Austria, it might
have happened, I presume.
TH: (considers) For commercial rea­
sonsyes, but never because of dissatisfac­
tion. This means, if it happened, then
based on internal or economic reasons,
The work of Thomas Bartl and Thomas
Hausegger actually encompasses much
more than guiding the different ways
and developments of the individual lo­
cations into a common direction. Be­
cause it also entails receiving the current
satisfaction level of the employees and
finding newemployees. Not forgetting of
course, to look after customers in NTS’s
very own special way as well.
Is it possible to keep the above
average satisfaction level of the
employees when NTS is continuing to
grow? Due to the fact that the bigger a
business becomes, themore standar-
dized the characters.
Thomas Hausegger: Yes. That’s ex­
actlywhy the structure of the business is
as it is. It was attempted from the begin­
ning to create smaller, even informal
units via the individual location organi­
zations. As a whole, it is not a small fa­
mily anymore, but it remains like that in
the individual locations. In future, based
on such a rapid growth rate, one has to
create again, smaller units in order to
keep these family-like bonds.
Thomas Bartl: I consider it as part of
my job that it stays like that. That’s what
I am here for. I think that this is mana­
geable to a certain degree, let’s say to 80-
but as far as I knownever because of qua­
litative arguments.
Is there a difference for customers
between NTSWest and East?
TB: As I have also worked for some
time in Vienna, I am able to say: yes. In
the West, so mainly in Tyrol and Vorarl­
berg, handshake quality is of great im­
portance. The further you go towards the
East of Austria, the more political it gets.
This affects many other factors that one
has to consider subsequently.
TH: Precisely for that reason to balan­
ce these differences, individual location
organizations exist at NTS. Ideally, the
customers prefer direct and trusted
contact persons. This itself creates basic
trust, as local partners are preferred, in
particular in the IT industry where you
penetrate deeply into the business. Loca­
lization and individual support is alrea­
dyvery important for the customers and
it becomes even more important, ir­
respective of if they are in the East or
West of Austria.
Does NTS have a different signifi-
cance in the East than in theWest of
Austria?
TB:There is definitely a big difference.
In Tyrol, we are nearly unrivaled; you
interview
TOGETHER
WE ACCOMPLISH
EVERYTHING
could even call us the top dog. NTS is at
least amongst the top nominationswhen
we talk about the portfolio.
TH: InVienna, Linz and Salzburg there
is clearly still some potential to grow in
recognition. That’s why there is now a
new location in Vienna too, in order to
give a clear signal. Plans for locations in
the other provincial capitals are current­
ly underway.
A glimpse into the future: Will NTS
ever enter the B2C business?
TB: One cannot completely answer
this question in a quick way. It depends
of course on the products of our part­
ners and as well as on the end customer.
TH: We generally look at an indirect
B2C, as our customers today already
pass on parts of our work to end custo­
mers. However, NTS will probably never
conduct a pure end customer business.
» Sales is essentially
more of a creative
process, as in reality
you are selling
emotions, hopes
and desires. «
Thomas Hausegger that the pace does not increase any­
more. It means that technical develop­
ments that already progress at a very
rapid rate, should not move any faster
than now. Even the customers can’t keep
up with it and very often large busi­
nesses can’t manage. Secondly, I would
wish for: that the Chinese market does
not flood the European market. Nowa­
days, there are hardly any producers of
high-end technical products in Europe.
And thirdly, I wouldwish for more long-
term relationships with our partners
especially in connection with the cur­
rent developments with the trading
partner America as many of them are
US based companies.
NTSwas present at the Urban Future
fair 2018. Whenwill the smart cities
become reality?
TH: There is presently no complete
smart city in existence, but it does exist
Briefly said, it is your job to take care of the future
organizational development of NTS and to represent NTS
externally and internally, one of you in the West of Austria,
the other one in the East.
Words by: Harald Müller
Photos by: NTS, Atelier Hohlrieder, LSZ Consulting
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